San Francisco 49ers quarterback Kurtis Rourke was rushed to hospital after suffering a troubling rib injury during Thursday's preseason game. 

The backup signal caller made his NFL debut in the clash against the 19-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans but it came to an abrupt and unfortunate end in the second quarter. 

Rourke was forced to exit the game as he struggled to breathe after suffering the apparent rib injury. 

'They said 'ribs' and he was struggling to breathe, so they took him to the hospital just to check on everything, make sure it's all right,' Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters. 

'The X-rays here didn't show it was broken or anything, but we'll see what we find out tomorrow.' 

The preseason matchup marked Rourke's first game in 601 days following a devastating lengthy injury record that dating back to his senior season with Indiana. 

Rourke played his final college year with a torn ACL in his right knee that required surgery after he led the Hoosiers to an 11-2 record and College Football Playoff berth.

The quarterback endured a host of injuries throughout his six-year college career. He tore the ACL in the same knee in 2022. 

He also missed a game in 2024 due to an injury to his right thumb that required surgery and missed another with a left shoulder injury in 2020. 

He was drafted by San Francisco in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft. However, he spent the entirety of his rookie season on the physically unable to perform list.

He suited up on Thursday in place of starter Brock Purdy and Mac Jones, who both sat out the preseason opener for the Niners. 

Roure looked much sharper than his counterpart Cam Ward. He went 12 for 14 for 101 yards with three rushes for 14 yards on three drives. 

His final possession ended in a one-yard TD run by Patrick Taylor Jr., and he left the game after.

He connected well with rookie wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling, who had seven catches for 63 yards on the eight passes from Rourke, including two impressive catches on the touchdown drive.

He caught a 32-yard deep pass on the sideline and then had an 11-yard catch with a broken tackle to convert a third-and-6. 

'I thought he looked good,' Shanahan said. 'Had the ball in the right spot. I thought he hung in there and played well.'