Brock Purdy doesn't need to be in Santa Clara on Monday when the San Francisco 49ers begin their offseason program. However, the second-year quarterback plans to be there, ready to get to work.
That work will be limited to studying because Purdy is only a month removed from his March 10 surgery to repair the tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow, an injury suffered in the NFC Championship Game. Purdy is not expected to begin throwing until June, ramping up his workload to the point that would allow him to return to the practice field—likely in September.
For now, Purdy has been rehabbing in Arizona with Los Angeles Angels minor league physical therapist Keith Kocher. However, he will make the trip to Santa Clara this weekend to be there with his teammates next week.
That's big for the 23-year-old quarterback's development. He'll be able to maximize his time with the coaching staff and his teammates as he continues his rehab.
"Just being back around the guys, continue my rehab, and get after the playbook," Purdy told The Athletic. "So it will be simple in that regard."
While Purdy's return is expected sometime in September, the 49ers hope their second-year quarterback, last season's rookie sensation, might be ready sooner, possibly sometime during the end of training camp.
The team will know more when Purdy begins throwing again.
"[W]e'll see in three months if he could be ready for camp," head coach Kyle Shanahan said in March, "or if not, we'll pause and say, 'Hey, it's going to go a little slower.' It might be Week 1. I think I'm hearing, at the latest, Week 4. But that's just all estimations, and we'll see what happens."
RELATED 49ers QB Brock Purdy on recovery: "Everything is going as planned"
Purdy avoided a lengthier recovery time by only needing a ligament repair and not a full reconstruction. The latter might have ended his hopes of returning at all this year. Luckily, "everything is going as planned" for the young quarterback.
That leaves Trey Lance and Sam Darnold competing to be the Week 1 starter, should Purdy not be ready. Lance, eager to prove himself, hopes to impress his coaches this offseason but understands why a healthy Purdy would sit atop the quarterback depth chart.
"Everyone saw what Brock did," Lance said in February. "Brock doesn't just come in and play that well, and I just get handed something out of the blue. And I don't expect that or want that, but I truly believe, yeah, I just want an opportunity to compete. That's all I wanted going into this offseason."
While both seek the starting job, Lance and Purdy have been in close contact this offseason.
"We've been shooting each other texts and keeping up and making sure we're all good," Purdy said, via Matt Barrows. "He obviously has reached out a bunch since my surgery and (during) the recovery process, making sure things are good. I know he's throwing and looking great down in Texas. So I'm really excited for him.
"And we're all excited to get back together in California and start learning the playbook together and helping each other out. We obviously want what's best for each other. We're in a lot of contact, texting each other all the time. It's been great."