The Patriots added the 25-year-old as their third quarterback earlier this week.

Nathan Rourke has been thrown in at the deep end. A waiver claim by the New England Patriots earlier this week, the young quarterback is tasked with learning a notoriously challenging offensive system on the fly.

There are only three weeks left in the team’s season, and the expectation is that he will spend all of them as the third-string option at his position behind starter Bailey Zappe and backup Mac Jones. However, the Patriots ask a level of readiness from all their players regardless of experience in the system.

For Rourke, this means getting up to speed quickly.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” he told reporters at his new locker on Thursday. “A lot of information, a lot of new faces, a lot of new people, but it’s been good so far.”

Rourke was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars over the weekend, and only learned his fate on Monday. The 3-11 Patriots, who sit in second position in the waiver wire claiming order, had picked him up — their latest move aimed at addressing the quarterback position.

One Tuesday, he first connected with offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Bill O’Brien. One day later, he first met Bailey Zappe in person.

“Picked his brain a little bit on things that they did over there, how different it is from the Jaguars system to our system. I’ll just continue to pick his brain. He’s seen different things than I’ve seen,” the Patriots’ current starting quarterback said about his newest teammate.

“Just try to help him out as much as possible, because I know it’s hard to come learn that system and then come learn a totally new system. So, try to help him out as much as possible and try to help him out with the Patriot Way.”

For Rourke, any help is welcome at this early stage in his Patriots tenure.

“It’s been great,” he said about the support he has received. “Obviously, trying to learn the system. These guys have obviously got a good handle on things, so it’s been great to talk to them — him and Mac — and get a sense of where they’re at. But I also get the sense that we all love football, which is cool to be in the same room as people like that.”

Rourke spent the final three years of his college career at Ohio University, where he appeared in 39 games and put up some spectacular numbers. Not only did he complete 525 of 894 pass attempts (58.7%) for 7,457 yards with 60 touchdowns and 20 interceptions, he also carried the ball 425 times for 2,034 yards and 49 additional TDs.

Despite his productivity, Rourke went undrafted in 2020 and had to take his talents to the CFL. He started 11 games over two seasons for the BC Lions before the Jaguars came calling in January 2023.

Rourke spent training camp and preseason in Jacksonville, going 23-of-35 (65.7%) for 348 yards and one touchdown pass and gaining 38 yards on 10 carries with one score an a pair of fumbles. Those numbers were not enough to earn him a spot on the roster, but Rourke managed to stick around on the practice squad until last week.

Now, however, he has joined an unfamiliar situation. And while he does have one connection to the Patriots via running back JaMycal Hasty, who himself was claimed off waivers from the Jaguars in-season, Rourke did acknowledge that “it’s been a lot” to process.

“I think football’s football to a certain extent, but just learning the language this far into it has been difficult,” he said. “But I don’t put it past myself to pick it up. I’m doing my best, and the guys are supporting me the best way possible. … Football’s football, so you just kind of have to piece it together and figure out how they do things, and kind of assimilate.”