Tachinski soaking up all he can at CFL combine
WINNIPEG • It’s been a long time since things have looked so promising for Canadian football quarterbacks and Winnipegger Jackson Tachinski is doing everything he can to ride the wave.
The 22-year-old Manitoba Bisons quarterback, who is still a year away from CFL draft eligibility, has been trying to jump start the process this off-season, first by getting in a workout with the best Canadian quarterback to come along in decades, and then by taking part in the CFL combine as a non-rostered player.
Tachinski, who put up strong numbers for the Bisons in his first full year as a starter in 2023, recently worked out with New England Patriots quarterback Nathan Rourke in Vancouver, picking up some valuable tips on how to proceed with his pursuit of a football career in the coming years.
“It was pretty cool throwing with him and talking to him and him giving me advice and pointers,” the Vincent Massey Collegiate graduate said this weekend at the CFL combine in Winnipeg.
“That was a great experience. It was really good to see him work, see how he does his work and see how meticulous he is with everything.”
Rourke set the CFL on fire in 2022 while with the B.C. Lions, putting up massive numbers before getting injured and missing half the season.
Last off-season, he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL and saw pre-season action before spending most of the season on the practice roster.
He was eventually elevated to the main roster because of a Trevor Lawrence injury and was later waived and claimed by the Patriots.
The Patriots re-signed him to a one-year contract and he’ll compete for a job in training camp, though the team is expected to take a quarterback in the upcoming NFL draft.
“He honestly told me, ‘The talent is there, you’ve just got to put it all together. Get your coaching, get your reps in. At the end of the day, it’s just about trusting yourself, trusting the work you’re putting in and just believing in yourself.’ That’s what he told me and I’m just going to ride with that.”
Tachinski showed dual threat skills in nine games with the Bisons last season, rushing 71 times for 538 yards and six major scores, and completing 132 passes for 1,757 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He hopes to improve on that next season and draw some CFL interest.
Canadian quarterbacks have been largely ignored in the CFL draft for decades, but in recent years, Rourke and Edmonton’s Tre Ford came through the draft to make an impact with CFL teams.
“As a Canadian athlete, Canadian quarterback, you see guys at the next level doing it, Nathan Rourke, Tre Ford, and it’s really motivating,” Tachinski said.
“It’s really inspiring seeing guys coming from the same roots you’re from, doing what you want to accomplish. I just hope it builds more and more for Canadian quarterbacks throughout Canada.”
That brings us back to this week’s CFL combine, where Tachinski was invited to participate because the league needed an extra arm for practices.
Ottawa Gee Gees quarterback Ben Maracle did the same thing last year and has returned as a full rostered participant this year.
“Definitely being able to do it the year before, it allows you to approach your training for the combine in a whole different way, just recognizing certain things that you need to develop to be successful,” Maracle said Sunday at the combine.
“I noticed more stuff when it came to developing quick relationships with the guys. Because we only have so many practices together, you have to build those relationships fast. You can’t just let them develop naturally.”
Tachinski sees the experience as extremely valuable, as he gets a chance to work with CFL head coaches and co-ordinators, while giving evaluators an advance opportunity to see what he can do.
He certainly should be a step ahead when it comes to the 2025 CFL combine.
“I’ll know all the tricks, I’ll know how this thing goes, I’ll know the process of what I have to do to go about it,” Tachinski said.
“I’ll know what I did well and what I didn’t do well and what I’ve got to change for next time.”
IT WAS REALLY GOOD TO SEE HIM WORK, SEE HOW HE DOES HIS WORK AND SEE HOW METICULOUS HE IS WITH EVERYTHING.