San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy still has not had elbow surgery due to continued swelling.
Niners general manager John Lynch said Tuesday that Purdy will meet with Texas Rangers team physician Keith Meister in Arizona this week. Lynch added that surgery could finally happen next week if swelling and inflammation improve.
Purdy was originally scheduled to undergo surgery Feb. 22 to repair his torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm.
“That’s a tough decision to make, but I really appreciate the courage and the conviction to make that decision,” Lynch said of Meister postponing Purdy’s surgery. “It’s all about the best outcome. Is it ideal? No. You want, for a variety of reasons, time being No. 1. You want every waking minute that you have.
“We want the best outcome, and that’s what Dr. Meister made, a really tough decision, and we’re very appreciative, and he’s done thousands of these surgeries, and when you have all the swelling out, when you have all the stiffness out, is when he’s had the best success with the outcomes,” Lynch added.
Purdy is expected to have an internal brace inserted during the procedure. Recovery time is six months, which would be right at the start of the 2023 season, with the regular-season scheduled to begin Sept. 7.
Meister could opt for a hybrid procedure – ligament reconstruction plus insertion of a brace. That decision won’t get made until Meister begins the procedure, one that would increase Purdy’s recovery to 7 to 9 months.
“A lot of people talk about the ambiguity because you hear, ‘Well, you never know until you get in there,'” Lynch said. “I get told that every time one of our players has a surgery, and I think that’s surgeons just covering their bases. They never know.
“MRIs tell a whole lot of the picture, but you really, truly don’t know until you get in there and see exactly what’s going on. So we’re doing lots of praying and pulling for Brock.”
Purdy, 23, made a stunning rise from being the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to leading the 49ers into the NFC Championship Game.
After 49ers quarterbacks Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo got injured in the regular season, Purdy took over and led the team to wins in each of the final five games. Purdy and the 49ers then defeated the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs before falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC title game when Purdy sustained the elbow injury.
After fourth-stringer Josh Johnson went down with a concussion against Philadelphia, Purdy returned to action but was unable to throw the ball more than a few yards downfield.
In the regular season, Purdy completed 67.1 percent of his passes for 1,374 yards with 13 scoring passes and four interceptions. In the postseason, he had a 65.1 percent completion rate while throwing for 569 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.
Lynch said he can see the practice fields from his second floor office at the team facility and has noted Lance making progress. He repeated what he said after the season regarding Garoppolo not returning in 2023. He is expected to find a new home in free agency.
–Field Level Media