2024 CFL Odds: Will Nathan Rourke return to the CFL?

Quarterback Nathan Rourke made a big impression on Canadian football fans in the 2022 CFL season. The Victoria, BC native won Most Outstanding Canadian after setting a new single-season CFL completion percentage record (78.7 per cent) and he was a leading candidate for Most Outstanding Player until a foot injury derailed his season.

Rourke pursued NFL opportunities after the 2022 CFL season and since then, CFL fans have waited to see if he’ll return to play north of the border.

Now to be clear, Rourke is not headed back to the CFL at the moment and I fully expect him to continue to search for a fit in the NFL. He has a workout scheduled with the Atlanta Falcons, who tried to claim him on waivers a few months ago, but the New York Giants beat them out.

As a football fan, I’m hoping it works out for Rourke in the NFL and he gets a legitimate shot to stick with a team. Selfishly, however, I’m also a CFL fan and I would love to see a Canadian quarterback dominate the league. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at which teams I believe would be the best fit for Rourke if he returns to Canada.

Best CFL fits for Nathan Rourke

3. Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Bo Levi Mitchell is having a resurgent year and he’s locked in a battle with Vernon Adams Jr. as the best quarterback in the CFL this season. Hamilton has to look at a succession plan, however, as the 34-year-old Mitchell likely only has another season or two of elite football left in him.

Rourke would undoubtedly give the Ti-Cats a great shot at winning the franchise’s first Grey Cup since 1999, the longest Grey Cup drought in the CFL.

2. Toronto Argonauts

Toronto has a team that can compete for a Grey Cup, but they need to figure out their quarterback situation. Cameron Dukes has filled in as well as you could hope during Chad Kelly’s suspension, but Dukes isn’t ready to be a starter on a contending team.

The Kelly situation is also far from certain. The earliest he can return is next week, but he received a minimum nine-game suspension, so there’s no guarantee when he’ll be eligible to play and he hasn’t been cleared by the league.

Bringing in Rourke to the biggest market in Canada seems like a no-brainer. MLSE would immediately brand Rourke into the face of the CFL and he would make the Argos a perennial contender.

1. Montreal Alouettes

The Montreal Alouettes are well on their way to defending their Grey Cup championship as they enter Week 9 with a CFL-best 6-1 record. I would argue adding Rourke would give Montreal a chance to establish a new CFL dynasty over the next several years.

Cody Fajardo was good enough to help the Als win the Grey Cup last year, but he’s arguably not a top-five quarterback in the league and at 32-years-old, he’s won’t get any better.

Montreal has the best defence in the CFL by far and lead the league in almost every major defensive statistic. With Rourke leading the way, the Alouettes could also have the best offence in the league and set themselves up to dominate the CFL for the next decade.

Honourable mention – BC Lions

The Lions will always be linked to Rourke as he was born in BC and he was a star for them two years ago. Unfortunately for Lions fans, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for the team to pursue Rourke while Vernon Adams Jr. is lighting up the league and under contract through the next two seasons after this one.