When San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy suffered an elbow injury in the NFC Championship Game, it ended the team’s Super Bowl hopes and put his availability for next season in jeopardy. Fortunately for San Francisco, the outlook is much better months later.
Purdy suffered a torn UCL against the Philadelphia Eagles, putting him at risk to require Tommy John surgery. If he underwent the procedure, the standout quarterback would be sidelined for the entire 2023 NFL season and face doubts about his long-term future.
- Brock Purdy contract: $889,252 cap hit (’23), $1.004M cap hit (’24), $1.119M cap hit (’25)
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However, doctors determined that he didn’t need the most extensive surgery. Instead, Purdy underwent elbow surgery in March that repaired the UCL with the help of a synthetic brace implanted to help restore the ligament. It meant an accelerated timeline for Purdy, offering stronger odds for a full recovery before Week 1.
Now, with minicamps weeks away and training camp scheduled to begin in July, there seems to be increased confident within the organization that San Francisco will have its top quarterback return this summer.
Speaking at the Dwight Clark Legacy Series event, 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team currently anticipates Purdy being there at training camp this summer.
“As long as Brock’s elbow heals right, he’ll be the exact same guy… He’s doing the same drills all the other quarterbacks are doing, he’s just using a towel to throw. But still doing violent motions, still moving, he’s just not doing it with a football… As along as there’s not a setback, we think he’ll be there at training camp.”
San Francisco 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan on Brock Purdy’s injury recovery (H/T David Lombardi)
Shanahan hasn’t always expressed total optimism regarding Purdy’s recovery timeline. In March, San Francisco’s head coach suggested Purdy could miss multiple games this season. He’s also famously the same person who told reporters that he couldn’t guarantee Jimmy Garoppolo – or anyone for that matter – would be alive in a few days.
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Purdy’s recovery progress seems to be going well and the fact that he is going through drills, albeit with a towel instead of a football, is a positive sign for the 49ers.
- Brock Purdy stats (2022): 67.1% completion, 13-4 TD-INT, 107.3 QB rating
Even if Purdy is ready early in training camp, San Francisco will likely ease him in with limited reps in July. It creates an opportunity for Trey Lance and Sam Darnold to compete against one another, proving they can be the backup quarterback or a fill-in starter if Purdy suffers a setback.
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