The San Francisco 49ers are fully focused on the next stage of the NFL offseason after wrapping up their annual organized team activities (OTAs) last week. There isn't much time to take a breather, though, as the action will resume shortly when the 49ers hold their mandatory minicamp on Tuesday and Wednesday, shedding more light on how the 53-man roster is developing.
Although OTAs aren't the focal point of the offseason, they did offer several opportunities to step up and steal some attention before major roster cuts begin later this summer. Unfortunately, not everyone capitalized on their latest offseason chances, including a San Francisco quarterback potentially heading to the chopping block sooner rather than later.
49ers QB Tanner Mordecai Quietly on Chopping Block After OTAs
The 49ers' quarterback room has been hit with some changes since the 2024 season ended. San Francisco signed former Pro Bowl QB Mac Jones to a two-year contract as soon as free agency opened, and followed that move up by using a 2025 seventh-round pick on former Indiana gunslinger Kurtis Rourke.
That's without mentioning how starting QB Brock Purdy was signed to a $265 million contract extension, keeping with the 49ers through the 2030 season. Keeping the aforementioned transactions in mind, it wouldn't be surprising if Tanner Mordecai is the odd man out of this situation.
Mordecai's outlook with the franchise was always up in the air after he was waived last summer, and that's likely even more the case now that two new QBs are in town. Jones has already received positive reviews for his OTA play, while Rourke has already caught director of player personnel Tariq Ahmad's attention.
“I think (Rourke) plays on time and he sees the field very well,” Ahmad told San Francisco Chronicle's Eric Branch on May 29. “So he processes it, he sees it, and can get the ball out on time. And I think he’s very accurate.”
Meanwhile, it's been mostly radio silence as far as Mordecai's offseason has gone. The fact that he hasn't garnered many (if any) headlines suggests that he'll need a monster performance throughout the rest of the offseason to save his job.
Mordecai, 25, joined the 49ers as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 draft. He ended up completing 6-of-10 passes for 103 passing yards and a 95.0 passer rating in two appearances with San Francisco last preseason before spending the entire regular season on the practice squad.
Unless he steps up and turns his situation around soon, Mordecai might go from the 49ers' chopping block to the unemployment line sooner rather than later.