The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed former CFL quarterback Nathan Rourke to their practice squad two days after cutting him.
Rourke will effectively be the No. 3 quarterback now behind Trevor Lawrence and C.J. Beathard, though he will need to be activated in order to play.
Rourke spent three seasons as the quarterback with the Ohio Bobcats, where he led the team to three bowl victories. He was also the first and second winner of the Jon Cornish Trophy, which goes to the top Canadian football player in the NCAA.
While he didn’t have NFL prospects at the time, Rourke was able to find playing time in the Canadian Football League. He was drafted in the second round of the 2020 CFL Draft by the BC Lions. He tried out for the New York Giants as a wide receiver but returned to make his CFL debut in 2022, putting up five touchdowns in a winning performance for the Lions. He won the CFL’s award for Most Outstanding Canadian for his performance during the season.
That also attracted the attention of NFL clubs and Rourke had a slew of workouts, eventually signing with the Jaguars earlier in the year before he was released. While the practice squad isn’t where he hoped to end up, it means that his NFL dreams remain alive for now.
[PFT]
