Oct 2, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (10) drops back to pass against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Things could be getting worse before they get better at quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers have looked every bit like one of the elite teams in the NFL this season, and they're off to a 4-1 start through the first five weeks and sit atop the NFC West standings. But they have been unable to find a consistently healthy starter at quarterback. Brock Purdy began the season in the role, but found himself injured with toe and shoulder injuries in a Week 1 win over the Seahawks. That brought backup Mac Jones to center stage, and he helped lead the 49ers to wins in Week 2 and Week 3 – but Jones was unable to go against the Jaguars in Week 4. Purdy stepped in and tried to make his return, but was noticeably still struggling with his injuries in a game that became the lone loss on the team's record this year.

Jones was back again last Thursday to lead San Francisco to a Week 5 win on Thursday Night Football, but was shaken up again in the win. Now, Purdy is still listed as out for the franchise's upcoming battle with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – another top NFC team with just one loss on the season – while Jones is also listed as questionable on the latest injury report. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan seemed to hint he's expecting Jones to play against the Bucs, saying that he's "pretty much already" made a decision regarding Jones' availability but that "you've got to put it that way if there's any doubt at all."

With rookie Kurtis Rourke out, still recovering from an ACL surgery after playing through an injury during his senior collegiate season with Indiana, that leaves third-string quarterback Adrian Martinez as the only definitively healthy quarterback on the roster. That means there's a decent chance we see Martinez on the field for the 49ers soon, perhaps even earning his first career NFL start. So what do you need to know about Martinez?

Well, he played five seasons of college ball, starting at Nebraska and finishing his career with Kansas State. Not only has he never started, he's never seen action in an NFL regular-season contest. After going undrafted and experiencing little luck in the NFL, Martinez led the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL) to a UFL Championship in 2024, where he was named the UFL MVP and UFL Championship Game MVP for his efforts. He finished the 2024 UFL season with 2,010 yards, 17 touchdowns, and four interceptions while adding 588 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns in nine starts and 12 appearances for the Stallions.

This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: 49ers QB injury situation worsens as third-stringer, former UFL MVP could be next up

Reporting by Joe Smith, Touchdown Wire / Touchdown Wire

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