It certainly won't get a lot of publicity once training camp rolls around, but the battle for the third-string quarterback gig might be one of the more crucial position battles to watch for the San Francisco 49ers.
The Niners already have their top two spots on the depth chart set: Brock Purdy, backed up by Mac Jones. And despite a flurry of offseason trade suggestions and rumors, Jones seems all but set to remain Purdy's No. 2 entering 2026.
Meanwhile, Adrian Martinez and Kurtis Rourke are poised to square off for a QB3 role.
Rourke, in particular, might have the biggest influence on San Francisco's future with Jones, particularly if the former impresses during camp and in the preseason, ultimately beating out Martinez.
A seventh-round flier by the 49ers in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Indiana, the Canadian-born Rourke valiantly played with a torn ACL his final season in college, although that led to him effectively being redshirted his rookie season after being drafted. So, Niners fans are still awaiting actual snaps from the signal-caller a year later.
Should those go well, perhaps San Francisco reevaluates its situation with Jones.
Kurtis Rourke has more say in 49ers' Mac Jones decision than he thinks
Purdy has unfortunately developed a reputation for being injured, which helped prompt Jones' resurgence a year ago by helping the 49ers go 5-3 in the former's absence. That reality made it much easier to keep Jones around as the No. 2 this season.
Yet that's where Rourke comes into play.
Consider the two major trajectories. First, should Rourke look solid in camp and in the preseason, not only would it all but ensure the Niners let Jones walk once he hits free agency in 2027, it might even prompt the front office to shop Jones more aggressively between now and the trade deadline later this fall.
On the opposite end, though, if Rourke wholly stumbles and looks nowhere close to being an effective backup, not only would San Francisco be inclined to keep Jones around, it might also push an argument to re-sign him this offseason—a push Jones may not want, especially if he aims to secure a starting gig somewhere else.
That'd be a predicament. And it's one Rourke has a lot of influence there, meaning how he performs in camp and the preseason will be more important than it appears on the surface.
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