Brock Purdy continues to make progress in his quest to play Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season.
Just over 15 weeks after March 10 surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, the 49ers quarterback left Monday for Jacksonville, Fla., to pitch with QB coach Will Hewlett and orthopedic specialist Tom Gormely for “the next few weeks,” according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.
The 49ers are optimistic Purdy will be ready to face the Pittsburgh Steelers when San Francisco kicks off the upcoming season on Sept. 10. After the surgery, he started throwing a soccer ball the last week of May, and coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters during a mandatory minicamp earlier. this month, the 23-year-old was “ahead of schedule” in his three-a-week throwing schedule.
Purdy’s trip to Jacksonville is another sign of progress in his recovery from the injury sustained in the 2023 NFC Championship Game. The final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft is the 49ers’ presumed starter while there is no setbacks in his rehab – but so far Purdy has ticked all the boxes.
Hewlett, Purdy’s personal throwing coach and QB collective guru, helped Purdy perfect his game in the days between his last varsity contest and the draft. Now, Hewlett will look to help Purdy make an NFL comeback in just his second year of pro football.
For San Francisco, Purdy’s progress is great news after the then-rookie developed admirably and nearly led the 49ers to the Super Bowl last season.
Purdy completed 114 of 170 (67.1%) regular season pass attempts with 13 touchdowns, four interceptions and a 107.3 passer rating after Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo were injured. And in the playoffs, Purdy was 41 of 63 (65.1%) for 569 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 109.8 rating before being knocked out of the NFC title game.
It remains to be seen how Purdy’s torn UCL and subsequent surgery impact those numbers, but so far all signs point to a positive outcome.
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