NFL media reporter Rapoport provided some details on the next steps for 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who was injured on the team’s sixth offensive play in the NFC Championship on Jan. 29.
According to Wednesday’s report, Purdy will undergo surgery on his torn UCL with Texas Rangers team doctor Dr. Keith Meister on Feb. 22, after meeting with him the day prior. UCL injuries are more common among MLB pitchers than NFL quarterbacks.
“There were several options, including no surgery,” Rapoport said. “There are players in the NFL with very similar injuries who decided just to rehab. Surgery was deemed to be the best option for him. It does not sound like the plan is for a Tommy John full reconstruction – that would be longer than six months – that is not what is being discussed here. Obviously, there’s a chance doctors go in, they see something different in the elbow and maybe they alter the plans. But the plan is to go with the middle option, which is just basically repair the UCL.”
It’s worth noting there is a bit of discrepancy in the return timeline Rapoport provided.
Rapoport said Purdy will be able to return for the training camp, but he also reported it will be a sixth-month recovery process. This past year, the 49ers began training camp on July 27 and played their final preseason game on Aug. 25.
We know that Purdy will miss offseason team activities (OTAs) this summer, but San Francisco will likely start training camp about five months out from Purdy’s surgery. A sixth-month recovery would likely mean Purdy could be sidelined until the end of preseason, so we’ll have to see how much training camp action he can actually get.
“It is about six months,” Rapoport said of the recovery process. “It is about three months of rehab and then he starts throwing. If all goes well, three months after that, then he should be ready by the start of training camp if all goes well for the 49ers and Purdy.”
The 49ers have two young and talented quarterbacks coming off of serious injuries this offseason. For now, third-year quarterback Trey Lance is expected to step into the starting role for OTAs after recovering from a foot/ankle injury in Week 2 that required two surgeries. San Francisco will also likely pursue a low-profile veteran quarterback in free agency or the draft to be QB3 this summer.
Quarterback controversies are nothing new in Santa Clara, but the 49ers will have an interesting situation to figure out this summer as Lance and Purdy return to the field.
Related
