Ex-BC Lions QB Rourke picked up by another NFL team
Former BC Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke has a new NFL home.
The former CFL superstar was picked up off waivers today by the New England Patriots, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The 25-year-old quarterback was recently waived by the Jacksonville Jaguars for the third time this season. He has yet to take a snap during a regular season NFL game.
The #Patriots claimed QB Nathan Rourke off waivers from the #Jaguars, per source.
So after losing Will Grier to the #Chargers, New England's QB depth chart is full again with Rourke, the onetime CFL standout.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 18, 2023
Rourke spent two seasons with the BC Lions, including a very successful 2022 campaign where he won the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian award. He helped lead the team to a 12-6 record before eventually losing to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Western Finals.
His strong play in the CFL earned him a contract in January 2023 with the Jaguars where he has been ever since. While he impressed in this year’s preseason, he has yet to find his way into a regular season game for the Jaguars, who have former first-overall pick Trevor Lawrence leading the way.
Rourke completed 65.7% of his passes and threw one touchdown with no interceptions during this year’s preseason for the Jaguars.
Opportunity may be easier to come by with his new team. The Patriots currently have quarterbacks Bailey Zappe and Mac Jones on their roster, neither of whom inspires much confidence. Both players have quarterback ratings below 40.0 this season, placing them outside the top 25 across the NFL.
The Patriots are still coached by the legendary Bill Belichick, who helped develop Tom Brady into the consensus best quarterback of all time. The team has struggled ever since Brady left the organization and has a 3-11 record so far this season, good for dead last in the AFC East.
Because of their poor record thus far, the Patriots are well out of the playoff race. They finish this season with games against the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, and New York Jets.
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