The San Francisco 49ers sustained another injury during the first drive of their preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans. Cornerback Jack Jones exited the game with a hand injury and was subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the contest.
Jones, a fifth-year veteran, was one of the few potential impact players on the field for the 49ers. He had been a standout during training camp, demonstrating strong performance as a second-team player in the secondary, which has been described as the team's strongest unit.
Prior to Jones' injury, the secondary had been relatively healthy, with only safety Malik Mustapha listed with a hamstring injury among the team's 17 players currently managing ailments. Jones was replaced by fourth-round rookie Ephesians Prysock. Starting cornerbacks Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green did not play, along with most of the projected starters.
The 49ers have not disclosed the specific nature or severity of Jones' injury. He sustained the injury while assisting in bringing down Titans running back Tyjae Spears on a 25-yard gain, which occurred on the eighth play from scrimmage.
Tennessee completed a 95-yard scoring drive against the 49ers' backup defenders. The 49ers' reserve offense responded with a touchdown drive, during which third-string quarterback Kurtis Rourke completed 12 of 14 passes for 100 yards. However, Rourke later left the game with a rib injury and was also ruled out. This left Adrian Martinez as the only quarterback in uniform for the team.
Rourke, a seventh-round pick in 2025, missed the entirety of the previous season due to recovery from ACL surgery.