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One of the best and most comprehensive features we offer every year is our Footballguys Preseason Updates. Every week this month, Dave Kluge, Clayton Gray, and their team of Footballguys Staffers cover every player that matters from every NFL team. It's 32-plus pages of some of the most comprehensive coverage you'll find. It's probably worth the Footballguys Premium Subscription by itself.
Updates from Week 4
Preseason Updates: Quarterbacks
There was never any question about the top two quarterbacks entering the season, but Brock Purdy's success in camp deserves recognition. With few incompletions and countless downfield throws squeezed into tight windows, Purdy is poised for a great year. Mac Jones is the backup, while Kurtis Rourke is the clear third-string quarterback despite recovering from three broken ribs sustained during the first preseason game against the Titans. The injury did not change the team's plans, as they released Adrian Martinez on Saturday. Rourke should return to practice this week and appears to be in the team's long-term plans, potentially replacing Jones as the second-string quarterback when he moves on from the team. Meanwhile, the roster news was briefly overshadowed when owner Jed York was charged with two misdemeanors; the team declined to comment, an NFL spokesman said the league would review the incident under its personal conduct policy, and head coach Kyle Shanahan said nothing would change from a football standpoint.
Preseason Updates: Running Backs
Jordan James and Kaelon Black are back from their injuries, and with Christian McCaffrey finally returning, the 49ers can have a full look at their potential backfield. Both James and Black spent time in practice this week focusing on the receiving game, and James made his preseason debut Thursday, showing his quickness and pass-catching ability. Black also excelled, and what was a roller coaster of a preseason for the running back room has settled in nicely — Black looks to be the winner of the second-string job, playing all the snaps on the first three drives and listed on the depth chart accordingly, while James did not see snaps until the fourth drive. Isaac Guerendo will start the season on the physically unable to perform list, which does not count against the 53-man roster and allows him to resume practice in Week 3 — a smart way for the team to preserve backfield depth as long as possible. That leaves McCaffrey, Kyle Juszczyk, Black, and James as the four backs making the roster, giving San Francisco the most stable set of backups behind McCaffrey the franchise has seen.
