Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
San Francisco 49ers quarterback
Brock Purdy's recovery from UCL surgery earlier this month is likely to be the primary headline of the offseason, as his health could be a significant indicator on the 49ers plans for their starter.
Speaking at the annual NFL meeting this past week, both general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan affirmed their belief in Purdy as the leader in the clubhouse if healthy, but that's the major question that looms over the 49ers offseason.
"It would have been pretty easy if Brock was healthy," Shanahan said. "The way he played last year, he'd be the starter going into it."
How is Purdy's recovery going in it's early stages?
The quarterback joined the Roc and Maunch with Jimmy B show, sharing that his recovery is "going as planned," even if that means his support brace "looks like I have a robotic arm," via
Cam Inman of The Mercury News.
Purdy re-affirmed that the initial timeline to throw is three months, but acknowledged that the date is fully contingent on his response to therapy.
"The protocol is you start throwing at three months, but it all depends on how your therapy and your range of motion and everything goes up until that point," Purdy shared. "There are definitely some boxes I have to check off first before I get to that point, but that's the plan as of now."
Purdy's injury isn't as common with NFL players as it is in baseball, which is why his physical therapy is being conducted by Keith Kocher in Gilbert, Arizona.
"I'm with a specialist out here who's done this rehab on the elbow hundreds of thousands of times," Purdy said. "He's a baseball guy and they trust in him and everything is going as planned."
As for the work Purdy does with Kocher, the exercises primarily fixate around range-of-motion and improving the quarterback's arm strength at this point.
"[He] just makes sure all the muscles and everything around my ligament are doing well, that I'm working range of motion, trying to touch my shoulder or back of my head and just different things like that right now," Purdy said. "Then, we start off with putting weighted cuffs around my wrists and lifting up my arms, trying to get my arm strength back."
Purdy acknowledged the several stages to recovery, but was pleased with his current progress.
"Then, as the stitches come out and you can start sweating and doing cardio, all of that blood flow helps your arm heal as well. There's different stages to it, but it's going well."
Although it's still early, Purdy already has lofty aspirations for the season: returning to the NFC Championship and having a different result this time around.
"[The goal is] to get back to the NFC championship and win the Super Bowl. You do have to get past (the injury). But at the same time you have to sort of remember the things that happen, that make you who you are."
"For me, I'm not going to let something like that tear me down or anything. I'm going to learn from it and we're going to get better," Purdy said.
Fans got a first look at Purdy and his brace when a picture circulated online last week.
Purdy detailed the hinged elbow brace, sharing the value behind it during the healing process.
"When you first get in [the brace] after surgery you're in it at 90 degrees. From there you can start opening it up to help with your range of motion," Purdy said "It is just to keep your arm safe when you're out walking around or doing therapy. But, at night, I can take it off and just do some normal motions with just looking at my arm.
"But yeah, out in public, it looks like I have a robotic arm."
The next inflection point for Purdy is at the three-month mark post-surgery, which Shanahan indicated would give a better timeline as to when the quarterback could return at full strength to practice.
Shanahan envisioned Purdy potentially being healthy at Week 1, but shared a six-to-eight month timeline for recovery.
Related News
The San Francisco 49ers were optimistic that quarterback Brock Purdy would fully recover from offseason surgery in time for the regular season. That hasn't changed as the team kicked off its mandatory minicamp on Tuesday.
Purdy underwent surgery on March 10 to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. He started some limited throwing last week, a big step in his rehab.
Reporters got a glimpse of Purdy on Tuesday, running on the side as his teammates practiced. While no throws were observed during the session, the recovering quarterback does throw multiple times a week.
"He's right on pace," head coach Kyle Shanahan said after Tuesday's practice. "I think he throws three times a week. I do not sit and watch those. It's part
The word "if" has often been thrown around while discussing the San Francisco 49ers' quarterback situation. The team's top decision-makers have repeatedly stated that Brock Purdy would be the "leader in the clubhouse" to be the Week 1 starter ... IF he were healthy.
That has always been the big question mark on the Purdy situation. The second-year quarterback underwent surgery on March 10 to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his throwing arm. The procedure was estimated to carry a six-month recovery time with it.
Six months would be early September.
However, in recent weeks, there has been growing optimism that Purdy could be cleared some time in late August, increasing his chances of being ready for the start of the regular
Brock Purdy started throwing this week, and it sounds like the San Francisco 49ers are pleased with their second-year quarterback's progress. While Purdy isn't doing anything overly taxing, it is the first time he is throwing a football—albeit reportedly a lighter-weighted one.
Purdy underwent surgery on March 10 to repair the tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow, an injury suffered against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. His recovery is expected to last into late August or early September—barring any setbacks.
"There are certain markers that you hit," general manager John Lynch said Wednesday morning on SiriusXM NFL Radio. "He was 12 weeks out, and that meant it was time to throw. He did so and
Over the offseason, there has been significant talk surrounding the San Francisco 49ers and their quarterbacks, especially after the team signed Sam Darnold in free agency, providing them three capable options with starting experience in the former Carolina Panther, Brock Purdy, and Trey Lance.
Purdy is evidently the leader in the clubhouse, as stated by general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan several times this offseason, but many have pointed out his flaws, such as the inability to make throws downfield, as a reason why one of the other quarterbacks could win over the starting job with a strong performance in organized team activities(OTAs) and training camp.
What do the 49ers believe about Purdy's downfield ability?
General manager
