VANCOUVER — The BC Lions and Edmonton Elks will make history when they lineup to face each other on Saturday, June 7, at BC Place.
For the first time ever two Canadian quarterbacks are going to face each other in Week 1 of the CFL season.
Nathan Rourke will lead the Lions to battle while Tre Ford commands the Elks’ offence into the Den. It’s also the first matchup between two Canadian quarterbacks since 1968.
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It’s not only a game with two National pivots, but also an intricate quarterback battle between two of the most dynamic playmakers in the CFL.
“Anytime you’re going against a quarterback like him, you have to take into account the many ways that he can beat you,” said Lions defensive lineman Christian Covington about Ford. “He can beat you with his arm. He can beat you with his legs. He can beat you just by getting into your head, by extending plays that you think are over.
“He’s a guy that we have to take out of the game from a matchup perspective.”
Covington returned to the CFL in 2024 after a long stint down south to join a Lions defence that finished fourth in points allowed last season. His unit teammate, longtime Lions defensive back Gary Peters, has seen his fair share of quarterbacks in the CFL, making him specially qualified to comment on Ford’s talents.
“Tre Ford has gained a lot of respect from me over the past years,” said Peters. “He makes so many plays with his feet that receivers have a lot of time to do a lot of extra stuff to get open. He buys so much time back there in the backfield.
“Just watching his game and how it’s grown over the years and actually trying to go and tackle him one-on-one in person, yeah, good luck.”
With one dynamic Ford guiding the offence, the Elks went out in free agency and brought his twin brother Tyrell Ford to help lead the defence. The defensive back had an All-CFL season with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2024 and is now going to be tasked with stopping Rourke and the Lions for the Green and Gold in Week 1.
Tyrell who, like Rourke, also spent time in NFL rosters, knows what kind of potential the pivot for BC possesses.
“Just looking back at his first year (2022) when he was a starter, he went insane,” said Tyrell Ford about Rourke. “That was a crazy year for him. Obviously, he came back last year halfway through the season, and that’s tough. The transitioning and all that movement.
“But again, he’s a good quarterback, he can run, he can make all the throws. Super smart guy.”
The last time these two teams met, the Elks got the best of the Lions 33-16 in Week 10 of last year. Edmonton receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr. caught six passes for 70 yards in the game and is eager to once again go against Peters, Covington and the entire defensive unit for the Leos.
“I love playing against BC, I feel like it’s always a tough matchup,” said Gittens Jr. “They have a great defence. They got some good DBs, defensive line. Overall, they have a great defence. I love scheming against them. They play man coverage. You know, as a receiver you want to see man coverage. And I think it’ll be a great matchup.”
Lions and Elks close out Week 1 on Saturday, June 7, at BC Place. Kickoff is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET Canadian viewers can watch on TSN, U.S. audiences can watch on CBS Sports and International audiences can catch the game on CFL+.
