49ers unsure Brock Purdy will be ready for Week 1?

It sounds like the San Francisco 49ers still have Brock Purdy merely penciled in as their starting quarterback for September heading into training camp. 

As David Bonilla shared for 49ers WebZone, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter explained during a Wednesday appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" that the 49ers are "optimistic" Purdy will be ready for the Week 1 game at the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 10 but aren't yet sure he'll be cleared for that matchup. 

"But there's still a whole way to go," Schefter continued. "There's a whole plan that's in place. You know how these coaches plan out all their practices for all the training camp? Well, there's a Brock Purdy plan, too, probably, right? I don't know the specifics of it, but everything that he does is going to be closely monitored all summer long."

49ers general manager John Lynch repeatedly made it known this offseason that a healthy Purdy is his "leader in the clubhouse" to start over 2021 first-round draft pick Trey Lance and free-agency signing Sam Darnold. 

Purdy underwent surgery on March 10 to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow he suffered during the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 29, but 49ers insider Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area suggested on multiple occasions earlier this month that the 23-year-old was on track to receive the necessary clearance to play by Sept. 1. 

"It's all been charted and planned," Schefter added about Purdy's summer program. "Like, they have a whole game plan for him. And I don't know the specific game plan for the summer. I'm sure he won't be throwing every day. [It will be] whatever the doctors have prescribed to them in terms of what is necessary for that recovery."

The 49ers seemingly learned Lance had no trade value before or shortly after the 2023 NFL Draft, and it's believed the 23-year-old trails Darnold ahead of training camp as it pertains to who will keep Purdy's seat warm until the final pick of last year's draft can face a live defense. 

Schefter's update isn't necessarily bad news regarding Purdy's status, but it serves as a reminder that the second-year pro isn't yet all that close to returning atop the depth chart.