49ers GM 'Incredibly Encouraged' by Brock Purdy Throwing Session amid Injury Recovery

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy continues to exceed expectations in his recovery from offseason elbow surgery, and general manager John Lynch provided a positive update on the second-year signal-caller Wednesday.

"He's had one [throwing] session thus far and we're incredibly encouraged by that," Lynch said on SiriusXM NFL Radio, per Cam Inman of the Mercury News. "He's hitting all his marks and that doesn't surprise us, because he's putting in all the work.

"As for best-case scenario, we'll take it as it comes. The hope is he's ready for training camp. The hope is he's ready for the regular season."

Purdy suffered a complete tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his throwing elbow during the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles in January. He underwent surgery to repair his right elbow in March after the procedure was delayed due to inflammation.

Purdy was given a six-month recovery timeline, and The Athletic's Jeff Howe and Matt Barrows reported at the time that he was expected to begin throwing in three months, so he appears to be on track to return sometime near Week 1.

The 49ers have all but named Purdy their starting quarterback in 2023, even with 2021 third overall pick Trey Lance and veteran Sam Darnold healthy.

"I think Brock has earned the right with the way he played that he's probably the leader in the clubhouse at that," Lynch told reporters in March. "I'll let Kyle [Shanahan] make those kinds of decisions, but I know when we talk, Brock has probably earned that right to be the guy. If we were to line up, he'd probably take that first snap."

The Iowa State product put together an improbable rookie season as the last pick in the 2022 draft.

The 23-year-old began the 2022 campaign as San Francisco's third-string quarterback behind Lance and veteran Jimmy Garoppolo. When Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2, he was replaced by Garoppolo.

Garoppolo started Weeks 3 through 13 before suffering a season-ending foot ailment in a Week 13 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Purdy was thrust into the starting lineup for a Week 14 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and led San Francisco to a 35-7 victory.

In five regular-season starts, Purdy completed 68.5 percent of his passes for 1,098 yards and 11 touchdowns against two interceptions, in addition to rushing for 58 yards and one score. The 49ers won each of those contests and went on to win the NFC West with a 13-4 record.

Purdy also led the Niners to wins over the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys in the postseason before being knocked out of the NFC Championship Game against the Eagles early with the elbow ailment.

Given his performance to close out the 2022 season, he more than earned the right to be San Francisco's starter in 2023.