The San Francisco 49ers have one of the best quarterback situations in the league.
They have Brock Purdy, who has looked like one of the league’s best passers at times. Then, Mac Jones is the backup, and he’s probably the best backup in the league. As a result, you can imagine it would be hard for another quarterback to make this roster.
Well, 2025 seventh-round pick Kurtis Rourke is doing his best to force the 49ers to keep a third passer around.
Against the Tennessee Titans in the preseason opener, Rourke shined. The quarterback completed 12 of 14 passes for 101 yards with no turnovers. Rourke’s performance came against the Titans’ starters for the most part, making it an even more impressive showing.
Unfortunately, Rourke had to leave the game with a rib injury. Test results showed that Rourke didn’t break anything, but it’s still unknown when he’ll be back at full strength.
The injury is a setback, but Rourke might have already made an impression.
Klay Kubiak Praises Rourke, Believes in His Talent
David Gonzales-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Klay Kubiak is in his second season as Kyle Shanahan’s offensive coordinator. The young offensive guru has seen plenty of quality quarterback play in his time, and his opinion carries much weight.
On Sunday, the coach took time to praise Rourke.
“I mean, he’s a really young player who’s got a bright future with a lot of room to grow, but that is why we drafted him, is we thought he was an NFL quarterback,” Kubiak told reporters on Sunday after training camp.
Kubiak also mentioned that Rourke was better than a seventh-round pick, but due to an injury suffered in college, teams knew he probably wouldn’t be able to play as a rookie.
“But evaluating, we saw a guy who was an NFL thrower, who was very bright, who had the right size and who had the chance to be a player,” the coach added. “So, yeah, we still think he is. And I think he’s taken steps in that direction, but he’s got to keep going.”
It’s interesting that Kubiak confirmed the team still thinks Rourke can be “a player.” Typically, teams don’t cut players they believe can be impact players one day. Of course, the thinking might be to cut Rourke and place him on the practice squad, but it’s far from guaranteed that he wouldn’t be claimed by another team.
If Rourke comes back, he could make the team’s decision even easier. If they had to make a decision today, it’s hard to tell whether Rourke would make the team or not.
