Ex-Lions QB Rourke not getting much of a chance with new NFL team
Former BC Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke is having a tough time at NFL training camp so far this year.
Rourke is at his first camp with the New York Giants, the team who claimed him off waivers back in May.
The 26-year-old has not been getting many reps thus far, per TSN’s Dave Naylor, with three other quarterbacks taking snaps ahead of him. That doesn’t bode well for Rourke’s chances of making the 53-man roster.
If Nathan Rourke is going to have a chance to crack the @Giants roster he’ll need more of an opportunity that he’s got during first 2 days of training camp practices: zero team drill reps while Jones, Lock and DeVito all take turns. It’s early … Jones is back from injury and…
— Dave Naylor (@TSNDaveNaylor) July 25, 2024
The Giants have four quarterbacks fighting for roster spots at training camp. Daniel Jones is the presumed starter and was recently given a massive $160 million contract, ensuring that he will be given first crack at the top spot.
The team brought in Drew Lock to be the backup. The 27-year-old has been a journeyman around the league but usually delivers solid results. He has the inside track to the second spot.
The third string spot is where things get interesting. Rourke is battling last season’s breakout star Tommy DeVito for the position. DeVito started a handful of games for the Giants last season and became a fan-favourite with his candid postgame interviews.
The Giants quarterback room suddenly looks very crowded, and Rourke seems to be the odd man out. If he doesn’t make the 53-man roster, he will be assigned to the team’s practice squad, where he will be free to sign with other teams.
Rourke has struggled to get a serious look ever since moving to the NFL after a historic season with the Lions in the CFL. He made it clear earlier this year that he hasn’t ruled out a return to the CFL, but that would only happen if he struck out completely south of the border.
“Ultimately the answer here is, I wouldn’t not want to come back to the CFL. My experience there was super positive. If I do come back to the CFL, it would be because all NFL opportunities are closed, like there’s no more doors open there,” said Rourke at the time.
“The NFL has always been the dream, to be able to play in the NFL and have success there, be a starter there. And until those possibilities are closed, at this point, that’s the only time I would return to the CFL.”
He has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game, and the Giants are the third franchise he’s been associated with after the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots.
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