The B.C. Lions don’t anticipate adding more depth to their quarterback room ahead of training camp, despite not having a single player with starting experience behind Nathan Rourke.
“I envision going in with the quarterbacks that we have right now,” head coach Buck Pierce told the media from the CFL Combine.
“We’re happy with where we are with the current guys we have under contract. We’re excited about the competition for that position in training camp. As of right now, we’re excited about the guys that we have.”
3DownNation recently ranked the Lions as the fourth-best quarterback room in the CFL, a number inflated primarily by the presence of the reigning Most Outstanding Player. Their depth behind Rourke remains among the least proven in the CFL, as they join Saskatchewan and Winnipeg as the only teams with projected backups who have never started a game.
That was an issue that B.C. tried to address in CFL free agency, entering the sweepstakes for a couple of top backup options. Dual-threat Canadian pivot Tre Ford has stated on the record that his decision came down to offers from the Lions and Tiger-Cats, which ultimately led to him signing in Hamilton. Sources indicate that a similar situation played out with Dustin Crum, who chose to go with the Montreal Alouettes instead.
After both opted to go in a different direction, the Lions inked incumbent backup Chase Brice to a contract extension. The 28-year-old is the team’s only other experienced CFL passer on the roster, having completed 25-of-33 attempts for 261 yards and a touchdown over three years.
“Obviously, you’re always looking to add depth, and you’re always looking to add talent, whether that’s growth, whether you’re trying to develop certain guys. We looked at that position, there were certain guys available, and we had those conversations,” Pierce said.
“When you look at our current depth chart, we’re very excited about the guys that we have. Chase Brice has been with us for a number of years now and has shown a lot of growth throughout limited reps, continuing to get a better feel for what we need and what our offence looks like.”
With Rourke cemented as the long-term face of the franchise, it would have taken a bidding war to make Vancouver the most attractive destination for any quarterback still harbouring starting aspirations. Given some of the other contracts that the Lions have on the books, there was a firm limit to what they could offer.
“Unfortunately, in the salary cap world, you have to make decisions based on what your salary cap is,” vice-president of football operations Neil McEvoy said. “We all have to make it fit within the parameters that the league gives us, and we are within those parameters, and we’re comfortable going forward that we’ll be able to have a very competitive football team based on what the league mandates will be.”
As a result, no other veterans are expected to be added to the mix at quarterback before camp opens in May.
Newcomers Gevani McCoy and Tommy Rittenhouse are slated to compete with Brice for the two backup jobs. Both arrive with intriguing resumes — McCoy was the Jerry Rice Award winner as the top freshman in the FCS in 2022, while Rittenhouse was a two-time all-conference honourable mention with Illinois State — but that will provide little reassurance if Rourke is forced to miss any length of time.
The Lions hold the seventh overall pick in the 2026 CFL Draft, which is scheduled for Tuesday, April 28, at 7:00 p.m. EDT. All CFL training camps are scheduled to open on May 10. B.C. will play its first preseason game against the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, May 23, and its first regular-season game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday, June 13.
In 2025, B.C. finished second in the West Division standings with an 11-7 record. They beat the Calgary Stampeders in the West Semi-Final but lost the West Final to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Franchise quarterback Nathan Rourke threw for 5,290 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions to be named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player.
