SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Report: Brock Purdy has successful UCL surgery Friday
After weeks of anticipation, 49ers fans can breathe easy after Brock Purdy had successful elbow surgery Friday.
Reports surfaced Friday morning that quarterback Brock Purdy underwent successful surgery on his torn UCL in Texas. Seen as a success, the anticipated UCL repair procedure was used, giving Purdy a six-month timeline to return to NFL action.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo was first with the news.
#49ers QB Brock Purdy underwent successful surgery on his elbow today, source says. It was the anticipated UCL repair with an internal brace. The expectation is Purdy will begin throwing in three months and build up his strength from there. pic.twitter.com/YQbDzBMinh
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 10, 2023
Surgery by Dr. Keith Meister had been delayed several weeks after persistent swelling in the QB’s right elbow was found. Wanted to wait for more optimal conditions, the medical team and the 49ers agreed to push the procedure back to the beginning of March.
“I really want to thank Dr. Meister,” 49ers general manager John Lynch stated at the NFL Combine. “He called me when he made that decision. That’s a tough decision to make, but I really appreciate the courage and the conviction to make that decision. It’s all about the best outcome. Is it ideal? No, for a variety of reasons, time being number one you want every waking minute that you have, but ultimately, he’s 22 years old. We want the best outcome. And that’s where Dr. Meister made a really tough decision and we’re very appreciative.”
With the UCL repair, Purdy has an internal brace supporting the ligament, allowing it to heal naturally over the next six months. Anticipated to start throwing again in three months, Purdy is slated for a return to football at the beginning of September, around the start of the 2023 season on Sept. 10th.
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.
Entering the offseason with only one healthy QB, Trey Lance should get the majority of the first-team reps through training camp. After missing most of last season due to an ankle fracture. Lance could work his way into QB 1 for SF by the end of the preseason.
But thanks to Purdy’s play in 2022, and the optimistic timeframe, the 2023 offseason could be another quarterback battle for the Red & Gold.
