Former BC Lions Quarterback's First Impression with Atlanta Falcons in 2024 Preseason
Canadian football fans are watching the NFL's preseason closely as they see their favorite native quarterback Nathan Rourke look to earn a spot on the Atlanta Falcons' roster in 2024.
Rourke played his first game in the red and black uniforms, playing through the whole fourth quarter. The Falcons were not able to score any points in the final quarter, falling to the Miami Dolphins 20-13 on Friday night.
The BC Lions' former starter completed three of his 13 passes for 37 yards and rushed twice for 24 yards on two carries. The stats are misconceiving as the wide receivers had at least three drops off of Rourke's passes in the loss. He looked good in the game, and his athleticism showed on a big run play of 21 yards.
Heck of a run right there by Nathan Rourke pic.twitter.com/HZEkY1XEXu
— Matt Stewart (@MattStewartTV) August 10, 2024
The bright side of his performance was that he outperformed fellow backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who threw for 11 yards on four completions. Atlanta's first-round pick, Michael Penix Jr., got the start at quarterback with Kirk Cousins not playing in the game.
Rourke signed with the Falcons at the beginning of August after a short offseason with the New York Giants. During the 2023 NFL campaign, he also played for the New England Patriots and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Many CFL fans will remember Rourke's short two-year stint in the league with the BC Lions after the team selected him in the second round of the CFL Draft. He won the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award in 2022 after scoring 32 total touchdowns in 10 games and leading the Lions to the postseason.
Rourke will have another shot at playing for the Falcons on Saturday, August 17, when Atlanta travels to Baltimore to face the Ravens.
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ANTHONY MILLER