49ers' Brock Purdy on Injury Rehab After Surgery: 'Everything Is Going as Planned'

Brock Purdy feels positive about his progress as he recovers from an elbow injury.

Purdy, the final pick in the 2022 NFL draft who entered last season as the San Francisco 49ers' third-string quarterback, had successful elbow surgery three weeks ago. He suffered a torn UCL early in the NFC Championship Game, which the Niners lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 31-7.

"The protocol is that you start throwing at three months, but it all depends on how your therapy and your range of motion and everything goes up until that point," Purdy said on Roc and Manuch with Jimmy B (via Cam Inman of the Mercury News).

The injury, which is common among baseball pitchers, threatens his chances to be healthy for the start of next season. Purdy has been rehabbing in Arizona since the surgery.

"I'm with a specialist out here who's done this rehab on the elbow hundreds of thousands of times," Purdy said. "He's a baseball guy and they trust in him and everything is going as planned."

After Jimmy Garoppolo was injured in Week 13, Purdy took over for the final five games of the regular season and won all of his starts. He then led the 49ers to two playoff victories before suffering the injury midway through the first quarter against the Eagles. He returned in the third quarter but was limited as Philadelphia clinched a Super Bowl berth.

General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan said earlier this week that Purdy is the favorite to be the 49ers' starting quarterback. Until he is healthy, though, 2021 No. 3 pick Trey Lance and the newly acquired Sam Darnold will compete for the job.

Lance began the 2022 season as the starter but suffered a broken ankle in Week 2 that ended his season. He expects to be ready for OTAs later this month. Darnold spent the last two years with the Carolina Panthers and started six games in 2022. He signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract with the 49ers in March.