The San Francisco 49ers opened a practice window for Canadian quarterback Kurtis Rourke, allowing him to participate in games on the field for the next 21 days.
In August, the team placed Rourke on the non-football injured list. This list is for players who are unable to participate in on-field games due to health issues or injuries that did not occur during NFL games or practices. In his case, Rourke suffered a torn ACL during his final collegiate season at Indiana University.
“It’s been over a year since I last played and I was able to train fully,” Rourke told the media. “It’s just great to be there and be able to be with the guys and follow that schedule and be able to put into practice what I learned so much in class.”
Rourke was selected in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, making him the first Canadian quarterback drafted by an NFL team since Jesse Palmer in 2001. San Francisco kept just two quarterbacks on the active roster after training camp: current starter Brock Purdy and former first-round draft pick Mac Jones.
25-year-old native of Oakville, Ontario. led the Hoosiers to an 11–2 record and a berth in the 2024 College Football Playoff. He completed 69.4 percent of his passes for 3,042 yards, 29 touchdowns and five interceptions, was named to the All-Big Ten second team and finished ninth in Heisman Trophy voting.
Rourke began his collegiate career at Ohio University, where in five seasons he threw for 7,651 yards, 50 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, while rushing for 828 yards and 11 scores. He was named the 2022 Mid-American Conference Most Valuable Player.
The six-foot-four, 220-pound passer suffered a torn ACL in 2022 and spent the 2024 season with a knee brace after suffering the same injury. After the football season, he had revision surgery.
Rourke is the younger brother of BC Lions defenseman Nathan Rourke. His exclusive CFL rights are held by the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who selected him in the third round of the 2025 CFL Draft.
The 49ers (9-4) currently sit in third place in the NFC West standings.
