The San Francisco 49ers have opened the practice window for Canadian quarterback Kurtis Rourke, allowing him to participate in on-field activities for the next 21 days.
The team placed Rourke on the non-football injured list in August, a designation meant for players who are unable to participate in on-field activities due to health issues or injuries that weren’t sustained 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 pretty much since I last played and was able to practice fully,” Rourke told the media. “It’s just awesome to be out there and be able to be with the guys, be on that schedule, and be able to translate what I’ve been learning so much in the classroom onto the field.”
Rourke was taken in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, making him the first Canadian quarterback to be drafted by an NFL team since Jesse Palmer in 2001. San Francisco kept only two quarterbacks on the active roster after training camp: incumbent starter Brock Purdy and former first-round draft pick Mac Jones.
The 25-year-old native of Oakville, Ont. led the Hoosiers to an 11-2 record and a berth in the College Football Playoff in 2024. He completed 69.4 percent of his passes for 3,042 yards, 29 touchdowns, and five interceptions to be named second-team All-Big Ten and finish ninth in voting for the Heisman Trophy.
Rourke began his collegiate career at Ohio University where he threw for 7,651 yards, 50 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions and rushed for 828 yards and 11 scores over five seasons. He was named the Mid-American Conference’s Most Valuable Player in 2022.
The six-foot-four, 220-pound passer suffered a torn ACL in 2022 and played the 2024 season with a brace on his knee after suffering the same injury. He underwent revision surgery following the football season.
Rourke is the younger brother of B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke. His exclusive CFL rights belong to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who selected him in the third round of the 2025 CFL Draft.
The 49ers (9-4) currently sit third-place in the NFC West standings.
