2024 CFL Odds: Does Nathan Rourke or Vernon Adams Jr. give the Lions the best chance to win?

When the BC Lions announced the surprise signing of Nathan Rourke on August 13, it was almost a guarantee that the 2022 Most Outstanding Canadian would fully take over the reins of QB1 from the injured Vernon Adams Jr.

But after struggling in his first two games and with Adams nearly healthy, could the Lions have a quarterback controversy on their hands?

2024 Grey Cup odds

Surprise return

Rourke lit up the CFL in his one season as a starter in 2022, throwing for 3,349 yards and 25 touchdowns in just 10 games before a foot injury kept him out of the rest of the regular season. The 26-year-old Victoria, BC native left after the season and spent the last year and a half pursuing a job in the NFL. Rourke had stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons, but he never saw regular season game action and he opted to return to the Lions.

Rourke will be the highest paid player in the CFL next year and the following year, but it hasn’t been the start most people had anticipated. In two games since returning to the Lions, Rourke has completed 53.6 per cent of his passes for 360 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions against Winnipeg and Ottawa while BC’s losing streak is now at a CFL-high five games.

While Rourke has been announced as the starter at home against Ottawa this week, he’ll likely be on a very short leash when Adams is healthy enough to play.

When will Adams be healthy?

Adams was on pace to win Most Outstanding Player before a Week 9 knee injury sidelined him for the foreseeable future. The 31-year-old Adams passed for 2,469 yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions while leading the Lions to a 5-2 record in the seven games he was able to finish. Despite missing the last three games, Adams still ranks fourth in the CFL in passing yards and tied for second in passing touchdowns.

One sign that indicates Adams could be close to returning is head coach Rick Campbell’s non-committal answer following last week’s loss in Ottawa when asked who would start in Week 13. Rourke was ultimately named the starter, but it’s clear Campbell will at least think about making a change when Adams is healthy.

Rourke or Adams?

When it comes to who should start if Rourke and Adams are both healthy, I lean towards Rourke by a slim margin.

Rourke showed clear improvement in his second start and I expect that to continue as he readjusts to the CFL. It’s a big change to go from a year and a half of American rules back to the Canadian game and Rourke is also learning a completely new playbook, so it will take some time.

And as good as Adams was before his injury, he has also proven to be a liability in the past, throwing a CFL-high 18 interceptions last season.

For the time being, this is Rourke’s team.