A lengthy 49ers injury report this week gave some context to a workout today that included three quarterbacks. Starter Brock Purdy has already been ruled out for this weekend after missing practice all week, and primary backup passer Mac Jones is questionable after being a limited participant in every session this week. This leaves only one fully healthy option on the roster. 
It’s still assumed that Jones should be good to go on Sunday, but if he isn’t, Adrian Martinez will be waiting in the wings for the opportunity to make his NFL debut. But if the team’s injury luck continues to disappoint, some planning ahead would certainly be worthwhile. To that end, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, San Francisco hosted three quarterbacks — Desmond Ridder, Nathan Peterman, and Quinten Dormady — for a workout today.
Oddly enough, Ridder, the youngest of the three, was the most experienced passer at the tryout. Over two years in Atlanta, Ridder started 17 contests, including most of the 2023 season. He went 8-9 as a starter for the Falcons, only throwing around 187 yards per game with 14 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.
Despite being drafted five years before Ridder, Peterman has appeared in fewer games than Ridder has starts. In two seasons apiece with the Bills, Raiders, and Bears, Peterman has made five starts in 15 appearances, going 1-4 in his starts. After completing only 52.3 percent of his passes in Buffalo and throwing only three touchdowns to 12 interceptions, Peterman’s opportunities have been few and far between. In his 2018 season alone, he threw more touchdowns to opposing defenses than he did his own team. He failed to make an appearance in both the 2019 and 2024 seasons.
If Dormady was signed, it would be his first NFL contract. Transferring out of Tennessee after three years in college, Dormady spent a year at Houston before transferring again to Central Michigan, where he was finally able to play most of a season as a starter for the Chippewas. After an average season at CMU, Dormady went undrafted and signed briefly to a Canadian Football League practice roster. After off and on stints in Montreal, he became a backup for Paxton Lynch in the XFL. He eventually overtook Lynch for the starting job and, when the XFL folded, found his way to the UFL as a backup in San Antonio and Memphis before, ultimately, announcing his retirement from the sport.
While his presence at the tryout makes it seem very likely that he would unretire for a chance at the NFL, no contracts were signed after today’s auditions. According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, Purdy was seen at practice pushing a weight sled, which sounds like some pretty serious work for his injured toe, and Jones was throwing today after staying away from that activity earlier in the week. Both players are clearly on the mend with hopes that other help will be on the way, as well.
For now, until there’s any word to the contrary, it’ll be Jones under center when the 49ers host Tampa this weekend, and Martinez will be ready and waiting on the sideline. As long as Purdy stays on track and Jones stays healthy enough, a contract for Ridder, Peterman, or Dormady may not be necessary.
