San Francisco – Don’t think for a second that Brock Purdy’s return to the 49ers’ quarterback room after his toe injury is just business as usual. Today, a real shockwave hit the Bay Area: the 49ers have swiftly brought Adrian Martinez back to the practice squad just days after waiving him to make room for Brock Purdy.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Martinez cleared waivers and is immediately expected to re-sign with the Niners’ practice squad. “He served as the backup while Brock Purdy was hurt,” Rapoport emphasized — and this wasn’t your average backup.
Let’s rewind: When Purdy was sidelined with a recurring turf toe issue, Martinez didn’t just sit on the depth chart — he was elevated to the active roster and even recorded his first career NFL snap in Week 9 against the New York Giants (albeit a victory-formation kneel-down). Mac Jones voluntarily gave up the final snaps so the young quarterback could get that milestone — a classy gesture that shows just how respected Martinez is in that locker room.
But what’s truly jaw-dropping is the insane résumé of this 25-year-old quarterback:
- 2024 UFL MVP with the Birmingham Stallions
- 1,750 passing yards, 15 TDs, only 3 INTs
- Led the entire league in rushing yards among QBs (528 yards)
- Took the Stallions to the UFL championship and earned Championship Game MVP
From an undrafted free agent in 2023 (initially signed by Detroit, then Jets preseason in 2024–2025), Martinez has proven he’s one of the most dangerous dual-threat QBs in professional football outside the NFL. He was already a college phenom (Nebraska + Kansas State) with nearly 10,000 passing yards and close to 3,000 rushing yards.
Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers staff clearly had zero intention of letting this talent walk to another team. Waiving Martinez was nothing more than a procedural move to activate Clelin Ferrell, but they snatched him right back to the practice squad the moment they could. This is no longer about “adding another practice arm” — this is the 49ers stockpiling a legitimate weapon.
With Brock Purdy’s injury history (and the lingering risk of turf toe), keeping Martinez in the building is an extremely shrewd move. If Purdy goes down again, the Niners won’t be scrambling on the free-agent market — they’ll already have a former spring-league MVP, an elite runner, and an accurate passer learning every day in Shanahan’s genius offensive system.
Analysts are already asking the question: Could Adrian Martinez be the next “Mr. Irrelevant” that Shanahan turns into gold? Purdy was the final pick of the 2022 draft and is now the franchise QB. Martinez, with his explosive athleticism and rapidly improving decision-making, has all the makings of the next diamond in the rough.
San Francisco isn’t just protecting depth — they’re investing in the future. And if you still have doubts, remember: the guy who dominated the UFL is now wearing scarlet and gold, waiting for his shot.
A genuine shockwave has landed at Levi’s Stadium. Adrian Martinez isn’t “third-string” — he’s top-tier QB talent the 49ers just successfully kept under wraps the moment Purdy returned.
Faithful, what do you think? Could Martinez be the perfect Plan B… or even Plan A before long?