BC Lions Bring Back Former NFL Canadian Quarterback After One Year
CFL fans can finally rejoice as their favorite NFL quarterback is back in the league.
The BC Lions announced Tuesday that quarterback Nathan Rourke was returning to the team and that they will be hosting a press conference with him Wednesday. TSN’s Farhan Lalji reported that the deal is for three years and will keep Rourke in BC through the 2026 season.
Lions head coach Dave Campbell released a statement regarding having Rourke back on the team.
“From talking to Nathan, I know how excited he is to be back with the Lions and to get going.”
There is a real likelihood that Rourke could start this Sunday vs #Bombers. The deal is for 3 years, through 2026. @CFLonTSN @TSN_Sports @BCLions https://t.co/kGUmXVvKZ9
— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) August 13, 2024
Rourke was waived by the Atlanta Falcons this week after playing in their preseason matchup against the Miami Dolphins. He finished with completing three of his 13 pass attempts for 37 yards and rushed for 24 yards.
Prior to Atlanta, he played for three NFL teams including the New York Giants, New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars. He never appeared in a regular-season game but made a name for himself in preseason last year for Jacksonville. In three games, he threw for 348 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. He rushed for an additional 39 yards and one score.
The Lions get back their second-round selection in the 2020 CFL Draft. Rourke played two seasons with BC where he threw for 4,103 yards and 28 touchdowns with 15 interceptions. He also rushed for 415 yards and scored 12 majors in 18 games.
His best season was in 2022 when he threw for 3349 yards and rushed for another 304, scoring 32 majors in 10 games. The CFL named him Most Outstanding Canadian.
The biggest question is what it means for current starter Vernon Adams Jr., who is recovering from injury. Campbell made it clear that Adams is still a Lion.
“For this to happen, it also had to include Vernon Adams Jr. being here. Vernon will not be traded and is too good a player, too valuable a leader and a huge part of our team.”
- BC Lions Head Coach Dave Campbell
Things will get interesting for the rest of the season as BC is in a dog fight for first place in the West Division with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Lions are at home this weekend against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. It is unclear whether Rourke will play.
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ANTHONY MILLER