Football fans in Canada looking for an NFL team to cheer for now have a handful of good options.
With a record high of five Canadian players taken in the last draft, the league is looking more Canadian than ever.
The 2023-24 season kicking off next week will bring an array of new talent looking to make a splash in the league. And among this year’s class of NFL rookies are five of Canada’s finest.
Here are some local players you might want to look out for the next time you watch a game.
Sidy Sow
At 6-foot-5 and 323 pounds, Sidy Sow is pretty hard to miss on the field.
The Bromont, Quebec, native was considered the third-best prospect in the 2021 CFL draft, but he chose to wait until the 2023 class to declare for the NFL draft, which saw him selected in the fourth round by the New England Patriots.
Sow, an offensive lineman, came through Champlain College before making the jump to the NCAA.
He is expected to start the season with the Pats in a backup role.
Nathan Rourke
While he had an impressive preseason, Nathan Rourke of the Jacksonville Jaguars will not start the 2023 season on the team’s active roster.
The former BC Lions quarterback recently went unclaimed on waivers and will sign a practice roster agreement with the Jaguars, according to a recent report from Farhan Lalji of TSN.
Rourke went unclaimed ahead of todayâs waiver deadline. He will be signing a practice roster agreement with the @Jaguars https://t.co/7GSCGFevs8
— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) August 30, 2023
The 25-year-old Victoria, BC, native may be Jacksonville’s No. 3 QB for now, but he will likely dress for games at some point this season.
Matthew Bergeron
Selected 38th overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2023 draft, Matthew Bergeron of Syracuse University made a name for himself as one of the best left tackles in college football.
Now, the Victoriaville, Quebec, native is set to make a splash at the top level.
With Falcons left guard Matt Hennessy’s injury forcing him to miss the season, Bergeron could likely see some action during the first week of the year.
Chase Brown
Running back Chase Brown, who the Cincinnati Bengals selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, recently joined Chris Evans, Joe Mixon, and Trayveon Williams on the team’s final roster.
Following a successful season at the University of Illinois, the 23-year-old ball carrier won the Jon Cornish Trophy as Canada’s outstanding NCAA player in 2022.
As a backup to Mixon, the Ontario-born rookie is projected to see the field quite a bit this season.
Sydney Brown
Chase’s identical brother, Sydney Brown, was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round, 66th overall.
The 211-pound defensive back impressed at this year’s Combine, running the 40-yard sprint in 4.47 seconds.
The London, Ontario, native also recorded a 40.5-inch vertical jump, a 10-foot, 10-inch broad jump, and 23 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press.
He was recently named one of four safeties on the teamâs final 53-man roster alongside Reed Blankenship, Terrell Edmunds, and Justin Evans.
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