B.C. Lions: Nathan Rourke going to miss ‘weeks rather than months’

Photo courtesy: Edmonton Elks.

The B.C. Lions have received good news regarding the health of franchise quarterback Nathan Rourke, as he will not require surgery after undergoing an MRI to his non-throwing shoulder.

“It’s going to be weeks rather than months, and knowing Nate, it’ll be sooner rather than later,” general manager Ryan Rigmaiden told the media on Tuesday. “I can’t give you anything else in terms of weeks, but it’s definitely going to be more weeks than months, and so we’re excited about that.”

The 28-year-old was injured on the second play from scrimmage in B.C.’s loss to the Edmonton Elks this past week when defensive lineman Noah Taylor looped inside and went unblocked for a sack.

Rourke walked off the field under his own power, but was subsequently treated for a left shoulder injury in the locker room. He later returned to the sideline with his arm in a sling.

Rigmaiden indicated pain management will be a key factor in Rourke’s recovery. The team will carefully monitor his status to make the best decision for all parties.

“He’s the type of guy you sometimes have to protect from himself,” said Rigmaiden. “He’s always going to be chomping to get on the field, and that’s a good thing. You want your leaders to to want to play, so that’s who Nathan is.”

The Lions have signed Tyrie Adams to fill out the depth chart while Rourke is out. The 29-year-old spent the past four seasons with the Ottawa Redblacks, completing 62.6 percent of his passes for 817 yards, five touchdowns, and six interceptions.

“We’re required to dress three (quarterbacks), and that’s why we brought Tyrie in. He‘s got some experience in this offence, which is good,” said Rigmaiden.

“He’s going to dress to be the (third-stringer), but like any player we bring in, we’re going to expect him to do well when called upon, and the quicker he can learn and pick up this offence, the quicker he can be a factor for us.”

Chase Brice took over the controls from Rourke against Edmonton. The fourth-year backup finished 20-of-34 for 226 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions in the loss, and it appears he’ll continue in the starting role for the foreseeable future.

“Chase been in this league for for four-plus years. He’s a good player. He had a great camp, and we expect him to do well,” said Rigmaiden.

“I think he just needed to settle in a little bit. Coming into this game, instead of coming off the bench in a kind of a surprise role as the number two, he’s going to be the starter for us. I think that helps him prepare a little bit.”

Rourke has completed 71.3 percent of his passes for 1,403 yards, five touchdowns, and four interceptions through four starts this season. He’s also rushed seven times for 71 yards and a score.

The Victoria, B.C. native is the CFL’s reigning Most Outstanding Player. In 2025, he threw for 5,290 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions, and rushed for 564 yards and 10 scores.

The B.C. Lions (1-4) will host the Toronto Argonauts (2-4) at BC Place Stadium on Saturday, July 25 with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Argonauts lost to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last week after Lirim Hajrullahu missed a potential walk-off game-winning field goal, while the Lions failed in their comeback bid against the Edmonton Elks.

The weather forecast in Vancouver calls for a high of 22 degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS2 in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on TSN 1050 in Toronto and 730 CKNW (English) or Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 (Punjabi) in Vancouver.

J.C. Abbott is a University of British Columbia graduate and high school football coach. He covers the CFL, B.C. Lions, CFL Draft and the three-down league’s Global initiative.