Former Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke was one of the country’s most underrated signal-callers in 2024.
Despite being drafted in the seventh round of this year’s NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, the Ontario native was drafted in the third round of another league’s draft.
Saskatchewan Roughriders Roll the Dice on Kurtis Rourke Despite NFL Buzz
Knowing that Rourke was drafted by the 49ers, the Saskatchewan Roughriders made the choice to draft him with the 25th overall pick in the CFL Draft.
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It remains to be seen whether or not he would opt to join the CFL instead of heading to the Bay Area.
This is certainly an interesting predicament. On one hand, he could go play in the best league in the world as a backup quarterback or practice squad player. On the other hand, he could go to a less competitive league and likely earn more playing time.
Rourke’s College Numbers
There is a reason why multiple teams across two different leagues wanted to draft him.
For starters, he played six years of college football and was the predominant starter in four of those seasons. He also demonstrated his ability to play for multiple teams (Ohio, Indiana) at a high level. In two of his final three collegiate seasons, he threw 25-plus touchdown passes, just four interceptions, and combined for over 6,000 passing yards across those two seasons (2022, 2024).
In his final season of college football at Indiana, he guided the Hoosiers to 10 wins and a College Football Playoff appearance, which is something that the school has not seen a lot of in recent years.
Time will tell what Rourke ultimately decides to do. It is fascinating that he was drafted by the 49ers of all teams as a late-round pick. NFL fans remember the team selecting former Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy back in 2022. Purdy has gone on to become a franchise quarterback and lead the team to multiple NFC Championship Game appearances, along with a Super Bowl.
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The good thing for Rourke is that he has options, but he will need to sift through both options carefully before making a decision.
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