SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback Brock Purdy tore his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in the team’s NFC Championship Game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, ESPN reported. Purdy is expected to miss six months with the injury.
Purdy suffered the injury in the first quarter of Sunday’s game after taking a hit from Eagles pass rusher Haason Reddick. He was taken out of the game but returned when backup Josh Johnson suffered a concussion.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the 49ers recommended Purdy get surgery on the ligament. Still, the quarterback is seeking a second medical opinion and has not made a decision yet. The surgery to reconstruct a torn UCL is called Tommy John Surgery and is popular among baseball pitchers who suffer the same injury.
A six-month recovery would put him in line to return to health during 2023 training camp. If he receives Tommy John Surgery, he would be out longer, NFL Network reported.
Purdy’s injury was the latest for a 49ers position group that was snakebitten throughout the season. Starting quarterback Trey Lance broke his ankle in week 2 of the season, sidelining him for the rest of the year. Jimmy Garoppolo replaced Lance until he broke his foot on Dec. 4. Purdy and Johnson were injured in Sunday’s game.
Purdy returned to the game after Johnson’s injury but only threw two more short passes, mainly handing the ball off the Christian McCaffrey. He finished the game with four completions on four attempts for 23 yards.
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In his first season after being selected with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Purdy became an instant sensation in the Bay Area. He won seven straight games before suffering his first career loss, 31-7 to the Eagles.
