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After further testing, the San Francisco 49ers' fears became a reality, as quarterback Brock Purdy has a "complete tear" of the UCL in his throwing elbow, according to NFL Network.
Initial tests after Purdy was injured in the NFC Championship loss to the Philadelphia Eagles showed a UCL injury, but the Niners were unaware of the severity. The hope was that six-week recovery would come if it wasn’t torn.
Instead, Purdy will be shut down for six months as he needs to undergo surgery to repair it.
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Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to the NFC Championship Game against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Jan. 29, 2023, in Philadelphia. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
The report added that Purdy will be looking for second opinions to avoid getting Tommy John surgery, which wouldn’t have him ready for training camp. Tommy John surgery, commonly found when baseball pitchers suffer an injury to the UCL, is a reconstruction of the ligament.
Purdy is hoping something different can be done to have him ready to vie for the starting job this upcoming summer.
The injury to Purdy came when he was looking to make a pass downfield, but Eagles edge rusher Haason Reddick, who is having quite the playoff thus far, hit him before his arm came forward, causing a fumble and switching the field in favor of the home team.
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Purdy's arm was clearly disrupted as Reddick's hand smacked him prior to the throw.
Backup quarterback Josh Johnson came in for Purdy, but he suffered his own injury during the game. A concussion was sustained after a hit, knocking him out of the contest and forcing Purdy back in.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan had no choice, but Purdy couldn’t throw the football more than five yards. The offense, then, was one-dimensional and the Eagles feasted on their run plays, no matter how tricky Shanahan tried to get with them.
Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick causes a fumble by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy during the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
With Purdy and Johnson suffering significant injuries that sent them to the sideline, the Eagles had their way with the 49ers in the 31-7 blowout to head to the Super Bowl to face the Kansas City Chiefs.
Injured quarterbacks is the biggest storyline for San Fran this season despite their winning ways. Shanahan had to deal with his opening day starter, Trey Lance, suffering a broken ankle in Week 2 that ended his season.
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Then, Jimmy Garoppolo broke his foot, which sent Purdy under center after being Mr. Irrelevant in this year’s NFL Draft (the last pick).
Now, the 49ers will be thinking about what will happen next at the position leading up to next season. Leading up to this game, Purdy’s 7-0 record and chemistry with the offense began speculation that he would start for Shanahan next season, though Lance was the team’s third overall pick in the 2021 Draft.
Also, Garoppolo only signed a one-year pact with San Francisco, making him a free agent once again. And who knows how Lance will bounce back from his ankle injury?
Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the NFC divisional playoff game at Levi's Stadium on Jan. 22, 2023, in Santa Clara, California. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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Purdy went 5-0 when starting during the regular season, totaling 1,374 yards with 13 touchdowns to four interceptions in nine games. He also went 18 of 30 with three touchdown passes and 332 yards in the wild-card round win over the Seattle Seahawks at home. He was 19 of 29 for 214 yards against the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round.