B.C. quarterback Nathan Rourke, the CFL’s reigning outstanding player, tried his luck in the NFL, but was largely unsuccessful.
During the 2023 and ’24 seasons, he was a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons. While he played in exhibition games for the Jaguars, Rourke never attempted a regular-season pass before returning to the Lions, becoming the league’s highest-paid player, earning more than $684,000.
Anthony Calvillo, the Alouettes’ offensive coordinator and the leading passer in CFL history, worked out for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2003, but wasn’t offered a contract. And Montreal receiver Tyson Philpot, the league’s leading receiver this season, also worked out for the Steelers after his rookie 2022 season — to no avail.
With Als quarterback Davis Alexander on a franchise record pace — he entered Friday night’s game at Winnipeg having passed for 3,400 yards; Calvillo threw for 6,041 yards in 2004 — speculation has surfaced that he might try his luck in the NFL after the season.
In an interview with The Gazette this week after practice, Alexander did his best to quell that speculation, confirming his commitment to the Als franchise that signed him in 2022. He did, however, offer a small caveat, noting his mind could be swayed should a barrel full of money enter the equation. Unless an NFL team offers a significant signing bonus, most CFL players attempting to make the jump are nothing more than training-camp fodder.
“I don’t have any intention of going to the NFL,” Alexander stated. “I have lots of stuff I’d worry about before that. The competition would be a lot of fun, but part of it is loyalty.
“Some people say (the Als) could turn their back on you at any moment, but they’ve been amazing to me. And there’s something special here. I’ve been here for five years and I love being here. That’s part of it for sure. Maybe if I was in a different city or organization … I might think about it, but these are my guys.”
While there have been examples of smaller quarterbacks making it in the NFL, at 6-feet and 210 pounds, Alexander isn’t big by NFL standards. In other words, a team — the Cleveland Browns? — would have to be serious about giving him an opportunity.
Alouettes’ Davis Alexander attempts a pass during the fourth quarter against the Calgary Stampeders in Montreal on July 11. Tim Snow / Montreal Gazette
And while the recurring hamstring issues that limited Alexander to seven games last season and affected his performance in the Als’ Grey Cup loss to Saskatchewan haven’t surfaced again, most fans — and probably head coach Jason Maas — hold their breath on the few occasions Alexander decides to run. All it would take is one injury to him for the season to potentially implode.
“I’m always trying to push myself to be the best,” said Alexander, 27. “I haven’t played enough games for that to be (part of the) conversation. It’s all about being consistent. So far, I have been. There’s a long way to go.”
Although in his fifth CFL season, Alexander only became the Als’ full-time starter in 2025, backing up Trevor Harris as a rookie and then Cody Fajardo when the Als won the Grey Cup in 2023. Fajardo was traded to Edmonton after the 2024 season for McLeod Bethel-Thompson — a deal the Als lost.
During the 2024 off-season, Alexander was signed to a three-year contract extension through 2027. The Als subsequently added a year to that deal. Alexander could earn up to $446,000 this season, according to a published report.
“I’m content and happy to be here,” he said. “The people in Montreal have been amazing to me and my family. I don’t have any intention of leaving and have a lot more on my mind than the NFL. We know what our end goal is.”
You can come home again: Jim Popp’s return to the CFL as Ottawa’s senior adviser — after the long-overdue firing of Shawn Burke (vice-president of football operations and former general manager ) — was the big news this week as things continue to unravel with the winless Redblacks.
Popp spent 21 seasons as the Als’ GM, VP, director of football operations and player personnel — try fitting all that onto a business card — and also made frequent forays into the head coaching role, where he was less successful.
After he was fired by former president Mark Weightman, who was probably following owner Robert Wetenhall’s orders, Popp went to Toronto as GM in 2017 for three seasons, winning a fifth Grey Cup with the Argonauts.
While Popp has been out of the CFL since 2019, his strengths as an evaluator and discovering talent — other than at quarterback, where he was unable to find Calvillo’s successor — can’t be overlooked.
“I wanted to be back in the CFL,” Popp told The Gazette. “I never thought about leaving. It has always been that way.
Editor’s Picks
“This was one of those things that felt good. It felt right. It also allowed me to come back to the CFL. Other than being in Montreal, I’ve always been working on expansion or rebuilds. And you want to work.”
Popp and Mark Goudie, the CEO of the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, spoke five years ago, before Burke was hired. While Popp has committed only until the end of the season, he said he would be open to a return in 2027. And with the Redblacks at 0-10 heading into Sunday night’s home game against B.C., it’s unlikely even Popp can turn this mess around in two months.
“Let’s go through the fall and get this thing going in the right direction,” Popp said. “Let’s figure out what we want to do moving forward. They want to make sure they’re doing the right thing. I understand that.
“Mathematically, (Ottawa) has yet to be eliminated. There’s hope. I like the challenge.”
And there will be even more hope next season, when CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston and the league’s governors decided nine teams will continue playing 18 regular-season games only to eliminate one from playoff contention.
Short yardage: Toronto rush-end Shawn Lemon, who no longer figured in the Als’ 2026 plans, has six sacks and one forced fumble at age 38 in only four games. The Als, conversely, only have 17 sacks through 10 games. The coaching staff would argue sacks aren’t the central component of a defence, that putting pressure on the QB is more important. The Als are second in the CFL, allowing an average of 26.3 points per game — but a league-low 25.1 offensive points. …
A lack of discipline continues being a recurring issue with Montreal. In last week’s victory against Ottawa, the Als were penalized 12 times for 90 yards. The Als are one of the CFL’s most-penalized teams (83 in total for 704 yards). “We’ve got to be better,” Maas admitted. “We don’t want to ever go into a game and lose that battle. It has to start. We talk about it and need to be better. Part of it is just playing. But why do offsides happen? You’re not watching the ball. We have to be more disciplined.” …
While Edmonton and Saskatchewan have garnered most of the attention in the West Division, watch out for B.C. The Lions (5-5) are on a four-game winning streak heading into Ottawa.
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com