Rourke rusty in 1st game back as Lions fall to Bombers

Nathan Rourke's CFL return didn't go as planned for the BC Lions.

The star quarterback completed just 8 of 25 pass attempts for 126 yards and no touchdowns in his first CFL appearance since 2022, as the Lions suffered a 20-11 home loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday.

It's BC's fourth straight loss after it started the 2024 season 5-1.

The Lions announced Rourke's return to the team Tuesday in a stunning move. The 2022 CFL Most Outstanding Canadian put on a show with BC in 2022 before going to the NFL in 2023, finishing the campaign with 3,349 passing yards and 25 touchdowns in just 10 appearances.

But Rourke failed to make an impact in his return against a red-hot Blue Bombers defense. He had only three practices before the matchup. Winnipeg's defensive unit pressured the star passer for most of the night and was solid in pass coverage, forcing two interceptions. Rourke's second turnover would've been a Winnipeg pick-6 if not for a penalty during the return.

With Rourke under center, the Lions didn't post a scoring drive until early in the fourth quarter. The signal-caller didn't make any big plays versus the Blue Bombers until the final minute of the third quarter, avoiding a sack and converting a first down with his legs. He then put the Lions inside the 20-yard line with a deep pass, but the team failed to score a touchdown minutes later.

Rourke admitted postgame that he felt the outside expectation around his first game back with BC.

"But my expectations for myself are always highest, and I didn't meet that tonight," he said.

The Lions' only touchdown of the day came with two seconds left in the fourth quarter with quarterback Chase Brice under center.

Rourke and Co. will try to bounce back in Week 12 versus the Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday.