Canadian quarterback Nathan Rourke has returned to the B.C. Lions after clearing NFL waivers following his release from the Atlanta Falcons, signing a three-year contract with the team which makes him the highest-paid QB in the CFL, per 3DownNation reporter Justin Dunk.
The 26-year-old was released on Sunday after playing the entire fourth quarter during Atlanta’s preseason loss to the Miami Dolphins. He led four drives, completing three-of-thirteen pass attempts for 37 yards and rushed twice for 24 yards.
Rourke signed with the Falcons on Aug. 1 following his release from the New York Giants. He joined New York in May when he was claimed off waivers from the New England Patriots following the 2024 NFL Draft.
The six-foot-one, 210-pound Victoria, B.C. native finished the 2023 season with the Pats, dressing for the team’s final three regular season games and as the primary backup for New England’s regular-season finale.
Rourke began the 2023 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 348 yards with one touchdown without an interception and ran the ball 14 times for 39 yards plus one score during the preseason. He was moved to the team’s practice roster after training camp and activated for three regular season games.
In 2022, the Ohio University product completed 78.7 percent of his passes for 3,349 yards with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions during 10 starts with the B.C. Lions. He rushed 39 times for 304 yards and seven touchdowns, winning the league’s Most Outstanding Canadian award despite missing half the season with a Lisfranc injury.
“From talking to Nathan, I know how excited he is to be back with the Lions and to get going,” said head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell in a statement. “For this to happen, it also had to include Vernon Adams Jr. being here. Vernon will not be traded and is too good a player, too valuable a leader, and a huge part of our team.”
Rourke was a second-round pick in the 2020 CFL Draft after twice winning the Jon Cornish Trophy during his collegiate career with the Ohio Bobcats. He made two starts as a CFL rookie with the Lions in 2021, completing 52-of-82 pass attempts for 754 yards with three touchdowns and five interceptions.
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.
