Brock Purdy Clears Another Hurdle on the Road to Starting for the 49ers
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has reached another significant milestone in his journey to becoming the team’s starting quarterback for the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 10th.
During a conference call on Monday, coach Kyle Shanahan announced that Purdy has been cleared to participate in three consecutive practices without a built-in off-day. This is a crucial step in Purdy’s recovery from offseason elbow surgery.
Although Purdy did not play in the 49ers’ preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, Shanahan has expressed that Purdy could see some playing time in one of the final two preseason games. The 49ers will be hosting the Denver Broncos on Saturday evening.
Whenever Purdy does take the field, it will mark his first live game action since tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow during the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles on January 29th.
After undergoing a procedure to repair the tear on March 10th, Purdy has been closely monitored as he worked his way back to full strength. He began a prescribed throwing program in late May and was cleared by the medical staff and the team to return to practice on July 25th.
At that time, general manager John Lynch stated that Purdy would be able to practice without any limitations but would follow a plan that required him to practice only two out of every three days. Shanahan expressed hope that Purdy would be able to eliminate the off-day after two weeks, and this week marks a few days past that benchmark.
Throughout training camp, Purdy has taken all the reps with the starting offense on the days he has practiced. Lynch and Shanahan have been adamant since the league meetings in March that Purdy will be the starter as long as he is healthy. Purdy seems to be on track to fulfill that expectation, as he recently stated that his arm feels great and he is gaining confidence with each passing day.
“In terms of my arm and everything, yeah, my arm feels great,” Purdy said. “Just still building back-to-back days and trying to gain all the strength that I can back from the rehab process of things, and I feel really confident.”
In other injury news for the 49ers, tight end George Kittle is not expected to return this week due to an adductor injury. However, Shanahan expressed hope that Kittle will be back on the field next week. On a positive note, the team is anticipating the return of defensive ends Drake Jackson and Robert Beal Jr., defensive tackle Kalia Davis, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, receiver Danny Gray, and running back Elijah Mitchell to practice this week.
Safety George Odum (shoulder), linebacker Oren Burks (knee), and receiver Ray-Ray McCloud (wrist) are not expected to return during the preseason. However, Shanahan remains hopeful that Odum and Burks will be ready for Week 1, and McCloud has insisted that he should not be ruled out either.
“I think Ray-Ray’s would be the one that most likely won’t work out that way,” Shanahan said. “The other two we have got more hope than Ray-Ray, but as Ray-Ray keeps telling me, don’t count him out.”
As the 49ers continue their preparations for the upcoming season, all eyes will be on Brock Purdy as he progresses in his recovery and aims to solidify his role as the team’s starting quarterback. With his arm feeling strong and his confidence growing, Purdy is poised to lead the 49ers to success in the 2023 NFL season.