49ers To Waive QB Adrian Martinez

Brock Purdy will reprise his role as starter in 2026. Mac Jones – mentioned often in trade speculation – remains in the fold at this time as well; he is set to handle another campaign as San Francisco’s backup as a result. Over the course of the offseason, Martinez had been competing for the QB3 gig with Kurtis Rourke.

Today’s news confirms Rourke has won the No. 3 spot to begin the season. The 25-year-old Canadian was selected by the 49ers in the seventh round of last year’ draft while recovering from an ACL tear. After essentially treating his rookie campaign as a redshirt season, Rourke clearly remains in the team’s plans under center for at least the short term.

Martinez saw time on the 49ers’ practice squad late in 2025, and he signed a reserve/futures contract in January. The former UDFA was on track to receive a base salary of just over $1MM, but none of that figure was guaranteed. The 49ers will not take on any dead money with this move. Martinez, 26, will now hit the waiver wire.

A claim would likely come as a surprise in this case. Martinez has only made one appearance during the regular season to date in his career. If the Kansas State product clears waivers, he will become a free agent. A return to the 49ers’ taxi squad could be in store in short order. Otherwise, Martinez will aim to continue his career elsewhere.