The long wait of 40 days is finally over, as San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy finally underwent a successful surgery to repair his right elbow’s ulnar collateral ligament (UCL). The surgery was conducted by renowned specialist Dr. Keith Meister in the Dallas area, who implanted a synthetic “check-rein” to help reinforce the ligament’s healing process.
Purdy suffered the elbow injury during an NFC championship loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and required surgery. Before the surgery, there were concerns that once Meister opened Purdy’s elbow, it might require a hybrid surgery between the repair and reconstruction, which would have delayed Purdy’s recovery further.
However, the team and Brock Purdy expressed their relief that it didn’t happen. Although the standard expectation for this type of operation is a six-month recovery, there is not yet a specific timeline for Purdy to get full clearance.
If he had required Tommy John reconstruction surgery, he would likely have missed the entire 2023 season. But with at least a little more certainty on Purdy’s recovery, the 49ers are expected to explore veteran quarterbacks whose contracts won’t break the bank when the early negotiating window opens Monday.
When will Brock Purdy resume throwing after the surgery?
Purdy is expected to start a throwing progression program a lot sooner than expected since he had the elbow repaired rather than reconstructed; he will be able to resume throwing after three months and ramp up from there.
The team had previously expressed concern about the outcomes of the surgery, which is usually done on Baseball players and as it was different from a baseball injury, outcomes could’ve been different as well. Despite this, they are optimistic about Purdy’s recovery and the prospect of him returning to the team. They also believe that Trey Lance, who is recovering from a broken right ankle, will be ready to take part in organized team activities and minicamps.
How will the 49ers deal with Prudy’s absence?
With Purdy certain to miss the offseason program, the Niners’ only quarterback under contract expected to participate is Trey Lance. As such, the team will need to add to the quarterback room in either free agency, the draft or both, and may need to look into the quarterback market in addition to Brock and Trey to insulate themselves from whatever may happen.
