The San Francisco 49ers seemed pretty set at quarterback entering training camp. They had their franchise signal-caller Brock Purdy, arguably the best backup in the league in Mac Jones, a guy who they are high on in Kurtis Rourke, and a practice squad guy in Adrian Martinez.
That’s why it was a little bit of a surprise the Niners reportedly had UFL MVP Jack Plummer come in to workout some tight ends. Obviously, it’s just a workout and there are no reports they're plan to sign Plummer, but if the 49ers did end up signing him, that 'd be bad news for Rourke.
Jack Plummer may flip 49ers' plan with Kurtis Rourke
The Niners drafted Rourke in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He was recovering from an ACL injury, so his rookie year was basically just a redshirt year for him, but they clearly think he could turn into something and could potentially even be San Francisco's backup next season.
Rourke had some solid years at Ohio before transferring to Indiana University and putting up some great numbers in his senior year. He completed 69.4 percent of his passes for 3,042 yards while throwing 29 touchdowns and five interceptions. The Canadian-born player also played on an injured knee with Indiana, so he earned some points for toughness.
But Plummer is a guy who could potentially challenge Rourke for that No. 3 spot on the depth chart. Obviously, it’s not the greatest competition, but he completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,188 yards with 17 touchdown passes and one pick. He has some Bay Area ties, too, as he played for Cal one year in college.
Would 49ers entertain Jack Plummer-Kurtis Rourke competition?
Of course, the Niners may just end up signing Plummer so they have an extra quarterback in camp. It never hurts to have an extra guy around to throw passes. Remember Carter Bradley and Tanner Mordecai from last year? Yeah, neither do I, but there’s always some random quarterback hanging around on the preseason roster who will make for a fun trivia question.
Still, if Plummer gets signed, comes out of nowhere, and impresses, that could be a tough development for Rourke. He’s likely already going to be a little rusty, considering he’s been rehabbing the last year, so it wouldn’t be a shock if Plummer, a guy who was able to build momentum in the 2026 UFL season, outshines him a bit.
Battles for the No. 3 spot on the QB depth chart are admittedly not all that riveting, but anyone who watched the 2022 San Francisco 49ers can tell you just how important that No. 3 guy on the depth chart can be, so it will be interesting to see if Plummer ends up factoring into the team's options under center.
Add us as a preferred source on Google