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49ers Make Major Roster Move Ahead of Rams Game

By Reice Shipley

Copyright newsweek

49ers Make Major Roster Move Ahead of Rams Game

An injury to Brock Purdy is forcing the San Francisco 49ers to turn back to Mac Jones as their starting quarterback for their divisional matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night. But interestingly, the organization decided to add to their depth at the quarterback position ahead of Thursday’s game by adding an intriguing talent to their 53-man roster.

Mac Jones has largely exceeded expectations in his two appearances on the year thus far, averaging 281.5 passing yards in his two starts, with four touchdowns and only one interception. With Purdy sidelined again with his lingering turf toe injury suffered in Week 1, Jones stands out as the obvious and correct choice to start in his place.

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 28: A detailed view of a Crucial Catch sticker on the helmet worn by Skyy Moore #9 of the San Francisco 49ers prior to the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Levi’s Stadium on September 28, 2025 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)

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The 49ers ensured more protection for the game on Thursday in case Jones were to go down with an injury of his own, as they signed former Nebraska Cornhuskers standout Adrian Martinez to their 53-man roster, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

The #49ers signed QB Adrian Martinez from the practice squad to the active roster. He’ll back up Mac Jones tonight vs. the #Rams.— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 2, 2025

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Martinez has yet to see the field in an NFL regular season game after going undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. He bounced around the league with the Detroit Lions and New York Jets’ practice squads each of the last two seasons before sticking on the 49ers practice squad in 2025.

At the very least, Martinez does bring some mobility into the mix, rushing for over 500 yards in every season he played collegiately, which is something that Mac Jones and even Brock Purdy don’t exactly bring to the table.

While it is unlikely that Martinez will see the field unless something happens to Jones, this may be Martinez’s best chance to potentially see the field. And while Purdy remains sidelined, which could be longer than just one week, Martinez may very well have a spot on the 49ers’ active roster

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