The New England Patriots have a new quarterback: Nathan Rourke.
The Canadian passer was claimed off waivers from the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday, per sources. It was the third time he’d been waived this season as franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence played through an ankle injury he’d suffered the week before in a 23-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
Rourke was first waived by Jacksonville after training camp and spent the majority of his first NFL season on the team’s practice squad. During the preseason, he completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 348 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions while rushing 14 times for 39 yards and one touchdown.
The 25-year-old threw for 3,349 yards with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a member of the B.C. Lions in 2022. He also ran for 304 yards and seven touchdowns over 10 regular season games and won the league’s Most Outstanding Canadian award.
The Patriots currently sit fourth in the AFC East with a 3-11 record and have been eliminated from postseason contention. The team has three regular-season games remaining and Rourke will be on the active roster for all three as per the NFL’s waiver rules. Per sources, Rourke will travel to New England on Monday night. His final earnings for the 2023 season will be $519,668 USD.
Former first-round draft pick Mac Jones started 11 games for the team and threw for 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions before being relegated to a backup role. Bailey Zappe has thrown for 719 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions over three starts. Jones posted a 2-9 record, while Zappe has gone 1-2.
When asked if Rourke could play before the 2023 season is out, one source said, “Wouldn’t surprise me. Every other guy they have played this season has not got the job done.”
The native of Victoria, B.C. threw for 7,457 yards, 60 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions over three seasons at Ohio University before being taken in the second round of the 2020 CFL Draft. He also carried the ball 425 times for 2,634 yards and two touchdowns.
