Lions' Rourke benched in 5th game of CFL return

The BC Lions moved highly touted quarterback Nathan Rourke to the bench to start the second half of Friday's game against the Toronto Argonauts, replacing him with Vernon Adams Jr.

Rourke was 6-for-12, passing for 110 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also had one carry for nine yards and a score.

The Lions confirmed that Rourke was healthy, per the TSN broadcast. BC went on to suffer a 33-17 defeat, dropping back down to the .500 mark at 7-7.

Rourke had completed 73 of 114 passing attempts for 989 yards, four touchdowns, and seven interceptions in four games entering Friday's contest. The Lions went 2-2 in those games.

The 26-year-old Rourke returned to the CFL in August after bouncing around the NFL in 2023 and the first part of 2024. He won the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian award in 2022 as a member of the Lions before heading south of the border.

Adams was one of the front-runners for MOP before sustaining a knee injury. He had thrown for 2,469 yards, 14 touchdowns, and six interceptions entering Friday's matchup.