Dec. 8, 2025, 1:27 p.m. PT
The San Francisco 49ers on Monday held a bonus practice coming out of their bye week that featured some news prior to the session.
Rookie quarterback Kurtis Rourke, a seventh-round pick out of Indiana who had been on the non-football injury list since reporting for training camp in July, had his practice window opened. Rourke tore his ACL in college and had it repaired once his college career was over. Last season for Indiana Rourke completed 69.4 percent of his throws for 3,042 yards, 29 touchdowns and five interceptions while finishing ninth in the Heisman voting and leading the Hoosiers to a College Football Playoff berth.
It isn’t likely this news matters much to the 49ers in the immediate. Brock Purdy is cemented as the starter and Mac Jones is a more than capable backup. Chances are the path for Rourke this season is to get practices in during his 21-day window to get his feet wet as an NFL signal caller. After that he’d revert to IR if he’s not placed on the active roster. Given the 49ers’ injury woes at other positions, it wouldn’t be prudent to use a roster spot on a third QB, so it looks like Rourke’s practice window and rookie year will end with an IR stint.
This could be significant news for the 49ers’ future, however. Purdy has dealt with two different elbow injuries and a toe injury during his tenure as San Francisco’s starter. Having Jones as a capable backup in 2025 saved the 49ers’ season. With Jones a potentially valuable trade asset in the coming offseason, San Francisco could be on the hunt for a new capable backup in 2026. That’s where Rourke and his four-year rookie contract come in.
If Rourke can get his sea legs under him during this practice window and set himself up to hit the ground running next offseason, he could have the inside track to become the 49ers’ new No. 2 QB if Jones is dealt in the offseason. His practice window will also give the 49ers’ coaching staff a chance to see his starting point as a prospect and whether he’s even a viable option to fill that role next year.
Typically teams don’t invest much in a backup quarterback because having a quality starter and maximizing the players around him are a greater priority than ensuring the team is okay if the starter goes down. However, backup QB play has saved the 49ers multiple times during head coach Kyle Shanahan’s tenure and it looks like the dominoes are set up for Rourke to become that player for them in the very near future. His return from the NFI list is the first of those dominoes to fall.
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