Canadian quarterback Taylor Elgersma worked out for the San Francisco 49ers on Monday, per NFL sources.
This is a scenario the strong-armed QB and his camp have been waiting for since he was released by the Green Bay Packers in August. Many NFL teams are dealing with injuries or have started looking towards the future. Elgersma is a free agent, which means franchises can bring him in the building immediately and give both sides a jump start on next season.
49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan had enough interest in Elgersma to fly him to the Bay Area. San Francisco’s northeast area scout Eric Thatcher was at his pro day in March. The Niners currently have starter Brock Purdy and backup Mac Jones on the active roster with Adrian Martinez on the practice roster.
The 49ers already have one Canadian QB under contract with Kurtis Rourke on the team’s non-football injury list after he was selected in the seventh round, 227th overall during the 2025 NFL Draft. This was the first NFL workout for Elgersma since August 27, when he was flown in by the New York Giants.
Elgersma was waived by Green Bay after training camp, then went unclaimed and became an NFL free agent. The 23-year-old completed 16-of-23 passes for 166 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions while playing in three NFL preseason games with the Packers, recording a 104.6 QB rating.
The six-foot-five, 227-pound passer signed with the team as an undrafted free agent in May following a rookie mini-camp tryout, becoming the fourth Canadian university QB to sign with an NFL team and the first since 1987. He threw a touchdown pass during the Packers Family Night scrimmage on Saturday, August 2 and flashed despite limited reps in training camp.
The London, Ont. native won the Hec Crighton Trophy, Canada’s equivalent to the Heisman Trophy, in 2024 while leading Wilfrid Laurier University to a Vanier Cup appearance. That earned him the chance to become the first Canadian university quarterback and second U Sports player ever invited to the Senior Bowl all-star game.
Over four years with the Golden Hawks, Elgersma completed 72 percent of his passes for 10,230 yards, 76 touchdowns, and 28 interceptions in 39 games. He rushed 122 times for 572 yards, averaging 4.7 per carry, and 18 touchdowns. The big QB was twice named the Ontario University Athletics Conference’s Most Valuable Player, earning first-team All-Canadian honours in 2024 and a second-team selection in 2023.
Elgersma’s exclusive CFL rights belong to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as he was selected in the second round, 18th overall during the 2025 CFL Draft. The Bombers would like to sign him eventually, but he won’t return to the three-down game until his NFL options are exhausted.
