San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance expects to be cleared to practice in under four weeks. But, for Brock Purdy, the wait will be longer. A lot longer.
The 23-year-old quarterback suffered a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in the elbow of his throwing arm during the first quarter of Sunday's NFC Championship Game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He will require surgery and is expected to be sidelined for about six months, assuming the injury requires a repair and not reconstruction.
"I've heard multiple things," Purdy explained to reporters on Tuesday as players cleared out their lockers in Santa Clara. "I think, in that scenario, that would be six months and ready to go. I think in that scenario, they said after three months, you can start throwing and get into a throwing program and get into a routine. I think six months would be when you're allowed to just go and practice and be a part of everything.
"That's the scenario, but I definitely have some other options too. So definitely going to go through these MRI scans and make a decision, hopefully soon."
Is there optimism that Purdy will only require six months of recovery and that he isn't facing a lengthier timeline? It's not the best news the quarterback could have received, but it's also not as bad as it could have been.
"If that is the case—I don't know exactly what the case is going to be yet, the final decision—but if that is it, then so be it," Purdy said. "I'll be ready come [training] camp, and honestly, what matters to me most is being able to play for the season. If that's the case, then so be it. But we'll see. I still have some options to weigh, and I'll make a final decision soon."
#49ers Brock Purdy will have more tests on elbow and just wants to be ready for 2023 season pic.twitter.com/1YiPRD05FC
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) January 31, 2023