Lions general manager Ryan Rigmaiden: ‘We have a very high opinion of Chase and it\u2019s good to see that coming to fruition’<\/p>\n
Get the latest from Steve Ewen straight to your inbox Sign Up <\/p>\n
Published May 26, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 2\u00a0hours ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 4 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n The B.C. Lions made pitches this off-season to free agents Tre Ford and Dustin Crum to join their quarterback room, but returnee Chase Brice was always going to get a crack at being the No. 2 man behind Nathan Rourke.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events.Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account.The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events.Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account.The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Account<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n That was the word from Lions general manager Ryan Rigmaiden as part of him talking up the progress that Brice, 28, has made going into his fourth season with the club.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Brice got the start in Saturday\u2019s preseason opener against the Edmonton Elks in Langford. He was 8-of-10 for 77 yards, highlighted by a 14-yard touchdown toss to Hergy Mayala, in a 34-16 loss<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Lions went with second and third stringers almost exclusively in their visit to Vancouver Island. The top units will see action Friday when the Lions close out the preseason with a visit to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. But their playing time will undoubtedly be carefully managed by coach Buck Pierce, considering B.C. has extra runway until games start counting in the standings, with a Week-1 bye putting their regular season debut on June 13 with a visit to the Saskatchewan Roughriders<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rourke will undoubtedly get a series or two under centre versus the Blue Bombers. Brice will get a more extended run at the controls than he did last week, offering another opportunity to see how far that Grayson, Ga., native has come along. In the regular season with B.C., Brice is 25-of-33 for 261 yards, with a one touchdown for his 36-game career<\/a>.<\/p>\n Canucks Report<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cWe certainly did look at Dustin Crum and Tre Ford, but Chase was coming back regardless,\u201d Rigmaiden said. \u201cWe got his deal done before free agency had started and Chase was going to come back and battle for that job. We really believe in him, as the previous staff did and Buck does as well. And so to watch him come in and get more of a command was something we wanted to see from him and he bit from Day 1.<\/p>\n \u201cHe looks like a different guy. He has a different style of leadership. You could just see that he wasn\u2019t taking long to process on the field. He was getting the ball out, executing the offence. He knows what Buck expects and having a year in that system is really, really good for him.\u201d<\/p>\n Crum, 27, made six starts last season with the Ottawa Redblacks. He signed a one-year deal with the Montreal Alouettes in February<\/a>. Ford, 27, who made five starts with Elks in 2025, inked a two-year contract at the same time with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.<\/p>\n Montreal\u2019s starter is Davis Alexander, 27, who missed 10 games last season due to a hamstring injury. Hamilton\u2019s No. 1 quarterback is a 36-year-old Bo Levi Mitchell. Those are both teams that would seem to have more opportunity for passers than B.C. with a reigning Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian in Rourke, 28, and they\u2019d both have more money to spend under the salary cap.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n B.C. had brought in a 36-year-old, 12-year CFL veteran Jeremiah Masoli to be Rourke\u2019s back-up last season. He made a pair of starts midseason due to a Rourke injury, but was No. 3 on the depth chart by season\u2019s end, behind Brice. B.C. didn\u2019t opt to bring him back.<\/p>\n The 6-foot-2, 236-pound Brice signed initially as a free agent with the Lions in June 2023. He inked a two-year extension with B.C. in February. He played collegiately at Clemson, Duke and Appalachian State.<\/p>\n \u201cWe always want to improve every room. I don\u2019t care if it\u2019s the quarterback, receiver, whatever\u2026we always want to get better,\u201d Rigmaiden said. \u201cThere\u2019s always going to be a balance between finding the right fit and the right talent in that.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately for us, those players (Crum and Ford) opted to sign elsewhere. But that\u2019s OK. We have a very high opinion of Chase and it\u2019s good to see that coming to fruition.\u201d<\/p>\n The Lions inked a quarterback with CFL experience 10 days ago in Jarret Doege, 28, a Lubbock, Texas product who dressed for 18 games for the Toronto Argonauts last season and made three starts. For the season, he threw for 905 yards, completing 97-of-142. He connected for four touchdowns, he threw seven interceptions. He had dressed for 20 games and made a single start the previous two years with Edmonton.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Toronto had released three days Doege before B.C. signed him as part of getting down their preseason roster limit.<\/p>\n It\u2019ll he interesting to see how quickly he picks up Pierce\u2019s offence and whether he can push Brice for that No. 2 spot. He\u2019s a 6-foot-1, 210 pounder who played collegiately at Bowling Green, West Virginia and Troy.<\/p>\n Doegge was 6-of-10 for 67 yards against Edmonton.\u00a0<\/p>\n The other quarterback on the roster is rookie Kaidon Salter, 23, a Dallas native who started nine games last season for coach Deion Sanders\u2019 Colorado Buffaloes\u2019 NCAA squad. Salter was 7-for-14 for 67 yards versus the Elks.\u00a0<\/p>\n B.C.\u2019s first two home games of the regular season will be at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna, starting with a June 27 visit from the Calgary Stampeders.<\/a> The Lions\u2019 usual B.C. Place<\/a> home digs are being used for the FIFA World Cup until then.<\/p>\n \u201cI truly am excited about Kelowna and how we approach it. I think that\u2019s going to be a great opportunity for the team to bond and stay together and have that experience,\u201d Rigmaiden said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cUltimately, you\u2019d always like to play Week 1, but this isn\u2019t something so outlandish that we think it\u2019s going to have a super negative effect on the team.\u201d<\/p>\n B.C.\u2019s first game back at B.C. Place<\/a> is a July 25 match-up with the Toronto Argonauts.<\/p>\n x.com\/steveewen<\/a><\/p>\n SEwen@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n B.C. Lions contemplating O-line realignment, going with four Americans up front<\/p>\n![\"brice\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0527-lions-brice-1.jpg\")
Chase Brice at B.C. Lions training camp in 2025. Photo: Brian Johnson, B.C. Lions. Photo by Brian JohnsonArticle content<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/21.2.1\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-vp.svg\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\n![\"Canucks](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/21.2.1\/websites\/images\/newsletters\/icon-vs-canucksReport.svg\"\/){kind=icon}
<\/p>\n![\"B.C.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779845711_862_nov-20-2024-press-conference-duane-vienneau-neil-mcevoy-ry_289973560-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"B.C.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779845711_488_20251024-cfl-06_299511218.jpg\")
<\/p>\n