49ers GM says team is 'praying' ahead of Brock Purdy surgery

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch admitted Tuesday he cannot offer a definitive timetable for the recovery of 2022 rookie quarterback Brock Purdy. 

According to David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone, Lynch told reporters it's hoped Purdy can undergo surgery "early next week" to address the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. 

The last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft was supposed to go under the knife last week but had the procedure postponed due to ongoing inflammation in the elbow. 

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Adickes previously suggested Purdy will likely need the type of Tommy John surgery that would sideline the quarterback for an entire year. 

Purdy later hinted he could require a more complex operation than first thought, and Lynch explained on Tuesday why Dr. Keith Meister won't fully know what he's looking at until he opens the quarterback up. 

"MRIs tell a whole lot of the picture, but you really, truly don't know until you get in there and see exactly what's going on," Lynch said. "So we're doing lots of praying and pulling for Brock. And he's a tireless worker, so he's doing everything that he can, and hopefully, we get some clarity moving forward here."

Purdy is expected to miss a minimum of six months of practice while recovering from the surgery, but that doesn't account for any setbacks he may experience during the summer. It seems Purdy won't be ready for Week 1 in September even if he has surgery as early as next Monday. 

Purdy took over as San Francisco's QB1 in Week 13 this past December and then won seven consecutive starts until he suffered his injury in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. 

San Francisco is reportedly letting veteran Jimmy Garoppolo hit free agency in March, which would leave unproven commodity Trey Lance atop the club's depth chart. 

Multiple insiders have hinted the 49ers will call Tom Brady about ending his second retirement to start for the team he rooted for as a child growing up in San Mateo. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said on Tuesday he's leaving a "flashlight" on for Brady to return to that organization this offseason.