According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, Dr. Keith Meister recommended that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy postpone his surgery, which was scheduled for tomorrow. There is still inflammation in Purdy's elbow. The quarterback met with Meister today, and they'll reconvene in early March.
Dr. Meister, the Texas Rangers team physician, is slated to perform the surgery.
Purdy was initially expected to spend the next six months recovering, setting his return for sometime in August. A March surgery would seemingly push his return to September. Although, Pelissero notes that the quarterback could still be ready for the 2023 regular season.
"All signs continue to point a UCL repair that would have Purdy ready for the 2023 season," wrote Pelissero.
#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.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 22, 2023
The hope is that Purdy will require a repair of the tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow that he sustained on January 29 in the NFC Championship Game, along with an internal brace. There is a chance that Dr. Meister might opt for a hybrid procedure involving the reconstruction of the ligament with an internal brace.
"There's this backup plan of having a hybrid surgery, which means a little bit of the graft, and then an internal brace, which can be anywhere from seven to nine months," Purdy explained during the week leading to the Super Bowl.
The timeline for the more extensive procedure, if needed, would push Purdy's return to October or December.
Purdy finished his rookie regular season completing 67.1 percent of his passes for 1,374 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. He added 569 passing yards with three touchdowns in the playoffs but only managed four passing attempts in the NFC Championship Game due to the injury.
