It didn’t take long for Nathan Rourke to be back in the driver’s seat.
After signing a multi-year contract with the B.C. Lions on Tuesday, the team announced Friday that Rourke would start against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday.
Rourke, whose dynamic 2022 CFL campaign netted him the league’s top Canadian honours, signed a three-year contract with the team after a two-season stint in the NFL.
Rourke’s return comes at a critical time for the Lions (5-4), who have lost three straight games and are missing starter Vernon Adams Jr., sidelined week-to-week with a right knee injury. The team is keen to right the ship quickly with the 2024 Grey Cup set for B.C. Place on Nov. 17.
Adams has been ruled out of Sunday’s game, but Campbell said he is close to returning.
Rourke and Adams have a history together, with the latter filling in admirably for Rourke when he sustained a foot fracture in Week 11 of the 2022 season.
The 26-year-old Rourke, from Victoria, completed 78.7 per cent of his passes for 3,349 yards and 25 touchdowns over 10 regular-season contests in his first campaign as a full-time starter before sustaining the injury that kept him out of action until the playoffs. He also ran for 304 yards and seven TDs.
After his breakout season, Rourke decided to test his luck south of the border, but despite getting a look from some NFL teams, he never appeared in a regular-season game.
He initially signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars but was waived in December 2022 and claimed by the New England Patriots, where he dressed as a backup for one game.
The Patriots brought Rourke back this year, signing him to a one-year deal in March. But they released him in May, and Rourke decided to return home after short stints with the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons.
The Lions continued to perform well with Adams under centre after Rourke’s departure. He led B.C. to a 12-6 record in 2023 and put up big numbers early this season as the Lions sprinted to a 5-1 start. He led the league in passing through seven games of the season with 2,395 yards.
But the Lions have lost three straight, and Adams sustained a right knee injury in a 25-0 loss to Winnipeg on Aug. 1.
Jake Dolegala was the Lions’ quarterback in a 33-16 loss at Edmonton on Sunday. It was the Elks’ first home win since Sept. 9, 2023.
— With files from the Canadian Press
