Nathan Rourke becomes first Canadian QB to win CFL M.O.P. since Russ Jackson in 1969

Photo: Jeff Vinnick/B.C. Lions

B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke has officially been named the CFL’s George Reed Most Outstanding Player.

The 27-year-old native of Victoria, B.C. threw for 5,290 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions over 16 regular-season starts in 2025, his first full year in the CFL since 2022. The dual-threat passer also rushed 61 times for 564 yards and 10 scores, finishing the season as the league’s eighth-leading rusher. He went 11-5 as a starter, leading the Lions to a second-place finish in the West Division, and was named All-CFL.

Rourke became the CFL’s highest-paid player when he returned from the NFL last season, earning over $600,000 this season. He had stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, New York Giants, and Atlanta Falcons over the last two years, though he didn’t see any regular-season NFL action.

The six-foot-one, 210-pound passer was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian in 2022, his first year as B.C.’s starter, though he missed eight regular-season games due to a Lisfranc injury. Since being selected in the second round of the 2020 CFL Draft out of Ohio University, Rourke has thrown for 11,174 yards, 63 touchdowns, and 40 interceptions, and rushed for 1,192 yards and 27 scores over 50 regular-season CFL games.

Rourke is the first Canadian quarterback to be named Most Outstanding Player since Russ Jackson received the honour in 1969. This marks the second straight year a Canadian player has won the award, as Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back Brady Oliveira captured the honour last season. Former Ottawa receiver Tony Gabriel and Calgary running back Jon Cornish are the only other Canadians to ever receive the award.

The East Division nominee for Most Outstanding Player was Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell. Rourke won the award by a 40-13 margin from national voters from the Football Reporters of Canada (FRC).

The B.C. Lions finished second in the West Division standings in 2025 with an 11-7 record and beat the Calgary Stampeders in the West Semi-Final before losing the West Final to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Nathan Rourke threw for 5,290 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions over 16 regular-season starts, posting an 11-5 record. He was also named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player.

The Lions ranked first in net offence, fourth in net defence, and sixth with a turnover differential of minus-four. James Butler rushed for 1,213 yards, Keon Hatcher led the CFL with 1,688 receiving yards, and Micah Awe led the league with 117 tackles. B.C. finished third in attendance with average crowds of 27,124, which was a 0.9 percent increase from the previous year.