The San Francisco 49ers are set at quarterback after signing Brock Purdy to a $265 million extension this offseason. However, the team added additional depth at the position late in the 2025 draft by selecting former Indiana standout Kurtis Rourke, despite the passer’s recent knee surgery.
On Wednesday, the 49ers officially moved Rourke to the active / non-football injury list, per Kyle Posey of Niners Nation. The new designation means that Rourke can be activated and join the team as soon as he’s healthy enough to play.
Rourke received national attention after transferring to Indiana and throwing for 3,042 yards with 29 touchdowns and five interceptions in his senior season. He even finished ninth in Heisman Trophy voting last season.
However, Rourke suffered a torn ACL in August of 2024 and played all season with the injury. He then underwent surgery in January, which significantly impacted his draft stock.
Despite a positive report on Rourke’s injury ahead of the 2024 draft, the passer fell to the seventh round in a light quarterback class. Still, the 49ers have had good luck with seventh-round quarterbacks. Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant back in 2022 and now he’s a Pro Bowler. So San Francisco took a shot on Rourke with the 227th overall pick.
The 49ers aren’t relying on the rookie QB in 2025. The team signed Mac Jones to a two-year, $7 million contract, adding the former first-round pick as Purdy’s backup. But Rourke’s designation is good news for both the player and the team as he’s progressing in his recovery from a serious injury.
The 49ers lost a laundry list of key players during a brutal offseason. The defensive side of the ball was hit particularly hard as mainstays Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga and Charvarius Ward all left in free agency. San Francisco sought to rebuild through the 2025 draft. The tam selected defensive players with its first five picks, including three D-linemen starting with Georgia’s Mykel Williams 11th overall.
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