49ers to Hold Camp Tryout for XFL Quarterback & Ex-Colt: Report

Getty Jack Coan on August 3, 2021 in Westfield, Indiana.

From what it appears, the San Francisco 49ers still need an extra presence in the quarterback room ahead of the team’s mandatory minicamp. An XFL passer will be given a try.

Per NFL insider for NBC 2 Houston Aaron Wilson on Monday, June 5, the 49ers will be working out Jack Coan on Wednesday, June 7 during the second day of their camp. Coan was most recently with the San Antonio Brahmas and had a brief stop with the Indianapolis Colts.

Coan Would Likely be Considered Camp Depth Move if Signed

While the 49ers welcomed good news involving Brock Purdy being able to throw the football earlier than expected following his elbow surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), Purdy is still in a recovery period and likely will be held off until training camp.

That leaves the opportunity for the 49ers to add a fourth option in the room for June.

Trey Lance is coming back from his broken ankle from Week 2 of last season. Sam Darnold and Brandon Allen are also both on board for their first experience with 49ers mandatory camp.

Coan, if added, gives them a fourth option during that period if he wins over the Niners with his workout. He’s not the first from the XFL to be given a tryout, though.

Back in May, the 49ers gave Steven Montez a try to land on the roster through a workout. Montez, a native of nearby Oakland, suited up for the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL during its return in the spring of 2023. The Montez tryout was in the effort to solve some needed depth in the QB room for rookie minicamp.

On Coan’s end, he ended the XFL season throwing for six touchdowns and getting picked off six times. He completed his season, though, with back-to-back 300-yard games against Orlando (302 yards on April 15) and versus XFL title game runner-up D.C. (312 yards). Coan threw for 1,471 yards and completed 158 of 254 passes.

Coan went 3-6 overall as a starter with two wins over the Orlando Guardians while also beating eventual champion the Arlington Renegades on March 26.

Coan Was Previous Star at 2 National Powers, Shattered School Record at 1 Stop

For those fans who follow college football in the Midwest, they’ve likely come across Coan’s name. After all, he starred at the University of Wisconsin and Norte Dame.

At the latter, which was where he grad transferred in 2021, Coan didn’t take long to hit the Fighting Irish record books: throwing for 366 yards in his regular season debut versus Florida State — with the yardage mark representing the most passing yards in a season opener for Norte Dame. Coan went on to finish with 3,150 yards, 25 touchdowns and tossed seven picks. He went 11-2 overall as a starter.

Before heading to South Bend for his final CFB stop, Coan previously suited up for the Badgers for four seasons. His best campaign ended up being the 2019 season — when he threw for 2,727 yards, 18 touchdowns and was only picked off five times. He also completed 69.6% of his passes, which was more than the 65.5% he delivered for ND.

Coan ended up going undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft before signing with the Colts on May 13. He was waived on August 30 as teams cut their rosters to 53-active players.