Nathan Rourke has accepted the B.C. Lions’ decision to bench him for their regular season finale against the Montreal Alouettes, though it’s clear he’s still grappling with the change.
“I felt like I was getting better, I still feel that way. I’ve tried to give myself grace throughout this transition about what 2024 has looked like for me and my family and sometimes when you’re inserted into a situation, they don’t have that same perspective and I don’t blame them for that,” Rourke told the media on Tuesday.
“I understand the sense of urgency, obviously, with one week left and playoffs right around the corner to try to put yourself in any type of position to win. I’m here for the Lions, I’m here for the long term and whatever that decision may be, I’m gonna ride with it and be a good teammate.”
“I understand the reasoning, although the decision is certainly difficult to grasp.”
The native of Victoria, B.C. signed with the Lions in mid-August following a stint in the NFL and has made eight straight starts, throwing four touchdown passes, nine interceptions, and posting a 3-5 record. Vernon Adams Jr. was out due to a knee injury for Rourke’s first few games at the helm but has been a full participant in practice since early September.
Adams is happy to be back in the starting lineup but reiterated what he posted to social media on Monday, saying B.C.’s poor play wasn’t primarily Rourke’s fault.
“I feel for Nate because as (head coach) Rick (Campbell) said, it wasn’t just him. As a whole team, we need to come together and make more plays. We need turnovers, we need big plays on special teams, we need to score in the red zone, things like that. But in pro football when you’re not winning, they’ve gotta look to change something, so I’m excited for the opportunity and ready to prepare my ass off and work hard,” said Adams.
Rourke and Adams have received rave reviews from the team’s leadership regarding their professionalism and willingness to work together for the betterment of the team. Now that he’s in the backseat, Rourke will look to help his fellow quarterback lead the Lions to a possible run in the playoffs.
“I’m certainly going to not try to step on his toes. I’m going to let him be the guy that he needs to be for this football team,” said the 26-year-old. “But my preparation and the way that I approach things isn’t going to change — that’s the way that I’ve done it since I’ve gotten to this league and since I’ve been a professional. I believe in that process.”
Campbell made it clear on Tuesday that Adams could be the team’s starter in the West Semi-Final — which will be played in Winnipeg or Regina, depending on how the final week of the regular season unfolds — based on how he plays against Montreal on Saturday. Adams hasn’t started a game against his former team since last year when he won both matchups against the eventual Grey Cup champions.
“It’s very exciting for me hearing everybody who still has my back and had my back this whole time through these tough times. It’s exciting, so I’ve just gotta go out there and play my game. I’m not Superman, I’m not gonna come out here and win the whole game by myself. It’s still alignment and assignment — guys still gotta make plays for me and for the team as well,” said Adams.
“We need to actually believe that we’re gonna win. We can be down 10 points, 15 points — we still need to believe we’re gonna win. These losses, it’s the whole organization. It’s not just on the players. Coaches have gotta come together, we all gotta come together and make adjustments and make plays on the field. We’ve gotta come together as an organization and get better.”
Though he’s disappointed about losing B.C.’s starting job, Rourke remains loyal to the team that recently made him the CFL’s highest-paid player on a three-year contract.
“I’m committed to the team as long as they are to me and so as long as that’s mutual, I have no problem saying things like that,” said Rourke. “I love it here, I love playing for these coaches, I love this locker room. I wish things were different at this point but that would also have a little bit more wins and stuff like that.”
Rourke and Adams are both under contract through 2026, though it will be impossible to keep both under the salary cap next year. As such, the Lions have a big decision to make this off-season about their future. At first glance, Rourke’s age and passport make him the easy choice but that might change if Adams leads the team on a surprise Grey Cup run.
In the meantime, the Canadian passer has spoken to other players around the league who have made midseason shifts from the NFL to the CFL regarding the challenges involved in the process. After putting up Doug Flutie-like numbers over 10 starts in 2022, it’s clear he hasn’t been at the top of his game since returning up north this past summer.
“I think there’s been a lot of emotions, so I understand how that could take a toll on a player. I think just the transition of going from a place where things are so uncertain and your job is kinda on the line — that tension — and transitioning back to a place where you can feel comfortable, trying to relax I think is difficult for a lot of people,” said Rourke.
“I think it’s hard to ignore the success that I had and this team has had in previous years and you want to be able to hold yourself to that expectation and that standard but things have changed — that’s not necessarily realistic for both me as a player and for the team. Certainly, we know what I’m capable of but certainly have to make the most of the situation we have now.”
The Lions (8-9) will host Montreal (12-3-1) on Saturday, Oct. 19 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT.