25 July 2023 , 23:09
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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is participating in training camp after recovering from offseason elbow surgery.
Purdy, 23, completely tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow after colliding with Philadelphia Eagles pass rusher Haason Reddick early in the NFC Championship, which the Niners lost 31-7, in late January. Successful surgery followed a month later to repair the tear.
However, due to the seriousness of the injury, there were doubts about whether Purdy would be ready for the start of the upcoming season. Mid-August was an initial return date, but he is now back earlier than anyone expected and is not on the physically unable-to-perform list.
The team has already made clear that a healthy Purdy will be their starting quarterback. General manager John Lynch reiterated that stance at the start of training camp.
“He’s going to be without restrictions,” the Niners GM said at a press conference. “Now, having said that, we’re sticking, and we’re adhering to a plan that’s been put in place for some time.
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"And he got after it the last couple of days — we upped his pitch count, so it was kind of the peak of the buildup. So he’ll take off Day 1 (on Wednesday). But we believe in the plan.
“So, he’s cleared without restriction. There will be some time off due to pitch count, and all that, sticking to the plan. But the great news is, Brock has worked his tail off, and he’s ready to go.”
Purdy seems on track to return in time for opening weekHead coach Kyle Shanahan expanded on the specifics of the plan that is in place while speaking with reporters. “The throwing plan’s a little different,” the coach said.
“Just with the schedule from the weekend and everything. So (on Tuesday) he threw, so (on Wednesday) he won’t practice.
"So the other guys (backup quarterbacks Trey Lance and Sam Darnold) will do the same thing as OTAs — they’ll both go with the ones. And then Brock will have practices two and three to go, and take the next one off. So, we’ll keep going that way.”
Managing the starting quarterbacks load is set to continue throughout August. “I think the goal is a couple of weeks from now,” Shanahan said. “I haven’t looked that far [ahead]. We won’t change that until that happens. And as long as it keeps staying on the course, he’ll eventually go all the days.”
That stated timeline puts fully returning roughly when the team's joint practices with the Las Vegas Raiders during the second week of August. In the meantime, there will be "more musical chairs," as Shanahan describes it, with Lance and Darnold getting equal reps as they vie for the backup role.
That is how their offseason program has operated so far, with them alternating reps with the starting offense sans Purdy. Brandon Allen is also in the mix as a fourth option.