National Football League

Report: Purdy's elbow surgery scheduled for Friday

Published Mar. 6, 2023 8:12 p.m. ET

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will have surgery Friday to repair the elbow ligament he tore during the NFC Championship Game, per multiple reports.

Purdy's surgery was delayed several weeks due to inflammation in his elbow. The team is hoping for a six-month recovery timeline, according to NFL Media.

Purdy suffered a torn UCL during the first half of the 49ers' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC title game capping off a season in which the 49ers saw three quarterbacks — 2021 third overall pick Trey Lance, longtime starter Jimmy Garoppolo and Purdy — suffer major injuries.

Purdy received wide acclaim for leading a loaded 49ers roster to a 5-0 record as a starter after taking over for Garoppolo in Week 13. The 49ers then defeated the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs, before falling to Philly.

Garoppolo is set to be a free agent this offseason and is reportedly expected to receive interest from the Raiders, whose head coach Josh McDaniels was his offensive coordinator with the New England Patriots.

Lance, who was the 49ers' starter to open the 2022 season, is set to receive first-team reps in OTAs later this spring after recovering from a broken ankle that he suffered in Week 2. Purdy is expected to miss OTAs and his absence will likely extend into training camp and possibly the 2023 regular season.

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49ers general manager John Lynch conceded that Purdy's and Lance's injuries could force his front office to "look at the [veteran] quarterback market," and multiple reports have connected San Francisco to Baker Mayfield, who is also set to be a free agent. Mayfield, the first overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, has dealt with significant injuries of his own in recent years and spent the 2022 season with the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams.

The 49ers are also reportedly considering other veteran quarterbacks such as Mason Rudolph, Matt Ryan, Jacoby Brissett and Andy Dalton.

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