Is It Rourke Time for the Jaguars?

[Blitz]

Trevor Lawrence has a high ankle sprain. C.J. Beathard has a left shoulder injury that limited him at practice today.

It may have seemed like a long shot that Nathan Rourke would get any snaps in an NFL uniform this season. But the opportunity is a lot closer today. It will be worth tuning into the game on Sunday as the Jags play the Cleveland Browns.

C.J. Beathard was limited in practice on Wednesday with a left shoulder injury
By
Mike Florio

Published December 6, 2023 07:28 PM
Trevor Lawrence isn’t the only injured quarterback on the Jacksonville roster.

C.J. Beathard, who seemed to suffer a left hand/wrist injury early in his stint as Lawrence’s replacement on Monday night, was officially limited in practice on Wednesday with a left shoulder injury.

The Jaguars visit the Browns on Sunday. Only Lawrence and Beathard are on the roster; Nathan Rourke is on the practice squad.

Rourke played in the CFL for two seasons before signing with the Jaguars in 2023. He has never played in an NFL game; unless the Jaguars sign an available free agent, Rourke could be the backup — or maybe the starter — on Sunday at Cleveland.

[OV:54-40]

There's a whole whack of young or rookie QBs (new record) who have got to play or start in the NFL this season; and some of them have had very good success (like that undrafted Bengals starter last game); and some have not. A lot of them have quite lesser QB resumes than Rourke IMO. I'll believe it when I see him playing, but will be interesting.

[B.C.FAN]

Don’t count Trevor Lawrence out. The Jaguars QB has never missed a start in three seasons, and is hoping to play Sunday in a crucial battle for playoff positions in Cleveland. The most likely scenario for Rourke is that he dresses as the emergency third quarterback, as he did earlier this season when Lawrence played through a knee sprain and rushed for a career-high 59 yards in leading the Jags to a 31-24 victory in New Orleans. Rourke didn’t see any action in that game.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nfl/article/ja ... vs-browns/

[Blitz]

Don’t count Trevor Lawrence out. The Jaguars QB has never missed a start in three seasons, and is hoping to play Sunday in a crucial battle for playoff positions in Cleveland. The most likely scenario for Rourke is that he dresses as the emergency third quarterback, as he did earlier this season when Lawrence played through a knee sprain and rushed for a career-high 59 yards in leading the Jags to a 31-24 victory in New Orleans. Rourke didn’t see any action in that game.

I think its looking like Lawrence will play on Sunday. Football players want to play. But I am also sure that most quarterbacks, in the back of their minds, are cognizant of past history at the quarterback position, such as that Tom Brady got his chance after an injury to Drew Bledsoe.

I highly doubt that Trevor Lawrence is losing sleep over Beathard, should Lawrence have to miss a game due to injury but who knows.

But I do believe, that back here in Leo Land, with Mike Reilly, he would not come out of a game, no matter the score or how injured he was, not only because he loved to pin himself high on a cross but also because he knew how talented Nathan Rourke was as our backup quarterback at the time.

[DanoT]

With both Lawrence and Bethard nursing injuries, one has to figure that Rourke will dress for this week's game.

[Toppy Vann]

Don’t count Trevor Lawrence out. The Jaguars QB has never missed a start in three seasons, and is hoping to play Sunday in a crucial battle for playoff positions in Cleveland. The most likely scenario for Rourke is that he dresses as the emergency third quarterback, as he did earlier this season when Lawrence played through a knee sprain and rushed for a career-high 59 yards in leading the Jags to a 31-24 victory in New Orleans. Rourke didn’t see any action in that game.

I think its looking like Lawrence will play on Sunday. Football players want to play. But I am also sure that most quarterbacks, in the back of their minds, are cognizant of past history at the quarterback position, such as that Tom Brady got his chance after an injury to Drew Bledsoe.

I highly doubt that Trevor Lawrence is losing sleep over Beathard, should Lawrence have to miss a game due to injury but who knows.

But I do believe, that back here in Leo Land, with Mike Reilly, he would not come out of a game, no matter the score or how injured he was, not only because he loved to pin himself high on a cross but also because he knew how talented Nathan Rourke was as our backup quarterback at the time.

That might play in the back of Trevor Lawrence's mind knowing how talented Rourke looked in pre-season and how much he wants CJ Beathard as his back up. Mike Reilly had his desired back up come to BC in Danny O'Brien before there was Nathan Rourke and he was not ever experienced enough to be successful as a starter, yet clearly Rourke could have taken over in Reilly's last season.


How much the risk of Rourke being grabbed off waivers weighs in their thinking when it comes to making him even their 3rd QB?

Also in the video, Nathan Rourke. QB2 (maybe?)

[Toppy Vann]

I don't grasp how the NCAA transfer portal system works but Kurtis Rourke is keeping options open including that transfer and the NFL draft.

This could be a critical week in the football careers of both Rourke brothers - Dave Naylor

https://www.tsn.ca/nfl/naylor-this-coul ... -1.2045800



https://www.sportsnet.ca/ncaa-mens-foot ... er-portal/

[David]

What is it with some football players wanting to be Superman? There is a difference between playing 'hurt' and playing 'injured.' Playing injured is an act of selfishness, in my opinion.

Yea, I get it that these guys are passionate, dedicated athletes. But playing injured is being reckless and putting your need for personal glory ahead of the team, IMO.

Adam Bighill was an example. No way was he ready to start in the Grey Cup game, and it showed. That roster spot should have been Malik Clements'.

I have seen a lot of football injuries in my time, and there is no way Trevor Lawrence can come back in one week the way he got folded up and needed help off the field (foolishly waving off the cart). If I am wrong, I will eat my words.


