San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

49ers QB Brock Purdy's surgery has been postponed

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated 2/21/23

Brock Purdy was so close to having a storybook ending and becoming an NFL legend. He started his career as the very last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. After he was forced into action because of injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, he led the 49ers all the way to the NFC Championship Game.

If not for an injury he suffered early in that game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Purdy could have led the 49ers to the Super Bowl. It would have been an underdog story on par with Tom Brady becoming...well...Tom Brady after being drafted in the sixth round.

Unfortunately for Purdy, the elbow injury took away his ability to throw the football, and the 49ers were toast as a result, having to go to Josh Johnson and then even to Christian McCaffrey when Johnson was injured as well.

If healthy, it stands to reason that Purdy will be a great option for San Francisco in 2023. However, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero is reporting that Purdy's surgery — which was scheduled for Feb. 22 — is being postponed until at least March.

#49ers QB Brock Purdy today visited Dr. Keith Meister, who recommended postponing surgery because of ongoing inflammation in Purdy’s elbow, per sources.

They’ll reconvene in early March. All signs continue to point a UCL repair that would have Purdy ready for the 2023 season.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 22, 2023

The good news for Purdy and the 49ers is that as Pelissero pointed out, he could still be ready for the start of the 2023 season. The bad news? That's no guarantee, and even if the surgery is successful, this delay means he'll have less time to rehab and less time to be at 100 percent before the season begins.

The 49ers now once again have questions at the quarterback position heading into 2023, but it's worth noting that Purdy did go 5-0 at the end of the season and helped the 49ers beat the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs before falling to the Eagles.

Purdy completed 114 of 170 passes for 1,374 yards and 13 touchdowns compared to just four interceptions in the regular season. He completed 41 of 63 passes in the playoffs for 569 yards, three touchdowns and no picks.

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