San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy underwent successful surgery on his elbow on Friday to repair his UCL with an internal brace, the team announced. According to NFL Media, the current plan is for Purdy to begin throwing in three months, with a expected recovery in six months, per The Athletic.
The surgery was postponed due to ongoing inflammation. The decision to delay the surgery came at the recommendation of Purdy's surgeon, Dr. Keith Meister.
When the surgery was originally delayed, it was reported the wait will not alter the recovery timeline as the best result for "so-called internal brace surgery" requires all the inflammation to be gone and Purdy's full range of motion back. The hope is for the young quarterback to be fully recovered in six months and before the start of the 2023 NFL season.
Purdy injured his elbow during the NFC Championship loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He exited the game, but returned when backup Josh Johnson went out as well. When Purdy returned, it was clear he was playing with a serious elbow injury and struggled to throw downfield.
Before getting hurt, Purdy went 5-0 as a starter in the regular season, followed by playoff wins over the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys. The last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft quickly impressed, sporting a 107.3 quarterback rating in the regular season. He showed potential for the future after taking over for Jimmy Garoppolo, who replaced original 49ers starter Trey Lance.
