Nathan Rourke time? Jaguars' injuries could give ex-BC Lions QB NFL shot

Many Canadian NFL fans likely had the same thought process upon seeing Jacksonville Jaguars star quarterback Trevor Lawrence go down last night: “Oh no, that sucks. Also, where’s Nathan Rourke?”

In a Monday Night Football contest against the Cincinnati Bengals that the Jaguars ended up losing 34-31 in overtime, Lawrence exited the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent leg injury.

Today, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson relayed that Lawrence’s injury was a high ankle sprain, sidelining him for the foreseeable future, as per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The former BC Lions star QB (and Victoria native) Rourke was inactive for last night’s contest against the Bengals and is currently on the team’s practice squad, but Lawrence’s injury likely elevates him to the active roster for their upcoming matchup against the Cleveland Browns.

Lawrence’s replacement, CJ Beathard, went 9-10 with 63 yards on his two drives but was unable to score in overtime after winning the coin toss. However, Beathard was also seen grabbing his left wrist at times during last night’s game, suggesting he’s perhaps not at full health either.

As it’s past the NFL’s Week 8 trade deadline, the Jaguars’ only other options than Beathard or Rourke would be either to bring in a free agent veteran quarterback or to sign a player off another team’s practice squad. Names like Nick Foles, Colt McCoy, and even 38-year-old Matt Ryan are still kicking around without a team.

The CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian in 2022 while with the Lions, Rourke has yet to take a snap in the NFL regular season but threw a highlight reel touchdown pass in his preseason debut earlier this summer to Jacksonville’s Qadree Ollison.

With an 8-4 record and sitting first in the AFC South but just a game ahead of the 7-5 Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans, the stakes are extremely high for the Jaguars to sort out their QB situation.

The Jaguars and Browns are set to next play this coming Sunday, December 10, with kickoff set for 10 am PT/1 pm ET.

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