Report: 49ers QB Brock Purdy will have surgery to repair UCL in Texas
Feb 8, 2023, 12:20 PM | Updated: 12:54 pm
SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 8: Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers lines up before the snap during the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium on January 8, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 38-13. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
More than a week after suffering the injury, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will have surgery to repair his torn UCL Texas.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that Purdy will travel to Dallas to undergo surgery with Dr. Keith Meister, a renowned surgeon that specializes in sports injuries. He has been known to treat the MLB’s Texas Rangers and their players with various injuries over the years.
The surgery will take place on Feb. 22nd in Dallas once most of the swelling around Purdy’s elbow subsides. Once the surgery is complete, Purdy is expected to make a full recovery and be ready in time for the start of training camp.
#49ers QB Brock Purdy will meet with Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas on Feb. 21 and plans to have surgery to repair his torn UCL on the 22nd, sources say. The surgery, set to be done by the respected #Rangers doc, will allow Purdy to make a full recovery & be ready for training camp. pic.twitter.com/9ahMWbqPD1
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 8, 2023
After seeking second opinions for weeks, the consensus was that Mr. Irrelevant needed a UCL repair, not a reconstruction otherwise known as Tommy John surgery. The chosen course of action will sideline Purdy for six months with an internal brace, rather than a year with the latter procedure.
After an MRI confirmed the tear, the 49ers and players alike were hoping for the shorter approach, optimistic all along that he could be the same guy going into 2023.
“I think the positive bit of news is that it seems to be consistent that the right approach is that one [surgery] that takes about that six-month mark,” general manager John Lynch said last Wednesday. “So they’re continuing to work through that process. But we seem encouraged by the prognosis, that that’s kind of where it’s at.”
“That was the coolest thing for me to hear,” head coach Kyle Shanahan added. “Once three months is over, they start the rehab of just building the arm back slowly. And by six months, it’s built back. And that’s when I started ask questions. ‘So does that mean he’s on the mend and stuff like that? Like you would think of ACLs and things like that?’ And they said no, the build-up has been from three to six and at six months, he is the same dude and full-go, so that was the most encouraging part that I heard.”
Brock Purdy suffered the injury to his right elbow on the first series of the NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles when outside linebacker Haason Reddick struck his arm while he was attempting a pass. Describing the pain in his elbow as “shocks all over from my elbow down to my wrist, front and back,” Purdy knew right away that something was wrong with his arm. Unable to attempt a pass downfield for the remainder of the day, the 49ers‘ offense stalled out in the second half, causing them to lose, 31-7, to the Eagles.
An unfortunate series of events, Purdy accepted his fate and is determined to pick up where he left off in August for training camp.
“I don’t know exactly what the case is going to be yet, final decision. But if that is it, then so be it. I’ll be ready come camp, and honestly, what matters to me most is being able to play for the season. So if that’s the case, then so be it,” Purdy stated.
