Reasons why Jacksonville Jaguars waived Canadian QB Nathan Rourke for a third time…
The Jacksonville Jaguars have waived Canadian quarterback Nathan Rourke for the third time this year with the intention of placing him back on the practice roster.
Rourke was signed to the 53-man roster for the Jaguars’ Week 14 loss to the Cleveland Browns, as the team took advantage of the NFL’s new emergency third quarterback rule in the wake of minor injuries to starter Trevor Lawrence and backup C.J. Beathard. He did not see any game action but will now have to clear league-wide waivers to return to the practice squad, making him eligible to be claimed by another team.
The Jaguars utilized that same strategy in Week 7 in a win over the New Orleans Saints, signing Rourke to the 53-man active roster while Lawrence played through a knee injury. The native of Oakville, Ont. successfully cleared waivers on that occasion but a growing number of teams could be in the market for a quarterback with injuries mounting late in the season.
Rourke earns $41,666 USD per week while on the Jaguars’ 53-man active roster, which he will receive this week despite not playing in the game due to the late timing of the move. He had $221,000 USD guaranteed when he signed his three-year contract with Jacksonville and makes $12,000 per week on the practice squad.
Rourke was first waived by the Jaguars following training camp and has spent the majority of his first NFL season on the practice squad. During the preseason, he completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 348 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions while rushing 14 times for 39 yards and one touchdown.
The 25-year-old threw for 3,349 yards with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions plus rushed for 304 yards and seven touchdowns over 10 games with the B.C. Lions in 2022. He was the first quarterback to be named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian since 1980 and helped the Lions reach the West Final despite playing with a lingering foot injury.
The Jaguars currently sit in first place in the AFC South with an 8-5 record. They are set to face the Baltimore Ravens (10-3) on Sunday Night Football at 8:20 p.m. EST on December 17.