If you've been on the internet in the past 24-48 hours, you know there's been talk that the San Francisco 49ers could still trade Mac Jones. But that would only happen if Kurtis Rourke can show the team that he has what it takes to be Brock Purdy's backup.
Rourke fell to the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft after an ACL injury. He has the size at 6'4″, 220 pounds. He was a 6th-year senior who started 45 games. Unfortunately, the 2024 ACL injury wasn't Rourke's only one. He also tore his ACL late in 2022 and suffered a shoulder injury way back in 2020 before he transferred to Indiana.
On the field, Rourke is the definition of a Kyle Shanahan quarterback. He has clean mechanics, knows where to go with the ball, and can quickly decipher what the defense is doing underneath to get the ball out on time. Rourke won't wow you with a big arm. The velocity goes down on deeper passes. As you'd expect from a quarterback with two serious knee injuries, Rourke also isn't the most fleet of foot. He's closer to Mac Jones than Brock Purdy when it comes to pocket movement and manipulation.
But the 49ers aren't asking Rourke to start. They need a reliable decision-maker who can "win in a pinch" if called upon. Is that Rourke? He'll need to prove it in training camp.
Age: 25