The 49ers already looked crowded at quarterback heading into training camp, which is why Jack Plummer’s reported workout caught some attention. San Francisco has Brock Purdy locked in as the starter, Mac Jones in place as the backup, Kurtis Rourke as a young project the team likes, and Adrian Martinez on the practice squad. So even a simple workout for the UFL MVP raises one obvious question: if Plummer sticks around, who gets squeezed out?
The most likely answer is Rourke.
San Francisco drafted Rourke in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and his rookie season was essentially wiped out by the ACL injury he was already working back from. The 49ers’ interest in him is still clear, though. They see a player who could develop into something more, and maybe even grow into the backup role next season.
Rourke’s college résumé gives that optimism some footing. He had solid seasons at Ohio before transferring to Indiana, where he put together a big senior year.
He completed 69.4 percent of his passes for 3,042 yards with 29 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also played through an injured knee at Indiana, which only added to the impression that he can handle some adversity.
Plummer, though, has a case of his own. He completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,188 yards with 17 touchdown passes and one interception, and he brings a little Bay Area familiarity after spending one year at Cal. If the 49ers decide to sign him, he could end up pushing Rourke for the No. 3 job on the depth chart.
That battle would not exactly be the headliner of camp, but it would matter. The 49ers may simply want another arm around to throw passes and soak up reps. Teams do that all the time, and last year’s Carter Bradley and Tanner Mordecai are proof that plenty of those names fade fast.
Still, if Plummer gets a real shot and makes noise, Rourke could be the one in trouble. He’s already coming in rusty after a year of rehab, while Plummer arrives with momentum from the 2026 UFL season. That makes this a competition worth watching, even if it’s only for the third spot.
And for a team that knows how important quarterback depth can be, that’s not nothing. Anyone who watched the 2022 San Francisco 49ers understands that the No. 3 quarterback can matter more than people think.
In Other News...
49ers Safety Battle May Already Be Tilting In One Direction
Early in 49ers training camp, the safety picture is starting to take shape, and JiAyir Brown has been the clearest beneficiary so far. Brown has handled all the first-team reps at free safety, a sign he may be setting himself apart in the competition, and he also came up with an interception in Mondays session. It is still the first stretch of camp, but those are the kinds of snaps that tend to matter when coaches begin sorting out roles.
The other side of the equation remains less settled, with Malik Mustapha and Marquese Sigle rotating at strong safety while Brown stays planted on the back end. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris addressed the competition in broad terms, but he did not offer much in the way of clarity on how the starting jobs are lining up. For now, the 49ers at least appear to have one spot leaning in a direction, even if the full answer is still in progress. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Add Defender Who Could Stir A Familiar Debate On Defense
The 49ers have added another piece to their defensive mix, signing former Dolphins pass rusher Quinton Bell to a one-year contract. A seventh-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Bell has bounced from Miami to Atlanta and back into the market as a player whose value has always been tied as much to his athletic profile as to any one fixed position.
What makes Bell interesting in San Francisco is the same thing that has followed him around the league: he has been used mostly as an edge rusher and linebacker, but his background invites bigger questions about how far a coaching staff can stretch a defender who can move around. The 49ers have often leaned into that kind of flexibility, and Bell arrives with the sort of versatility that can open a familiar debate about where exactly he fits best. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Fans Are Livid Over What Stayed Hidden About Shanahan
The latest flare-up around Kyle Shanahan has less to do with the 49ers on-field plans than with how information moves in the NFLs slowest stretches. ESPN insider Adam Schefter said the team kept the incident private during a quiet period on the league calendar, a reminder that not every story breaks on the same timetable as a roster move or injury update.
49ers fans have not been interested in that explanation, and plenty have aimed their frustration at Schefter for the delay. Some have gone further, arguing that he may have held back to protect access to the team, which is exactly the kind of tension that keeps resurfacing whenever a reporters role as a gatekeeper collides with the publics right to know. [Read more 🡒]