Photo courtesy: CFL/Matt Smith.

The B.C. Lions have signed Canadian quarterback Nathan Rourke to a contract extension through 2028. He was set to become a free agent after the 2026 season.

The 27-year-old was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player in 2025 after throwing for 5,290 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions over 18 regular-season games. He also rushed 61 times for 564 yards and 10 scores.

Rourke became just the fifth Canadian player ever to win the league’s most prestigious award, joining Russ Jackson, Tony Gabriel, Jon Cornish, and Brady Oliveira.

“I’m honoured to continue my lifelong dream as a professional football player with the B.C. Lions. I’m fortunate to be part of an organization that believes in me and trusts me to lead both on and off the field,” said Rourke in a statement.

“Thank you to (team owner) Mr. Doman, (president) Duane Vienneau, (general manager) Ryan Rigmaiden, (president of football operations) Neil McEvoy and my agent, Greg Brookey, for all the work that went into this extension. This organization has redefined family for me and I’m excited to keep chasing the goal of bringing a Grey Cup back to the West Coast. Emily and I are proud to call British Columbia home. Go Lions!”

The six-foot-one, 210-pound passer was the highest-paid player in the league this past year, earning just under $625,000 in hard money. He was also named All-CFL, All-West Division, and the league’s Most Outstanding Canadian.

“Nathan has developed into the best player in the league and the face of the CFL,” said B.C. general manager Ryan Rigmaiden.

“We wanted to be proactive by getting this done, not only for the club, but for our fanbase. Extending him through 2028 puts us in the best possible position to win, and sends the right message to his teammates, the league and B.C. Lions fans everywhere. As Nathan continues to get more comfortable in coach Buck’s offence, we expect to be even more competitive in the future.”

The native of Victoria, B.C. was originally a second-round pick in the 2020 CFL Draft out of Ohio University. He has since played 50 regular-season CFL games with the Lions, throwing for 11,174 yards, 63 touchdowns, and 40 interceptions. He has also rushed for 1,192 yards and 27 scores.

Rourke became B.C.’s full-time starter in 2022, when he was named the league’s Most Outstanding Canadian for the first time. He spent parts of the next two seasons in the NFL as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, New York Giants, and Atlanta Falcons before returning to Vancouver in August 2024.

The B.C. Lions finished second in the West Division standings in 2025 with an 11-7 record and beat the Calgary Stampeders in the West Semi-Final before losing the West Final to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Nathan Rourke threw for 5,290 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions over 16 regular-season starts, posting an 11-5 record. He was also named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player.

The Lions ranked first in net offence, fourth in net defence, and sixth with a turnover differential of minus-four. James Butler rushed for 1,213 yards, Keon Hatcher led the CFL with 1,688 receiving yards, and Micah Awe led the league with 117 tackles. B.C. finished third in attendance with average crowds of 27,124, which was a 0.9 percent increase from the previous year.