Canadian Nathan Rourke blows up CFL QB market with B.C. Lions contract following NFL stint

Photo courtesy: Paul Yates/B.C. Lions

Canadian Nathan Rourke signed a lucrative contract with the B.C. Lions and took the CFL quarterback market to a new level in the process.

Rourke inked a three-year deal which includes $749,200 in hard money in 2025 and $809,000 in hard money in 2026, per sources. There are $6,000 in award incentives available in both seasons, taking his earning potential to $755,200 and $815,000 respectively each year.

Rourke’s compensation in those seasons includes $200,000 in marketing money, which does not count against the league’s salary cap. As such, his cap number for 2025 checks in at $549,200 and $609,000 for 2026.

The 26-year-old dressed for three games with the Jacksonville Jaguars last season and three with the New England Patriots, earning $519,668 USD. He had an offseason stint with the New York Giants, who released him one week into training camp, as well as the Atlanta Falcons, who let him go after one preseason quarter with next to no practice reps.

In 2022, the Victoria, B.C. native completed 78.7 percent of his passes for 3,349 yards with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions during parts of 10 starts with the B.C. Lions. He rushed 39 times for 304 yards and seven touchdowns. That November Rourke won the three-down league’s Most Outstanding Canadian award despite missing half the season with a Lisfranc injury.

The six-foot-one, 210-pound passer was selected fifteenth overall in the 2020 CFL Draft after twice winning the Jon Cornish Trophy during his NCAA career with the Ohio University Bobcats. He made two starts as a CFL rookie with the B.C. Lions in 2021, completing 52-of-82 pass attempts for 754 yards with three touchdowns and five interceptions while rushing 18 times for 111 yards and five majors.

The B.C. Lions (5-4) host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-6) on Sunday, Aug. 18 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT.