The B.C. Lions will start Vernon Adams Jr. for their regular season finale against the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday, giving him a chance to earn the starting job heading into the postseason.
“We want to get him in there and see how it goes, see if we can get a change of energy, that type of thing. Also, he’s obviously a very good player, so we want to get him in and see how he goes,” head coach Rick Campbell told the media. “If Vernon changes it up and we’ve got a good energy going and stuff, then we’ll roll with whatever gives us the best chance in the playoffs.”
The veteran passer hasn’t started a game since Aug. 1 when he suffered a knee injury against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The 31-year-old went 5-3 as a starter to begin the year and has thrown for 2,544 yards, 14 touchdowns, and seven interceptions on the season. At the time of his injury, he was the consensus front-runner to be named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player.
Nathan Rourke has started B.C.’s last eight games since returning from the NFL, passing for 1,581 yards, four touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The Lions have gone 3-5 with the Canadian quarterback at the helm, a far cry from the 8-1 record he posted in meaningful regular season games back in 2022.
Campbell credited Adams Jr. and Rourke for how they’ve handled the situation, calling them “ultimate team guys.” He also doesn’t believe his squad’s problems can be chalked up to quarterback play, instead being a reflection of the whole team.
“I was very clear with our guys that if you think Vernon’s gonna come in here and it’s just gonna suddenly change because of him, that’s not gonna happen,” said Campbell. “He can be amazing and play really well but all of us, including me, need to step up to the plate and do a better job as a whole football team. It’s not one player that’s just gonna be Superman and save the day.”
The Lions (8-9) will host the Alouettes (12-3-1) on Saturday, Oct. 19 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The game will mark B.C.’s last of the regular season ahead of Week 21 bye, after which the team will visit either the Saskatchewan Roughriders or Winnipeg Blue Bombers for the West Semi-Final.
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