When is Brock Purdy getting surgery for his elbow? 49ers QB endures another road block
Brock Purdy's elbow still won't have surgery on Wednesday. NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported that after a pre-op visit with Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, the surgery was postponed due to Meister's recommendation, since his elbow is still inflamed.
According to Pelissero, the pair will meet again in early March.
#49ers QB Brock Purdy today visited Dr. Keith Meister, who recommended postponing surgery because of ongoing inflammation in Purdy’s elbow, per sources.
They’ll reconvene in early March. All signs continue to point a UCL repair that would have Purdy ready for the 2023 season.
Purdy tore his ulnar collateral ligament during the NFC Championship Game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles. When backup quarterback Josh Johnson left the game due to a concussion, he returned to the field, but couldn't throw the ball with his right arm. The 49ers lost the game 31-7.
With the delay, the 49ers' quarterback situation gets even muddier. With Jimmy Garoppolo heading into free agency and Trey Lance also recovering from a serious injury, San Francisco's quarterback room will have two young players returning from surgeries to start training camp. It's certainly far from the ideal situation.
Will Brock Purdy be ready for training camp? Who's gonna start for the 49ers in 2023?
The surgery delay obviously means that the recovery will be delayed as well, which is a problem for Kyle Shanahan.
The rookie wasn't supposed to play in 2022, but he was trusted into action when both Garoppolo and Lance suffered season-ending injuries. He did a great job leading the offense under Shanahan's guidance, but there's no denying that Lance, if healthy, is still the favorite to get the starting job.
Lance's strong arm and mobility give Shanahan's offense a dynamic angle that can't be done with Purdy at the helm.
The recovery process is expected to last around six months, which will give him just enough time to return to training camp before the regular season. If Lance is healthy by then, it's difficult to imagine a scenario where he's not the starter when Week 1 kicks in, even if his backup had an excellent season.
As a rookie, Purdy had 13 touchdowns and four interceptions in seven games, leading the 49ers in an improbable playoff push. San Francisco held the second seed in the NFC and won playoff games against the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys before losing to the Eagles.