Patriots add former standout CFL quarterback
Each of the last two weeks have seen the New England Patriots lose a quarterback off their practice squad. Last week Malik Cunningham was signed by the Baltimore Ravens, and on Monday morning Will Grier was signed by the Los Angeles Chargers. That left the Patriots with just two quarterbacks in the building – Bailey Zappe and Mac Jones.
The team was quick to re-add depth. On Monday evening, multiple sources reported the team has claimed quarterback Nathan Rourke off waivers from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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Rourke, 25, was undrafted in 2021 after a successful college career at Ohio. A three-year starter for the Bobcats, he won the 2017 Jon Cornish Trophy as the top Canadian-born NCAA football player.
Having also been drafted in the Canadian Football League Draft, Rourke joined the BC Lions as a backup quarterback in 2021. He took over as BC’s starter in 2022 and was on pace to have one of the best quarterbacking seasons in league history prior to suffering a foot injury. In 10 games he completed a single-season record 78.7 percent of his passes for 3.349 yards with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also ran for 304 yards and seven touchdowns. Despite missing half the season, he won the league’s Most Outstanding Canadian award.
That performance drew attention from the NFL, and Rourke ended up working out for 12 NFL teams before signing with the Jaguars in January. He spent training camp with the team, before being released as a part of final roster cuts. The Jaguars then brought him back on the practice squad, and he spent the season going back and forth between the active roster and practice squad in Jacksonville before being waived on Saturday. He never appeared in a regular season game.
Now in New England, Rourke will likely back up Zappe and Jones. Because he is on the active roster, the Patriots can dress him on Sundays as the ’emergency third quarterback’ without having him count against the active roster total.
Because Rourke was claimed off waivers, he’ll be added to the active roster. The team was at 53 players before claiming him, meaning there will need to be a corresponding roster move made.
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