San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch has offered an update on quarterback Brock Purdy as Purdy recovers from the surgery he had on March 10.
“He’s not out there throwing yet,” Lynch said of Purdy during a Thursday appearance on San Francisco sports radio station KNBR, per David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone. “That’s going to happen around week 12 (12 weeks after surgery), [which] is kind of the next inflection point. But he’s doing really good, doing everything that he can do.”
Twelve weeks from March 10 would have Purdy on pace to begin throwing on or around June 2.
Purdy suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow during the NFC Championship Game loss at the Philadelphia Eagles in late January but couldn’t go under the knife until March due to inflammation in the elbow. NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported in early April that San Francisco hoped to know more about Purdy’s status for Week 1 of the 2023 season “two to three months post-op” at that time. Breer also said Purdy could be sidelined anywhere from six to eight months.
Lynch essentially confirmed in late March Purdy would be his QB1 over 2021 first-round draft pick Trey Lance and free-agency signing Sam Darnold if the 2022 rookie sensation was healthy. It’s widely believed questions about Purdy’s availability for the upcoming season have prevented Lynch from actively shopping Lance this spring.
“So week 12, that’s where he can actually go out, start lobbing a football,” Lynch added about Purdy. “And according to the surgeon, you start getting a little better read on exactly where he’s at right about then.”
The 49ers recently signed veteran Brandon Allen likely to have an additional healthy arm for training camp assuming Purdy won’t be cleared to practice until at least late August.
Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson is no longer an option for the 49ers, so Lynch likely will spend the next couple of months hoping to receive a positive diagnosis regarding Purdy before camp sessions open.
