Most expect Brock Purdy to return to the practice field sometime during the second half of August. At one point, even that timeline seemed optimistic, given the San Francisco 49ers quarterback underwent surgery on March 10 to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. It isn't unthinkable now, though, given Purdy has been ahead of schedule in his recovery.
One 49ers insider is even more optimistic and believes we may see Purdy on the practice field even sooner.
"There will be some news tomorrow because the team reports (to training camp), and he will go through his physical," NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco said Monday on KNBR. "And whether he's 100 percent or not, the team is going to have a decision to make because if he's on PUP, the physically unable to perform list, he can't practice.
"So everything I'm hearing is that there have been no setbacks. Things seem to be going very well. So the team has to make a determination whether to place him on PUP and have him just continue to go through his throwing program behind the scenes, much like Jimmy Garoppolo was doing last year, or to clear him to practice."
That last option doesn't mean Purdy will be "ripping the ball 22 yards down the field outside the numbers," said the longtime reporter. Instead, he will go through the motions, working on run-game and limited passing-game scenarios.
"So what I'm hearing, what I expect to happen, is if Brock Purdy is on PUP tomorrow, he might not be there for very long," Maiocco continued. "So I would fully expect him to be cleared off of PUP well before that date you just said. But if we're looking at the August 21 date, that would be three months—or twelve weeks—following the first time he was throwing a regulation football.
"And I believe that was May 29, I believe it was, was the first time that he was throwing a regulation football. So I think you're going to see him on the practice field sooner than later."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Maiocco below.
