There’s an important update for when San Francisco 49ers 2022 rookie quarterback Brock Purdy will go under the knife.
According to Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle, 49ers general manager John Lynch said that Purdy will undergo surgery Friday in Dallas to address the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow that he suffered during the NFC Championship Game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Purdy originally was supposed to have surgery on Feb. 22 but had the procedure postponed by Dr. Keith Meister due to ongoing inflammation.
Depending on the nature of the operation, Purdy potentially could return to practice six months from the date of the surgery. If, however, he requires a more complex procedure, he could miss the entire 2023 season.
Once again, Lynch was unable to give a definitive timeline for the recovery of the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
“It could be six months, nine months, 13 months – there are a whole lot of scenarios, and we believe it will go well,” Lynch said. “I talked to the doctor, and everything is on track for him to have surgery. But you’ve kind of got to get in there and see what’s up.”
Purdy began his debut pro season beneath Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo on the depth chart but became San Francisco’s QB1 when both Lance and Garoppolo were lost to injuries. In total, Purdy won five regular-season and two playoff starts before his setback, completing 67.1% of 170 passes for 1,374 yards with 13 touchdowns and just four interceptions in his regular-season appearances.
As for Lance, he didn’t make it through two full games in September before he went down with a serious ankle injury that left him needing two surgeries. The 22-year-old could be cleared to return to practices next month but still has thrown just 102 regular-season passes since San Francisco made him the third overall pick of the 2021 draft.
Assuming Purdy won’t be able to play against live defenses until late September at the earliest, Lynch is expected to pursue signing an inexpensive veteran such as Andy Dalton or Baker Mayfield. However, it’s also thought that Lynch will at least reach out to recently re-retired star Tom Brady about possibly joining a team that played in the last two NFC Championship Games.
Brady’s contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers expires when the new league year opens on March 15. During the NFL Combine last week, Lynch did not slam the door shut on possibly calling the seven-time Super Bowl champion later this month.
Lynch has indicated he will let Garoppolo reach free agency.
