SANTA CLARA — Brock Purdy met with 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday to reflect on the season and look ahead.
The quarterback's thoughts about the future revolve around only one thing: Making a decision on what’s the best course of action after sustaining a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow.
“It was really more about what I can do to get healthy and what I have to do when I get back, all that kind of stuff,” Purdy said of his conversation with Shanahan.
“But in terms of who’s going to be the starter and who we’re bringing in or any moves, we didn’t cover any of that. Honestly, I didn’t want to hear about anything. I just want to focus on my recovery right now and what I have to do for my arm.”
Purdy sustained his elbow injury Sunday on the sixth play of the 49ers' 31-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. He returned to action, and attempted only two passes, when he was forced back into the game after backup Josh Johnson sustained a concussion.
Purdy was scheduled Tuesday to undergo more imaging on his right elbow. All options remain open, he said.
“There’s literally nothing that I know for sure, that’s set it stone,” he said.
San Francisco 49ers
Purdy said his focus is on being ready for the 2023 NFL season.
One scenario for him is to undergo surger,y in which he could being throwing a football after three months and be cleared to practice and play in six months. Under that time frame, he could be available for the start of training camp.
“There are different options, in terms of letting it recover, surgery, all these different types of surgeries, repair vs. reconstruction,” Purdy said. “So we still haven’t come to a conclusion about all of that.”
A complete tear of the UCL is an injury commonly associated with baseball pitchers. His dad, Shawn, was a pitcher in the minor leagues for eight seasons. Although his dad never experienced this injury, he knows a lot of experts in the field. Purdy is in the process of seeking multiple opinions.
“The way a quarterback throws compared to a pitcher, two different things,” Purdy said. “It’s similar, but it’s more violent as a baseball pitcher. They’re saying the recovery process could be a little faster as a quarterback.
“I’m just trying to find what’s right because everybody’s situation is a little different. I’m trying to find out which one is right for myself.”
Purdy seemingly established himself as the 49ers' starter for the future with an impressive eight-game run, including two victories in the playoffs.
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Now, there is plenty of uncertainty as Purdy and his advisors figure out the course of action and how long any recovery might take.
When asked if he felt he showed enough to be the long-term starter, Purdy said that is a question best left for others to answer.
“For me to claim or say anything in terms of what’s going to happen moving forward, that’s out of my control,” he said. “I’m going to do what I can to get back healthy and be ready to compete in the fall. And be ready for whatever coach asks of me.”