Article content
B.C. Lions general manager Ryan Rigmaiden talked earlier this week about how important of a building block quarterback Nathan Rourke is for the franchise, and on Tuesday the team reiterated that further.
Article content
The Lions announced Tuesday that they inked Rourke, 27, to a two-year extension which will keep him with the club through the 2028 season. Rourke is entering the final year of his current deal, signed in August 2024.
Article content
Rigmaiden told Postmedia on Sunday about how having Rourke helps the team recruit free agents, explaining that “everybody wants to play with the best and Nathan’s not only the best in the league at quarterback — I think he’s the best player in the league.”
Rourke, who was born in Victoria and raised in Oakville, Ont., is coming off his finest season to date, having passed for 5,290 yards with 31 touchdowns. He also ran for 564 yards and scored 10 touchdowns along the ground. He won both the George Reed Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian at the league’s year-end awards.
Along the way, Rourke shattered the league record for most passing yards in a season by a Canadian. Russ Jackson’s 3,641 yards had held the mark since 1969.
According to 3DownNation, Rourke was the highest-paid player in the CFL this past year, earning $624,200.
Rigmaiden was quoted in Tuesday’s league press release as saying: “We wanted to be proactive by getting this done, not only for the club, but for our fan base. 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.”
CFL free agency opens Feb. 10. The Lions open the regular season on June 13 with a visit to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. They will play home games out of the Apple Bowl in Kelowna to start the campaign, due to B.C. Place hosting FIFA World Cup action. B.C.’s first game in Kelowna is June 27. Their first game back at B.C. Place is July 25, when the Toronto Argonauts provide the opposition.
Read More
B.C. Lions’ free-agent chase gets boost from having Nathan Rourke at QB controls
B.C. Lions take show on tour next season thanks to the World Cup
Share this article in your social network