Tanner Mordecai was waived by the San Francisco 49ers after a rough preseason loss to Denver, finishing 3-of-6 for 21 yards with an interception and 15 rushing yards as the third quarterback behind Mac Jones and Carter Bradley. San Francisco quickly responded by drafting Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, ratcheting up QB competition in the room. The move occurred alongside Ameer Abdullah’s IR designation, which cleared space for the club to sign running back Jeff Wilson Jr. and defensive end Trevis Gipson. Mordecai, who starred at SMU and Wisconsin, flashed professional tools at times in college but now faces an uphill climb to land elsewhere in the NFL or beyond. The 49ers’ quarterback room is clearly getting deeper and more competitive as they push toward the 2025 season.

San Francisco opened the preseason with a 30-9 loss to Denver in Santa Clara, a result that stings more for fantasy managers than for the final scoreline. Fourteen SF players logged snaps in a game that featured turnovers and inconsistent quarterback play, underscoring the depth concerns and the risk around volatile backup-QB performance early in the year.

Three SF passers combined for multiple interceptions while the 49ers’ offense failed to sustain drives after a bright opening by Patrick Taylor Jr. on the first drive. The Broncos dominated across the major offensive metrics, and Kyle Shanahan voiced clear frustration about the miscues: four turnovers and a clump of sacks and drops that could impact early-season depth charts.

In the fantasy lens, Purdy remains the clear QB1, but the night offered little signal from Mac Jones, Carter Bradley, or Tanner Mordecai—none of whom flashed a path to meaningful Week 1 action. Abdullah’s fumble and the trio of picks raise questions about the backups’ reliability. The second preseason tilt against the Raiders on the road becomes pivotal for evaluating SF’s back-end roster and the potential breakout candidates behind the starters.

San Francisco keeps mixing and clarifying its roster in a brisk summer of moves. Abdullah lands on season-ending IR after a preseason injury, while Mordecai is waived again as the 49ers lean into their quarterback depth and return-to-form plan. Andre Dillard is activated off PUP, setting up a run of preseason reps. Jeff Wilson Jr. returns to town, reuniting with a backfield that already features Christian McCaffrey, who will again shoulder a heavy workload if he stays healthy. Brock Purdy’s blockbuster extension locks in the offensive core, with Mac Jones backing him up as a seasoned veteran. The pattern suggests more changes are coming as the team remains all-in on maximizing its 2025 outlook. Bills, Dolphins, and Patriots figure into the surrounding fantasy calculus as ancillary but meaningful references, underscoring how interconnected the league has become. The 49ers’ offseason shuffling signals a stronger, more versatile attack with McCaffrey healthy, Purdy protected, and a few unknowns primed to emerge in preseason and the early season.

San Francisco’s preseason opener vs. Denver yielded a 30-9 setback, but the real headlines were the cluster of injuries and how quickly the 49ers’ depth will be tested. Key youngsters exited (Bethune, Sigle, Abdullah, Beal Jr.) with a mix of ankle, knee, rib, and groin issues, while Western Kentucky rookie Upton Stout and Mykel Williams joined the casualty list. Coach Kyle Shanahan emphasized cautious handling, with timelines pegged to next week’s joint practice against the Raiders. San Francisco hopes several returning players (Cowing, Renardo Green) clear workouts soon to rejoin practices. The situation will shape practice reps and potential Week 1 depth, especially at linebacker, safety and edge. Fans will be watching how quickly the squad recovers and who steps up in the interim.