Tag: Nathan Rourke

Report: Patriots re-signing QB Nathan Rourke to new deal

The Patriots reportedly made a quarterback signing on Friday

The New England Patriots are reportedly re-signing backup quarterback Nathan Rourke to a new deal, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Rourke, who was claimed off waivers by the Patriots last December, never saw the field in New England, but he was promoted ahead of Mac Jones as the primary backup to Bailey Zappe in the final week of the season.

At the very least, the former Canadian Football League standout will have an opportunity to compete for a roster spot in New England.

Keep in mind, the Patriots reportedly already have a three-step plan in place, which includes drafting a rookie quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft, signing a veteran quarterback and moving on from Jones.

Rourke obviously did enough behind the scenes to impress the right people. We’ll see if he can keep the momentum going in his offseason preparation for a Patriots’ quarterbacks room that’s about to get significantly crowded.

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Patriots Week 18 inactives: Mac Jones OUT, Nathan Rourke IN vs Jets

Mac Jones is a healthy scratch for the Patriots in Sunday’s game against the Jets

After beginning the season as the starter for the New England Patriots, Mac Jones will finish as a healthy scratch in Sunday’s finale against the New York Jets.

Jones was listed as inactive in the lead-up to the Week 18 matchup, which means Nathan Rourke will serve as the primary backup for Bailey Zappe.

There are questions regarding Jones’ future with the Patriots in 2024, and this roster move only thickens the plot with the team likely looking to move in a different direction at quarterback after the season.

The Patriots are expected to approach Sunday’s matchup as any other game with the typical starters being in the lineup. Along with Jones, wideout Tyquan Thornton and offensive tackle Trent Brown were also listed as inactive.

Here’s the full list of inactives for both teams:

Jones will serve as the emergency No. 3 option for the Patriots, if Zappe and Rourke both somehow get injured. Unless something crazy happens, Jones has officially played his final snap of the season.

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Jaguars sign QB Matt Barkley from Giants practice squad

With Trevor Lawrence dealing with another injury, the Jaguars added an 11th year veteran to their active roster.

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed veteran quarterback Matt Barkley to their active roster from the New York Giants’ practice squad, the team announced Tuesday.

Barkley, 33, is now the oldest player on the Jaguars’ roster. The 2013 fourth-round pick has now been with 11 different NFL franchises, including two stints each with the Arizona Cardinals and Buffalo Bills. The 11th year veteran has appeared in just 19 career games and started only seven. His last pass attempt was during the 2020 season.

Jacksonville spent the majority of the 2023 season with two quarterbacks, Trevor Lawrence and C.J. Beathard, on the active roster and former CFL star Nathan Rourke on the practice squad. That changed last week when the New England Patriots scooped Rourke up off waivers.

To address the loss, the Jaguars signed E.J. Perry to their practice squad. But with Lawrence’s status in doubt due to yet another injury, the Jaguars now have three quarterbacks on the active roster. On Tuesday, coach Doug Pederson said it’s too early to tell if Lawrence will be able to play Sunday against the Carolina Panthers and doubted that he’d be able to practice Wednesday.

To make room for Barkley, the Jaguars placed special teamer Daniel Thomas, who broke his forearm Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on injured reserve.

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Bill Belichick explains decision to add newest Patriots quarterback

Bill Belichick commented on the addition of Nathan Rourke to the Patriots’ quarterback room.

The New England Patriots signed quarterback Nathan Rourke off waivers from the Jacksonville Jaguars on Wednesday, filling a need for depth at the position.

Rourke appeared in three games for Jacksonville over the course of the preseason. He threw for 348 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. He was released by the Jaguars during roster cuts and spent time on both their practice squad and active roster throughout the course of the season.

He has yet to play an NFL snap, but he could have an opportunity to get snaps in New England. The Patriots only have Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe in the quarterback room, as they head into a Christmas Eve showdown with the Denver Broncos.

Rourke does have a bit of football pedigree. He won the Most Outstanding Canadian award in 2022 as a member of the BC Lions in the CFL.

“When you only have two quarterbacks at the roster, a guy sprains his ankle, you’re down to putting a receiver or a running back or somebody at quarterback,” Belichick said, via NESN.com’s Zack Cox. “But he was productive — preseason, Canada.”

Rourke certainly seems like a player that would be wise to take a flyer on. The Patriots will look to finish out the last three weeks of the season strong, starting at Denver on Sunday.

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Jaguars reportedly signing QB E.J. Perry to practice squad

The Jaguars addressed their sudden need at quarterback by adding a familiar face.

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t waste time adding a quarterback. With Trevor Lawrence in concussion protocol and Nathan Rourke off to join the New England Patriots, the Jaguars are reuniting with E.J. Perry, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Perry, who is represented by the same colorful agent as the Giants’ Tommy DeVito, first joined the Jaguars in 2022 after going undrafted. The former Brown University quarterback spent his entire rookie season on the Jacksonville practice squad.

Not long after the Jaguars signed Rourke, the team parted ways with Perry in March. The Houston Texans claimed Perry off waivers, but waived him themselves two months later.

Perry had a stint with the USFL’s Michigan Panthers and re-joined the Texans in August for two more weeks before getting cut again. While he’s had workouts with the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots this season, Perry has remained a free agent.

The addition makes plenty of sense for the Jaguars, as the team gets a quarterback who is already familiar with the offense head coach Doug Pederson and offensive coordinator Press Taylor.

