Nathan

Rourke

Rourke is a former CFL star, passing for 3,349 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions with the BC Lions in 2022. He signed with the Jaguars for 2023, but was released towards the end of the season. The Patriots briefly scooped up Rourke, who was the odd man out after April’s draft saw Drake Maye and Joe Milton both join the Pats. Rourke now joins Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito in the Giants’ quarterback room.

The news of Rourke being signed to the active roster means more for Trevor Lawrence and his fantasy managers than it does for Rourke. While it’s too early to say whether or not Lawrence will suit up in Week 14 against the Browns, teams tend to add an extra quarterback to the roster in anticipation of a player not playing. Head coach Doug Pederson said on Friday that Lawerence would “probably” be a game-time decision, so the signing of Rourke could be nothing more than the Jags doing their due diligence to prepare for anything. If we don’t hear any update on Lawrence Saturday, we’ll likely be waiting until the team releases their inactives to have clarity on his Week 14 status.

Rourke will now be a mainstay of the 53-man roster. With Trevor Lawrence dealing with a knee injury and the Jags playing on Thursday night, Jackonsville may be forced to turn to C.J. Beathard for their Week 7 tilt with the Saints. Rourke would serve as the backup quarterback in that scenario. Rourke was a standout in the preseason who stuck around on the team’s practice squad after training camp.

Rourke, who made some memorable plays for Jacksonville in three preseason games this summer, will start the regular season on the practice squad after seeing no interest from other teams seeking quarterback depth. The former CFL star would only see game action if Trevor Lawrence and C.J. Bethard missed time.

Rourke quickly won over Jacksonville’s fanbase through circus throws and an extreme demeanor this preseason but ultimately couldn’t stick with the team behind Trevor Lawrence and C.J. Beathard. Rourke will be an interesting name to monitor during the waiver period and could be on his way back to Jacksonville’s practice squad if he clears.

Rourke, 24, gets $200,000 guaranteed in his deal with Jacksonville. He broke out with the CFL’s B.C. Lions over the past two seasons, throwing 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for the Lions in 2022. Rourke, who has worked out for a dozen NFL teams in recent months, would presumably compete with C.J. Beathard for backup duties behind Trevor Lawrence.

Rourke was one of four FBS players who were drafted by the CFL, and the second after Virginia WR Dejon Brissett. It’s the highest a quarterback has been drafted since Jesse Palmer in 2001, who also went 15th to the Montreal Alouettes. Rourke was a dual-threat signal-caller who also happens to be from Canada, and seems like a natural fit for the league.

Rourke (6'1/210) ends his Ohio career on a high note, as he accounted for 231 yards of offense to lead the Bobcats past the Wolf Pack. The senior signal-caller surpassed the 2,800-yard mark for the season in Friday’s win, and he accounted for 33 total touchdowns (20 passing, 13 rushing). With his rushing score Rourke finishes his career tied with Marshall great Chad Pennington for second on the MAC’s total touchdowns list (111). Next up he’ll look to earn a shot at the next level, but will likely have to go the UDFA route in order to do so.

Rourke (6'1/210) wasn’t going to let this Ohio squad finish the season below a .500 record. He carried the team to a 6-6 record and himself into conference record books. With his five total touchdowns on the night, Rourke is now third in MAC history in total touchdowns (110), trailing only Chad Pennington (111) and Dan Lefevour (150). Though with varying degrees of success, both of those quarterbacks made the NFL, so Rourke should feel great about being in their company.

Rourke (6'1/210) hit on a pair of long touchdown passes in the first quarter, finding Isiah Cox from 55 yards out and Jerome Buckner from 45 yards out to help Ohio to a 24-14 advantage heading into the second quarter. The senior gunslinger would go on to notch an eight-yard touchdown run before halftime and a 22-yard touchdown pass to Julian Ross in the third quarter to finish off his strong evening’s performance. Rourke has now accounted for 27 total touchdowns this season. The Bobcats will close out the regular season against Akron next Tuesday.