49ers' Kurtis Rourke: A sleeper pick with QB2 potential

Kurtis Rourke isn't expected to take the field with his new teammates until he fully recovers from the ACL surgery he underwent in January, an injury he remarkably played through during the 2024 season at Indiana. The San Francisco 49ers selected him in the seventh round of the draft, fully aware he might not contribute during his rookie year, and they're perfectly fine with that.

The 49ers' quarterback room is well-stocked. Brock Purdy sits firmly atop the depth chart, with newly acquired Mac Jones, who San Francisco considered drafting in 2021, backing him up in 2025. Tanner Mordecai, an undrafted player entering his second season, is also in the mix. With that depth, there's no pressure to rush Rourke back onto the field.

"I thought it was just a very good valuable pick for us, for a guy who might not be ready for another year," head coach Kyle Shanahan said, "because I think he's about seven months out, because he got it done after the season. But we're in a situation we could take him, and I think he would have gone a lot higher if he was healthy."

Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus (PFF) recently ranked the 2025 rookie quarterback class by team fit and believes Rourke could eventually carve out a path to the QB2 role, providing long-term stability behind Purdy. Wasserman placed the new 49ers quarterback at No. 10 on his list of 12.

"Rourke enters camp as the 49ers' presumed third-string quarterback, assuming he makes the roster," Wasserman wrote. "That outcome isn't necessarily a negative, given Kyle Shanahan's strong track record with quarterback development. Brock Purdy, a former seventh-round pick, now ranks among the NFL's best under Shanahan.

"Rourke may not follow the same trajectory, but with Mac Jones on a two-year deal, there's a potential path to the backup role in the future."

Despite the injury, Rourke still threw for over 3,000 yards and tallied 29 touchdowns with just five interceptions in 2024—a performance that left an impression on Shanahan.

"I loved his size, love how he throws, loved how he plays the position, especially watching him this year," Shanahan said. "I don't think it was a coincidence how good of a year they had with the type of quarterback they had. And to know he did it the whole year with a—he had a broken finger, a torn ACL, and still, was really, really impressive."