49ers Talk hosts Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan believe that with Brock Purdy’s murky injury status, Trey Lance should have the edge to start Week 1.
After some delays, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is on his way to recovery from the torn ulnar collateral ligament he sustained in his right elbow during the NFC Championship Game.
Purdy underwent successful elbow surgery Friday, the team announced. His orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Keith Meister, conducted an internal brace repair to Purdy's right elbow, and he is anticipated to start a throwing progression program in three months, per the 49ers.
Purdy originally was supposed to have elbow surgery on Feb. 22, but it was pushed back by Dr. Meister, after an MRI revealed there still was too much inflammation around the elbow.
With a UCL repair, Purdy's expected recovery timeline is six months. He'll spend the next three months simply recovering from the procedure while minimizing swelling and inflammation, and then, in the final three months, Purdy should be able to start throwing the football, as the 49ers stated. His full recovery is expected at the end of six months.
In that timeframe, Purdy would be ready to go by the second week of September, with the first Sunday of the 2023 NFL season set for kickoff on Sept. 10. The 49ers originally had hoped he would be ready for training camp this summer before his surgery was postponed.
Still, the outcome of Friday's procedure is as good of a result as the 49ers could have hoped for, especially if Purdy's recovery goes as planned. There was the possibility that once Dr. Meister opened Purdy's elbow up to see the damage, the young signal-caller could have required a full-blown UCL reconstruction, or Tommy John surgery, putting his entire sophomore season in jeopardy.
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As Purdy looks ahead to his recovery, the 49ers' former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance is expected to be cleared from his broken ankle for the start of the team's offseason program. He'll get the bulk of snaps throughout OTAs, training camp and into the preseason, though San Francisco is expected to seek some sort of QB help via free agency.
While uncertainty still remains about who will be under center this coming season for the 49ers, the team now can scratch one big question mark off their board.
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