49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has elbow surgery, throwing program to begin in 3 months
Quarterback Brock Purdy, who helped the San Francisco 49ers reach the NFC championship game last season, had successful right elbow surgery, the team announced on Friday.
The 49ers said Purdy underwent an internal brace repair by renowned specialist Dr. Keith Meister.
Purdy is anticipated to start a throwing progression program in three months, according to the team.
The surgery was to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament, sustained during the first quarter of the 49ers’ 31-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Jan. 29.
“We want the best outcome. And that’s where Dr. Meister made a really tough decision and we’re very appreciative,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said at the NFL scouting combine on Feb. 28. “And he’s done thousands of these surgeries and when you have all the swelling out, when you have all the stiffness out, is when he’s had the best success with the outcomes.”
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While the 49ers announced Purdy will begin a throwing program, a timeline for Purdy’s potential return is still to be determined.
“Every person’s different, so timelines are just that, they’re guidelines, but we’ll see,” Lynch said. “The reality is the majority of these are done on baseball players. This is not a baseball injury. Even the way in which it happened, Brock’s going to throw on and a 250-pound man with an opposing force, it’s a different injury and so, the outcomes are different and we’ll see where it goes.”
Purdy was injured after taking a hit from Eagles defensive end Haason Reddick, while throwing the football. Although he returned to the game in the third quarter, he was unable to throw the ball down the field.
Purdy became relevant as the 49ers’ third starting quarterback during the 2022 season as a rookie after being taken with the last pick, No. 262, in the 2022 NFL draft last April. NFL players drafted with the last pick earn the nickname Mr. Irrelevant.
But Purdy was far from it, during his stint as 49ers starter, posting a 5-0 record with 13 touchdowns and completing 67.1 percent of his passes during the regular season. In three playoff games, Purdy threw three touchdowns with no interceptions and completed 65.1 percent of his passes with two victories.
Purdy became the 49ers’ starter after Jimmy Garoppolo’s season ended prematurely due to a broken foot, while their opening day starter Trey Lance had his second NFL season end after suffering a broken ankle.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has elbow surgery after NFC title game
