How Trevor Lawrence’s Injury Effects Former CFL QB Nathan Rourke
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence had his ankle stepped on by one of his offensive linemen Monday night, forcing him leave the game against the Cincinnati Bengals. While the severity of the injury is still being evaluated, it appears Lawrence could be missing time.
Jacksonville’s backup quarterback is CJ Beathard, who has been in the NFL since 2017. Beathard will likely be the starter should Lawrence not be able to suit up this Sunday or beyond, possibly forcing former CFL quarterback Nathan Rourke to be elevated to the active roster as the new backup.
Rourke signed with the Jaguars earlier in the offseason after a successful run in the CFL. He was drafted by the BC Lions in the 2020 CFL Draft.
His 2022 season with the Lions was memorable, throwing for 3,349 yards with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions also adding seven rushing scores. Rourke ended up winning the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian award.
After landing with the Jaguars, he put up a memorable performance in a preseason game this year against the Dallas Cowboys. He threw for 153 yards and scored two total touchdowns to lead Jacksonville to a 28-23 win.
Moving forward, if Lawrence’s injury is serious enough for him to not play, Rourke could see himself being moved from the practice squad to the active roster. He would back up Beathard, with the Jags possibly looking to add another quarterback to the roster for depth purposes.
Rourke has yet play in a regular-season NFL game.
Nathan Rourke’s Journey from Star CFL QB to NFL
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Anthony Miller has been covering professional spring football since 2019 including XFL, USFL, and CFL. He was a local news reporter in Texas before transitioning to sports. Other sites he writes for includes College Football Network and NTZ Network.