BC Lions to Trade QB Vernon Adams Jr. in Offseason

New BC Lions general manager Ryan Rigmaiden told the media on Wednesday that quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. will be traded during the offseason.
Jun 15, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN;  BC Lions quarterback Vernon Adams Jr (3) throws the ball during the second half against the Calgary Stampeders throws the ball at BC Place. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images
Jun 15, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; BC Lions quarterback Vernon Adams Jr (3) throws the ball during the second half against the Calgary Stampeders throws the ball at BC Place. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images / Simon Fearn-Imagn Images

With the news of head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell out, the BC Lions shift the focus to the offseason with an answer on one of the biggest offseason stories.

On Wednesday, newly promoted general manager Ryan Rigmaiden spoke about the situation with quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. as the team plans on trading him during the offseason.

"We're going to start those conversations tonight," Rigmaiden said. "I'll start reaching out to some teams.

"Again, I'm not a timeline guy. I want to make the best decision for the club and so I'm never going to throw out an arbitrary date to say we'd like to do this. But we'd like to do it sooner than later, out of respect to both him and the club, just so everybody knows what they're doing. We'll see what the market shakes out."

Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Jun 17, 2023; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; BC Lions quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. (3) makes a pass against the Edmonton Elks in the second half at BC Place. BC won 22-0. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images / Bob Frid-Imagn Images

The regular season in BC was chaotic, with news and speculation about the quarterback situation week after week. Adams got off to an MOP-type season before getting injured, which caused the Lions to start a quarterback controversy with the signing of Nathan Rourke.

BC struggled late in the season. The team finished with a 9-9 record and 3-5 with Rourke as the starter. Adams started the final game of the regular season and the playoff game, but the Lions lost in the first round to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

It's clear now that Rourke is the future of the Lions after signing one of the biggest contracts in CFL history. This opens the door for Adams to be traded and start for another CFL team.

The question comes as to where Adams will land as there are teams like the Calgary Stampeders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats as two potential spots for him to land.


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