The San Francisco 49ers have announced the release of quarterback Adrian Martinez, confirming that Kurtis Rourke will take over as the team's third quarterback on the 53-man roster. This decision follows Martinez's performance during the preseason, where he accumulated 346 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions across three games.
Martinez, who is 26 years old, had previously served as the backup quarterback for the 49ers last season and was signed to a futures contract in January. Despite his experience, he faced stiff competition from Rourke, a seventh-round pick in 2025 who had an impressive showing in the preseason, completing 12 of 14 passes for 101 yards in his first game as a starter.
Rourke, who missed his entire rookie season due to a torn ACL, now steps into the No. 3 quarterback role and will serve as the emergency quarterback on game days. The 49ers had shown interest in Rourke since drafting him, and his strong preseason performance positions him as a potential backup once the current starter, Mac Jones, becomes a free agent next offseason.
While Martinez may not have secured a spot on the roster, there remains a possibility that he could return to the 49ers practice squad after the roster cutdown period, should he not find another opportunity elsewhere.
