Getty The Vikings had CFL star quarterback Nathan Rourke in for a workout on Tuesday, December 20, 2022.
The Minnesota Vikings have entered the Nathan Rourke sweepstakes.
Inviting the Canadian Football League (CFL) star quarterback in for a tryout on December 20, the Vikings got a good look at Rourke, who is expected to field “multiple offers” from the NFL after a sensational CFL season.
Rourke has worked out for eight different NFL teams this month and is expected to sign a futures contract in January.
Rogers Sportsnet national reporter Arash Madani, sharing news of the tryout in Minnesota, said Rourke would be a significant upgrade over Vikings backup quarterback Nick Mullens.
“Nathan Rourke would be such n upgrade over Nick Mullens, now the back-up in the Vikes QB room,” Madani tweeted. “I’ll leave the incumbent in Minnesota out of this for once.”
Despite the prospective boost Rourke would bring to the quarterback room, it’s a play for the 2023 season as he cannot be signed midseason, per KSTP’s Darren Wolfson.
Nathan Rourke, the Pride of British Columbia
A native of Victorica, British Columbia, Rourke transferred to Edgewood Academy in Alabama for his senior year of high school. He led his new teammates to a state title, throwing for 3,779 yards and 59 touchdowns.
Behind in recruiting, Rourke played one season at Fort Scott Community College, where he earned first-team all-conference honors. He then landed at Ohio University, where he excelled as a dual threat.
Rourke threw for nearly 7,500 yards, 60 touchdowns and 20 interceptions in his three years at Ohio University, accruing a 146.5 passer rating in that span. He also ran for 2,634 rushing yards and 49 touchdowns.
During his senior season, Rourke was a first-team All-MAC selection in 2019, completing 200-of-328 passes (61.0%) for 2,820 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. Rourke rushed for 867 yards and 13 touchdowns on 154 carries for 5.6 yards a carry.
Rourke was scouted but eventually undrafted in 2020, leading to his arrival in the CFL.
Rourke became the third quarterback in history to win the league’s Most Outstanding Canadian Award. He set a new Pro Football record for completion percentage at 78.7% and posted the second-best ever CFL passer rating of 123.6 last season.
He suffered a Linsfranc foot sprain on August 19, Rourke ending his second season with 25 touchdown passes and sixth overall with 3,349 passing yards while helping the Lions clinch their first home playoff game since 2016. He broke a 41-year-old single-game passing record with a 436-yard performance in a win over Toronto in Week 3 — a mark he would surpass twice last season with 477 passing yards in an August 6 win over Edmonton and 488 yards in a thrilling comeback victory over Calgary.
Rourke is looking to secure a deal in January so he can begin the next stage of rehabbing his foot injury, according to TSN.
Vikings’ 1st Full Year of Scouting Underway
The new Vikings regime under general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had an abridged scouting season after he took over as general manager last January.
While the 2022 rookie class has been a bit of a disappointment, the moves they make this season with a year of scouting and self-assessment of the current roster will be telling of the direction the team is trying to go as it continues to break Rick Spielman’s mold.
Rourke is an intriguing prospect who is worth a look at as a developmental project under Kirk Cousins.