What’s next for B.C.-born quarterback Nathan Rourke?

After getting waived by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday, an analyst says B.C.-born quarterback Nathan Rourke’s NFL dreams don’t appear to be over yet.

Monday’s transaction means other NFL teams have the opportunity to claim Rourke or sign him if he clears waivers.

Regardless of what ends up happening, Sportsnet 650 host Bik Nizzar says it’s not the end of the 25-year-old’s NFL hopes.

“It’s unfortunate. He’s played very well in preseason but I don’t think this puts a ceiling on his long-term NFL future,” he told CityNews.

Read More: Former BC Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke waived by NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars

Nizzar says the NFL is in a period where many players will be waived and find themselves on different teams as the season approaches. He sees a couple of possibilities for the former BC Lions star.

“The (Chicago) Bears could be in this, the (Cincinnati) Bengals could be in this, so a couple of teams to keep an eye,” he said.

“It’s not as if the Jaguars didn’t like what he put on tape over the course of the preseason so he could end up back on the practice squad, and that’s still a fantastic result for Nathan Rourke.”

What a throw by Nathan Rourke.

via: @NFLCanada pic.twitter.com/BuNc3tSx3O

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 13, 2023

Any of the options, Nizzar notes, comes with a distinct possibility Rourke appears in an NFL game.

“If injuries happen and there’s depth chart issues, he’s certainly going to be one of the first call-ups from a practice squad,” he said.

“If there’s a scenario that develops that he’s the backup QB, you never know, he could get into a game.”

Rourke was born in Victoria and grew up in Ontario. After a standout tenure with Ohio University in the NCAA, the quarterback made a splash in his first professional season in the CFL. In 10 games played in 2022, Rourke threw for 3,349 yards and seven touchdowns, rushing for another 304 yards and seven touchdowns.

He also set the single-season CFL record for completion percentage and was named the league’s top Canadian player. In January, Rourke signed with the Jaguars after holding workouts with numerous NFL teams.

Nizzar points out that despite being early in his career, Rourke has the potential to make it in the NFL.

“It is very rare to make the switch and go and have success in it. Already putting yourself on the NFL map already having some success in the preseason is a fantastic outcome for Nathan Rourke. It’s just that next step of development for him is what’s going to be really interesting moving forward,” he said.

If Rourke ends up appearing in an NFL game as a quarterback, he would be the first B.C.-born player to ever do so. He would also be the 20th player from the province overall to make it to the U.S.’s top league.