T
he San Francisco 49ers are getting ready for a big week 15 tilt and they could be going into their game with some reinforcements coming back. Rookie quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who the 49ers drafted in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, is having his 21-day practice window opened this week. During that time, the 49ers must decide whether to activate him or shut him down for the rest of the season.
And Rourke’s return could be pivotal in determining the future of backup quarterback, Mac Jones. Jones, signing a two-year deal with the 49ers this past offseason, started eight games for the team his season in the place of injured starter Brock Purdy and played very well. But, Jones may have some trade value next offseason and if Rourke proves himself, the 49ers may have a decision to make regarding Jones.
Rourke Can Prove He’s Backup Material
With Rourke coming back, the 49ers released Adrian Martinez, leaving Purdy, Jones and Rourke as the only three quarterbacks on the team. But what makes Rourke so unique is how the 49ers drafted him even though they know that he was still rehabbing a torn ACL that he suffered in his final season in college in 2024. That shows how much the 49ers like him and how highly they view him.
And if the team decides to activate him, he will most likely have to end up on the active roster. While he is eligible for the practice squad, he would need to be waived first before he can be signed to the practice squad, making him susceptible to be claimed by another team– a chance the 49ers do not want to take. If that happens, the 49ers will most likely give Rourke a good look to show what he can do and if he shows flashes of the talent he displayed at Indiana, he could cement himself as a good backup option for Purdy, which makes Jones expendable. In that case, Jones could be traded to a quarterback needy team, allowing the 49ers to get assets in return.
Rourke’s Career Thus Far
Playing six seasons of college football, Rourke is on the older side for a rookie at 25-years-old, which is why it is even more urgent that the 49ers figure out how good he is sooner rather than later. Spending the first five seasons of his college career at Ohio, where he was highly successful, Rourke transferred to a Power Four school in Indiana for his final season of eligibility.
And in his lone season for the Hoosiers, Rourke threw for over 3,000 yards, 29 touchdowns and five interceptions, guiding Indiana to an 11-1 regular season finish and a spot in the College Football Playoff while finishing ninth in the Heisman race. What was most impressive about his final season was how he played the entire campaign with a torn ACL, and still managed to guide the Hoosiers to their best season in program history.
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