Injuries once again marked the San Francisco 49ers’ 2025 season, yet the team managed to overcome the absence of its key players, showcasing the strength of its roster even in a year of retooling. After the bye week, the team received good news about one of its injured players.
49ers To Open Practice Window For Rookie QB Kurtis Rourke
San Francisco selected another quarterback in the seventh round of the latest draft, adding to Brock Purdy, who was taken in the same round in 2022. This time, it was Kurtis Rourke, the former Indiana quarterback who entered the draft while recovering from ACL surgery, so the team already knew he would need time.
John Lynch said right after the draft that what stood out to the team, beyond the talent he showed in his lone year at Indiana after five years at Ohio, was the fact that Rourke played the entire 2024 season with a partially torn ACL, something that highlighted his toughness.
“Yes, saw Rourke. He’s a guy that we really liked. I think really displayed his toughness, played a lot of the year on a partially torn ACL. It was a previous ACL that was done in 2022, a re-tear but toughed it out and played through it, had surgery after the season,” Lynch said.
Rourke will now have his practice window opened, but he is unlikely to be activated this season, which could allow him to take a full redshirt year. Still, these practices will help the team understand whether he is capable of making the roster in 2026, something every coach will be eager to find out in the coming weeks.
The 49ers have opened rookie QB Kurtis Rourke’s practice window.
He’s on the non-football injury list after having played through a torn ACL in his final college season at Indiana. Rourke can practice for 21 days in what’s likely a “redshirt” season. He is unlikely to be… pic.twitter.com/6w1dNaElXF
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) December 8, 2025
In his year at Indiana, he delivered an excellent performance, accumulating 3024 yards with 29 touchdowns and five interceptions, while completing 69.4 percent of his passes in 12 games. He led the team to the College Football Playoff, achieving 11 wins and only two losses, all while playing through an ACL injury.
His age is a concern, as he will turn 26 during the next season without having played an NFL snap, but at the same time, his college experience could help him earn the 49ers’ trust as a backup or third quarterback in 2026.