Former Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke Signs With 49ers; CJ West Still To Ink Deal

One former Hoosier is in the fold for the San Francisco 49ers. One still hasn’t agreed on a contact yet.

Former Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke, chosen in the seventh round by the 49ers in April, has signed a four-year deal with San Francisco.

According to published reports from several 49ers-based sources, Rourke signed for $4.3 million. Four-year contracts for rookies are standard in the NFL.

Rourke is still recovering from the knee surgery he had in the offseason after he played the 2024 season with a torn ACL. Rourke should be ready by the time training camp begins in July.

Rourke threw for 3,042 yards in 2024 for Indiana. He had a career-high 29 touchdown passes against just five interceptions. Rourke led the Big Ten in yards per attempt (9.5), yards per completion (13.7) and quarterback rating (176). Rourke finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy race. He was second team All-Big Ten.

Rourke is the first Hoosiers quarterback chosen directly out of Indiana since Nate Sudfeld was picked by Washington in the sixth round of the 2016 Draft.

Michael Penix Jr., who played four seasons for Indiana from 2018-21, was chosen in the first round of the 2024 Draft by Atlanta after Penix transferred to the University of Washington.

Rourke played the first five seasons of his career at Ohio University and was the Mid-American Conference Most Valuable Player in 2022. He finished his college career with 10,693 passing yards, 79 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions.

The other Hoosier chosen in the NFL Draft – defensive tackle CJ West – was also picked by the 49ers, but has not signed yet. West was chosen in the fourth round.

West had 40 tackles and two sacks for the Hoosiers in 2024, his lone season at Indiana after he played three seasons at Kent State. He forced and recovered one fumble.

West was part of an Indiana run defense that was the best in the country in 2024. Teamed with James Carpenter on the interior of the Indiana four-man front, the Hoosiers only allowed 81.2 rushing yards per game in 2024.

Like Rourke, West played one season at Indiana after playing the rest of his career in the Mid-American Conference. West played at Kent State. For his entire college career, West had 150 tackles and nine sacks.