The 49ers Have Decided Who Their QB3 Will Be

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan leaves the field after a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The 49ers Have Decided Who Their QB3 Will Be

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Robert Marvi | Last updated Aug 29, 2026 9:39 PM ET

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The San Francisco 49ers have an excellent, if often criticized, starting quarterback in Brock Purdy. They also have the luxury of a backup quarterback in Mac Jones who would likely be able to be the starter for plenty of teams.

But injuries are a reality of life in the NFL, and teams like to carry three, if not four, quarterbacks on their active roster throughout a season. For the 49ers, the battle for their third-string quarterback spot came down to Adrian Martinez and Kurtis Rourke this summer.

Martinez got plenty of snaps in Thursday’s preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders and completed 12 of 21 pass attempts for 130 yards. The week before that, against the Los Angeles Chargers, he went eight of 17 for 57 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, and he only completed 16 of 30 pass attempts for 159 yards in the team’s first preseason game of the summer versus the Tennessee Titans.

In the end, that wasn’t good enough for head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Rourke has won the competition

Aug 13, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Kurtis Rourke (14) drops back to pass in the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Rourke was reportedly named the Niners’ QB3 on Saturday, and in a corresponding move, Martinez was released, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The #49ers are releasing Adrian Martinez, going with Kurtis Rourke as QB3.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 29, 2026

Rourke, a seventh-round draft pick by San Francisco last year, didn’t play during the 2025 campaign. His only action this preseason came two weeks ago versus the Tennessee Titans, when he was 12 of 14 and threw for 101 yards.

Unfortunately, in the second quarter of that contest, he sustained three broken ribs and had to exit the game. Rourke experienced trouble breathing and went to a hospital to be evaluated. He was released later that night.

He played five years at Ohio University, where he was named the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Offensive Player of the Year and MVP in 2022 with 3,257 passing yards and 25 passing touchdowns. He then transferred to Indiana University for the 2024 campaign and logged 3,042 passing yards and 29 touchdown passes that season, earning him second-team All-Big Ten honors.

Purdy has been a bit injury-prone since coming to the NFL in 2022. Last year, he had a persistent toe injury and was limited to nine games. The 49ers seem to be in good hands when it comes to their quarterback depth going into their Week 1 showdown versus the Los Angeles Rams in Australia.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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