Nathan Rourke of the Canadian Football League’s BC Lions plans to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars where he hopes to become Trevor Lawrence’s backup, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Rourke, 24, was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian for the 2022 season after completing 78.7 percent of his passes with 3,349 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He was named a Top Performer of the Week five times and Top Performer of the Month twice.
After the CFL season ended for the Lions, Rourke went on a lengthy tour of interested NFL teams, reportedly visiting 12 of them, including the Raiders, Broncos, Giants, and Browns.
In Jacksonville, there’s no chance Rourke climbs to the top spot on the depth chart by beating out Lawrence for the job. Instead, he’ll be looking for the No. 2 spot in 2023 and beyond.
C.J. Beathard is currently the second quarterback for the Jaguars, but he’s due to become a free agent in the offseason. In two seasons in Jacksonville, Beathard has only appeared in clean-up duty, throwing 13 total passes. He previously spent four years with the San Francisco 49ers.
The Jaguars also have rookie E.J. Perry on the practice squad, a former Boston College and Brown quarterback who had one touchdown and three interceptions in preseason.
