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Report: 49ers' Brock Purdy Expected to Be Ready for Camp After Surgery for UCL Injury
February 8, 2023
The San Francisco 49ers reportedly expect quarterback Brock Purdy to be recovered from his torn UCL in time for training camp.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Purdy is set for surgery to repair the injury Feb. 22. It's currently expected the surgery will be a repair, rather than a reconstruction, of the UCL. A repair has a significantly shorter recovery time and would allow Purdy to get back into the fold ahead of the 2023 regular season.
It remains possible doctors will have to alter course and perform Tommy John surgery, which would put a significant chunk of Purdy's season in jeopardy.
The rookie was injured in the first quarter of the 49ers' NFC Championship Game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He attempted to come back into the game in the second half when backup Josh Johnson suffered a concussion but was clearly incapable of throwing down the field, finishing with just 23 yards on 4-of-4 passing.
The last pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Purdy burst onto the scene late in the season after season-ending injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo. The Iowa State product threw for 1,374 yards and 13 touchdowns against four interceptions while going undefeated as a starter.
Assuming a best-case scenario, Purdy will go into training camp competing with Lance for the 49ers' starting quarterback job. Lance, who suffered a leg injury in Week 2 that derailed his planned takeover of the starting job, is expected to be healthy for the offseason program.
San Francisco invested heavily in trading up to select Lance, so it would likely be fair to call him the favorite to win the starting job in 2023. That said, Purdy's breakout undoubtedly changed how patient the 49ers will be with Lance's development moving forward.