It was a promising start for B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke — and for all CFL fans.

The league will be far more interesting this year if the Canadian pivot returns to top form after his so-so return from the NFL wilderness midway through last season. The early returns suggest Rourke is on the right path.

Rourke was effective with his arm and legs, reminding fans of his breakout 2022 campaign in the Lions’ season-opening win over the Edmonton Elks on Saturday in Vancouver. He received the highest grade of any offensive player in the Pro Football Focus Week 1 rankings.

If not for a mid-season injury three years ago, Rourke had every chance to win the league’s most outstanding player award.

The 27-year-old Rourke never looked quite right last year upon his return, splitting time with Vernon Adams Jr.

Now that Rourke is the clear-cut No. 1 again with Adams Jr. dealt to the Calgary Stampeders in the off-season, he has a chance to become the face of the league.

Rourke can take a big step toward that Thursday in the marquee game of the week against the five-time reigning West champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

More than 30,000 will be on hand in Winnipeg to see the return of ex-Blue Bombers offensive co-ordinator Buck Pierce, who got the Lions’ head-coaching job this off-season after drawing some criticism for his play-calling in last year’s Grey Cup loss.

Despite the sour ending in Winnipeg, Pierce played a big role in building up the league’s top franchise. Rourke wants to do the same in B.C.

“What Winnipeg did really well in the last five years, when Buck was there, is they embraced the growth over a season,” said Rourke, according to Postmedia. “That’s something I’m trying to do this year, and take every game as a learning experience. It will be a process throughout the year.

“I’m committed to the approach. The last couple of years, as an organization, we’ve started really well, but not afterwards. Obviously, you want to play well twice against Winnipeg, but I really want to focus on peaking later on. And there’s a lot of want around here, which is good.”

Rourke completed 27 of 36 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 54 yards on five carries in a 31-14 win over the Elks.

His work on the ground was eye-opening, with Pro Football Focus noting that Rourke forced five missed tackles.

“Credit to Nathan. We’re going to continue to learn about each other, and I’ll continue to learn about him, how he sees the game and how he sees certain things. I’m excited to build on that relationship,” Pierce told reporters after Saturday’s contest.

“You look at what he can do, how accurate he is, how fast he gets the ball out of his hand and is aggressive also with his legs. I thought he had great command of the offence tonight. He was fantastic on the sidelines with the guys and kept them rolling. It was awesome to watch.”

Tough early break for the Ottawa Redblacks.

Quarterback Dru Brown, fresh off becoming just the fourth player in CFL history to throw for 400-plus yards in three consecutive games, will be sidelined with a hip injury for Friday’s home opener against the Montreal Alouettes.

Journeyman Matt Shiltz, who began his CFL career with Montreal in 2017, gets the start and a chance to face his old team.

Brown was hurt late in Ottawa’s season-opening loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but played through the injury in an effort to rally his team out of a hole. The Redblacks expect Brown back for a Week 3 contest in Calgary.

By the way, the only other quarterbacks to throw for 400-plus yards in three consecutive games are guys named Doug Flutie (five games), Kent Austin (four) and Warren Moon (three).

The reigning Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts lost nearly half their starting lineup in the off-season, with several key players, especially on defence, bolting in free agency.

Coach Ryan Dinwiddie has had as much success as anyone since starting his run in Toronto in 2021, but it appears he has a lot of work to do to get the team back to elite status.

Toronto didn’t offer much resistance in a season-opening 28-10 loss in Montreal against the Alouettes. It marked the first season opener Dinwiddie has lost since joining the team.

Dinwiddie was critical of the offensive line after a game in which the rushing attack generated only 34 yards and quarterback Nick Arbuckle was sacked three times. With starting quarterback Chad Kelly still recovering from a broken leg, the Argos need more on the ground.

They’ll get another chance Saturday when they face Calgary in their home opener.

It won’t be easy, though. The Stamps held the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to only 47 rushing yards in a season-opening win. Former NFL linebacker Marquel Lee, who played his first three games for the Stamps late last year, led the way for Calgary with 10 tackles.

Thursday, June 12: B.C. Lions (1-0) at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (0-0), 8:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. CT
Friday, June 13: Montreal Alouettes (1-0) at Ottawa Redblacks (0-1), 7:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, June 14: Calgary Stampeders (1-0) at Toronto Argonauts (0-1), 4 p.m. ET
Saturday, June 14: Saskatchewan Roughriders (1-0) at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1-0), 7 p.m. ET