The BC Lions and quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. agreed to a one-year contract extension through the 2024 season on Wednesday. The 30-year-old from Pasadena, California, was scheduled to be a free agent after the 2023 season.
Adams was the backup quarterback to Nathan Rourke, who has since left for the Jacksonville Jaguars. This will be Adams’s second season in British Columbia. Adam completed 118 of 180 passes (65.6%) for 1,504 yards, six touchdowns, one interception, and 14 carries for 129 yards in eight games for the Lions in 2022.
The Lions acquired Adams from the Montreal Alouettes on August 21st, 2022 for a 2023 first-round pick. Adams played four seasons in his second stint with Montreal. He completed 462 of 742 passes (62.3%) for 6,405 yards, 39 touchdowns, 25 interceptions, 154 carries for 824 yards, and 15 touchdowns in 34 games.
Adams attended the Seattle Seahawks rookie mini-camp as an undrafted free agent in 2016. Later, he tried out for the Washington Redskins but was not signed. Originally, Adams was on the Lions’ negotiation list and British Columbia traded his rights to the Montreal Alouettes in 2016 for a 2017 first-round pick.
Adams played two seasons in his first stint in Montreal. He completed 42 of 75 passes (56%) for 575 yards, four touchdowns, one interception, 37 carries for 121 yards, and two touchdowns in 22 games. In 2017, Adams was traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He completed one of three passes (33.3%) for eight yards, 12 carries for 33 yards, and two touchdowns in 11 games.
Collegiately, Adams played three seasons at Eastern Washington (2012-14) with 701 of 1,081 passes (64.8%) for 10,438 yards, 110 touchdowns, 31 interceptions, 297 carries for 1,205 yards, and 11 touchdowns in 34 games. He is a two-time Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year and a two-time First-Team All-Big Sky.
After Eastern Washington, Adams transferred to Oregon, completing 168 of 259 passes (64.9%) for 2,643 yards, 26 touchdowns, six interceptions, 83 carries for 147 yards, and two touchdowns in ten games.