DH

[Hambone]

On ESPN's site there is a clip from the McAfee show showing Lawrence jogging onto the field to join Beathard and Rourke in some drills today. The video clip was fairly brief but there was no sign of a noticable limp. There's no indication in the clip or ensuing discussion as to how much he actually participated; full participant in everything or limited to things that wouldn't put strain on the ankle. He could have shut it down after 20 minutes. And of course how his ankle might have reacted after the session was over would be a key factor moving forward. Chuck Spagnola opined that the "high ankle sprain" may be much less than that given how debillitating a high ankle sprain usually is.

[Hambone]

There's a whole whack of young or rookie QBs (new record) who have got to play or start in the NFL this season; and some of them have had very good success (like that undrafted Bengals starter last game); and some have not. A lot of them have quite lesser QB resumes than Rourke IMO. I'll believe it when I see him playing, but will be interesting.

That undrafted Bengal starter Jake Browning also has spent 4-1/2 full years in the NFL. He's not one of those guys who has bounced around for several short cups of coffee here and there between long stretches of unemployment. Minnesota signed him as a UDFA back in April 2019 coming out of U of Washington where he became the Huskies starter as a true freshman. He'd go on to start all 54 games at UW leading them to a 39-15 record. As a sophomore he finished 6th in Heisman voting. He holds all UW passing records. He was projected to be a 7th rd pick or UDFA signing. Apparently a shoulder injury at the end of his junior season led to arm strength concerns hurting his draft stock. Regardless the Vikes guaranteed $125K of his initial $495K UDFA contract.

Browning spent all of 2019 & 2020 on Minnesota's PR. The Vikes let him go in final cuts after 2021 training camp. The Bengals scooped him up 6 days later and added him to their PR, his longest stretch of NFL unemployment in his career. He spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons on Cincinnati's PR finally earning the job as Joe Burrow's backup in training camp this year.

Technically he's a rookie but in reality a rookie with 5 years of NFL development. In terms of development Rourke is about 3 years behind Browning.

[DanoT]

I think it was John Madden who once offered that when an injured player says he ready to return to action, that means give him one more game off and then that is when he will really be ready to return to action.

The above could very well be applied to Lawrence.

[OV:54-40]

There's a whole whack of young or rookie QBs (new record) who have got to play or start in the NFL this season; and some of them have had very good success (like that undrafted Bengals starter last game); and some have not. A lot of them have quite lesser QB resumes than Rourke IMO. I'll believe it when I see him playing, but will be interesting.

That undrafted Bengal starter Jake Browning also has spent 4-1/2 full years in the NFL. He's not one of those guys who has bounced around for several short cups of coffee here and there between long stretches of unemployment. Minnesota signed him as a UDFA back in April 2019 coming out of U of Washington where he became the Huskies starter as a true freshman. He'd go on to start all 54 games at UW leading them to a 39-15 record. As a sophomore he finished 6th in Heisman voting. He holds all UW passing records. He was projected to be a 7th rd pick or UDFA signing. Apparently a shoulder injury at the end of his junior season led to arm strength concerns hurting his draft stock. Regardless the Vikes guaranteed $125K of his initial $495K UDFA contract.

Browning spent all of 2019 & 2020 on Minnesota's PR. The Vikes let him go in final cuts after 2021 training camp. The Bengals scooped him up 6 days later and added him to their PR, his longest stretch of NFL unemployment in his career. He spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons on Cincinnati's PR finally earning the job as Joe Burrow's backup in training camp this year.

Technically he's a rookie but in reality a rookie with 5 years of NFL development. In terms of development Rourke is about 3 years behind Browning.

Undrafted Tyson Bagent (Bears) and Tommy DeVito (Giants) have also been forced into starting in the NFL this year.

If you want to believe it's all about their superior resumes and "development" status compared to Rourke - knock yourself out.

[Toppy Vann]

The CFL screwed around with the 2 or 3 QB rules but this Jaguars situation sounds a bit odd if both the 1 and 1 QBs are hurt.
It's Friday and Rourke has no idea (or so this sounds ) about even being a 3rd QB.

Jacksonville Jaguars undecided on status of Canadian QB Nathan Rourke following Trevor Lawrence’s injury
By JC Abbott -December 8, 2023

https://3downnation.com/2023/12/08/jack ... ce-injury/

[Hambone]

There's always far more to these types of roster decisions than simply adding Rourke to the 53 to make him available as the emergency 3rd QB. Beathard was a full participant today so is good to go. Adding Rourke takes away a spot for other guys they may need even worse as the Jags are dealing with multiple injuries at CB, OT and RB. They need to have guys on the 53 to cover multiple game time decisions at multiple positions, positions where if the guy dresses he plays. Then there's the risk of losing Rourke on waivers when they are faced with the option of either burning a spot for him on the 53 or waiving him (which is mandatory) to try getting him back on the practice squad. Opinions I read in the past 24 hours seem to believe there is a much higher risk of some team claiming him this time than there was the last time when they added him to the 53 as possible emergency QB. That's simply due to the volume of QB injuries that exist today vs then. Add to that more teams already see their season will not end with a playoff appearance and might be willing to claim him with thoughts of 2025. In general there's been a lot more activity of teams making waiver claims recently.

With Beathard as a full participant it will all boil down to Lawrence's availability. If he absolutely cannot go they will have no choice but to activate and dress Rourke and deal with the risk of losing him when Lawrence is good to go. If Lawrence is good to go Rourke will stay on the PR.

[Toppy Vann]

If it weren't a bush rule, just make it so you can have 3 QBs and avoid the hassle they have now where if the take him off the PR, they can lose him on waivers if they don't keep him there.

I hear so many NFL fans and CFL haters go on how great the NFL but some of their rules such as offensive motion are nonsensical.