49ers' Brock Purdy Could Have Elbow Surgery Next Week, GM John Lynch Says

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy could have elbow surgery next week.

General manager John Lynch told reporters at the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday that Purdy will meet with a doctor in Arizona this week and surgery could happen as early as next week.

"When you have all the swelling and stiffness out, that's when you have the best outcome," Lynch added.

Purdy was originally supposed to have surgery on Feb. 22, but ESPN's Nick Wagoner reported it was being delayed because the he still had swelling in his elbow.

The 23-year-old suffered a torn UCL in his right elbow in the first quarter of San Francisco's 31-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. He returned to the game in the second half after backup Josh Johnson suffered a concussion, but he was mostly there for handoffs because he couldn't throw the ball.

It's unclear how long Purdy will be out until he has surgery and doctors can determine the extent of the damage in his elbow.

Lynch told reporters during the team's end-of-season press conference on Feb. 1 there's optimism Purdy will need six months to recover.

If Purdy has to undergo a full elbow reconstruction, commonly known as Tommy John surgery, it would likely keep him out for the entire 2023 season.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported last week all signs point to a simple repair that would put Purdy on the six-month timeline. Delaying surgery could potentially impact his readiness for the start of the regular season. Week 1 of the 2023 season will begin on Thursday, Sept. 8.

There are a lot of questions at quarterback for the 49ers this offseason. Trey Lance, who was the starter to open the 2022 season, said on The Rich Eisen Show (h/t David Bonilla of 49ersWebZone.com) he expects to be "fully throwing, back on the field" in the last week of February.

Lance suffered a fractured fibula and ligament disruption in a Week 2 win over the Seattle Seahawks. He had a second procedure in December to remove hardware from the original surgery that was causing irritation to a tendon in his right ankle.

Purdy took over as San Francisco's quarterback after Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a broken foot in Week 13. He finished the season with 1,374 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and a 5-0 record in five starts.

The 49ers won the NFC West with a 13-4 record and advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the third time in four years.