Watch: Orthopedic surgeon thinks 49ers' Brock Purdy could miss entire 2023 season
One specialist is pessimistic about San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy taking a meaningful snap during the 2023 NFL season.
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Adickes explained during a Wednesday appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show" that the torn ulnar collateral ligament in Purdy's right elbow could cost him an entire campaign.
It's been reported that 49ers team doctors recommended that Purdy undergo surgery sooner rather than later, but the 23-year-old said on Tuesday he hadn't yet made a final decision about how to treat the injury. According to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, Purdy still hadn't agreed to go under the knife as of late Wednesday morning:
While speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Purdy hinted he feared he could miss at least some of next season due to the setback even though previous reports suggested he'd be sidelined only for six months.
"I'll be ready come [training] camp, and honestly, what matters to me most is being able to play for the season," Purdy said at that time about a potential upcoming operation putting him out of action for six months, as shared by David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone. "If that's the case, then so be it. But we'll see. I still have some options to weigh, and I'll make a final decision soon."
Purdy's future with the 49ers and in the league, in general, is very much up in the air this winter regardless of how much time he misses. The final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft became a rookie sensation after he replaced an injured Jimmy Garoppolo on Dec. 4, won five straight regular-season starts, and then guided the 49ers to playoff victories over the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys. With Garoppolo set to hit free agency and 2022 Week 1 starter Trey Lance still recovering from a broken right ankle, Purdy began last weekend a favorite to enter the summer as San Francisco's QB1.
According to Bonilla, Lance revealed on Tuesday he is "about three, three-and-a-half weeks out from being totally cleared" from the ankle issue. Tom Brady (allegedly) is no longer an option for the 49ers or any franchise, meaning Lance is on track to begin the second straight March atop the club's depth chart at the sport's most important position unless his employer makes a move for an available big name such as Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers.
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