If Lawrence is unavailable Sunday, it’ll be C.J. Beathard who starts for the Jaguars against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Patriots reportedly land new QB and former third-round draft pick RB on Monday

The Patriots made a couple of roster moves on Monday.

The New England Patriots were busy on Monday making a couple of moves to shore up their roster.

KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson reported the team claimed former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nathan Rourke on waivers. It was a much-needed depth signing after the Los Angeles Chargers signed Will Grier off the Patriots’ practice squad. The team also lost backup Malik Cunningham to the Baltimore Ravens last week.

So they clearly needed to make a move with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe being the only quarterbacks left on the roster.

They also boosted the running back room by reportedly signing former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Ke’Shawn Vaughn to the practice squad. Vaughn was a member of the 2020 Buccaneers team that won a Super Bowl with Tom Brady under center.

The former third-round draft pick wasn’t utilized much in Tampa Bay, and he’s still working to find a more consistent role for an NFL team. Rhamondre Stevenson is currently out with an ankle injury, and the Patriots are leaning heavily on Ezekiel Elliott as their lead back.

Kevin Harris made a strong case to be the No. 2 option after scoring a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. But there could be opportunities for Vaughn to get into the mix as well.

With three games left in the season, the Patriots are making the necessary moves that get them to the finish line.

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Jaguars waive QB Nathan Rourke with Trevor Lawrence healthy again

For the third time, Nathan Rourke is headed to the waiver wire.

The Jacksonville Jaguars waived third-string quarterback Nathan Rourke for the third time this season with Trevor Lawrence’s status due to an ankle injury no longer in doubt.

Rourke, a former Canadian Football League star, was first waived after an impressive preseason and was added back to the team on the practice squad. He was later signed to the active roster in October when Lawrence was questionable for a game against the New Orleans Saints due to a knee injury. Rourke was waived days after the game.

The Jaguars once again signed Rourke to the active roster last week with Lawrence questionable due to a high ankle sprain. The Jaguars’ starter played through that injury as well and Rourke will likely go back to the practice squad if he clears waivers.

Teams are also allowed to temporarily elevate a player to the active roster for a game, but those players are ineligible to be designated as an emergency third quarterback. Rourke filled that role in each of the two games he spent on the active roster and never entered either game.

Prior to his time with the Jaguars, Rourke threw for 3,349 passing yards and 25 touchdowns with 10 interceptions in his final season with the CFL’s B.C. Lions.

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Jaguars as practice squad QB to roster as uncertainty surrounds Trevor Lawrence vs. Browns

The Jaguars add another quarterback to their roster as uncertainty surrounds their starter.

As uncertainty continues to surround the status of quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the Jacksonville Jaguars have added another quarterback to their active roster. With the Cleveland Browns next on their schedule, and after Lawrence suffered a high-ankle sprain on a short week, the Jaguars have signed their practice squad quarterback Nathan Rourke to their active roster ahead of this Week 15 showdown.

Rourke, of course, has his following in the state of Ohio after his illustrious career with the Ohio University Bobcats. During his time in Athens, Rourke threw for over 7,000 yards and 60 career touchdowns. He then went on to become a Canadian Football League standout before getting his shot in the NFL. He has been on the Jaguars’ practice squad all season.

Neither team has disclosed who their starting quarterback will be in this game, but both teams have done all they can to have a fallback in place. Rourke has been signed off of Jacksonville’s practice squad, while veteran Joe Flacco has been elevated from Cleveland’s for this game.

This game has the potential to be a weird one.

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Jaguars sign QB Nathan Rourke to active roster

The Jaguars added a third quarterback to the roster with Trevor Lawrence’s status in doubt.

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed Nathan Rourke from their practice squad to the active roster Saturday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

It was an expected move with Trevor Lawrence’s status for Sunday in doubt due to a high ankle sprain. Jacksonville signed Rourke to the roster earlier in the year when Lawrence was questionable due to a knee injury. Rourke was waived a few days later and added back to the practice squad.

Temporarily elevating Rourke from the practice squad was an option for the Jaguars, but that would’ve made him ineligible to be a third, emergency quarterback Sunday who doesn’t count against the team’s 48-man active player limit on game day.

If the Jaguars hope to move Rourke back to the practice squad at a later date, he’ll first have to clear waivers.

Rourke is a former Canadian Football League star who racked up 3,349 passing yards and 25 touchdowns with 10 interceptions in his final season with the B.C. Lions. He was a preseason star for the Jaguars, recording 348 passing yards, a rushing touchdown, and a highlight reel passing touchdown.

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4 QBs the Browns could sign after season-ending injury to Deshaun Watson

The Browns need of another QB after the injury to Deshaun Watson and Tom Brady is not walking through the door. Here are some options.

As it felt like the tides were turning for the Cleveland Browns in 2023, they were struck with bad news as quarterback Deshaun Watson is now expected to miss the rest of the season with a break in his shoulder. Tom Brady is not walking through the doors in Berea anytime soon (we can dream though, right?), and the Browns are now in the market for another quarterback to fill that roster spot.

Unfortunately for the Browns, the options are bleak as the trade deadline has passed. This means they will likely pull a quarterback from the practice squad of another team. As they prepare to start Dorian Thompson-Robinson, the Browns will now have to ride out their rookie quarterback and PJ Walker the rest of the way this season.

Looking for a third quarterback, however, here are some options that are out there that make sense for the Browns to bring in.