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Brock Purdy‘s rookie season with the San Francisco 49ers was the sort of things dreams are made of.
The Niners made Purdy “Mr. Irrelevant” when they selected him with the 262nd and final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
But little did they know at the time that they could have a future superstar on their hands.
Purdy took over the starting job for San Francisco after season-ending injuries to both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo. But you would’ve never guessed he was a rookie, seventh-round pick from the way he player.
The Iowa State product made five starts to finish the regular season and the Niners went 5-0 in those games, Purdy went 110-161 for 1,308 yards, 13 touchdowns and just three interceptions in those games.
He then helped the 49ers to a victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Divisional Round. That sent San Fran to the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
But before Purdy could get any sort of rhythm, he was knocked out of the game on a hit by Eagles defensive end Hasson Reddick. Purdy tore him UCL on the play and had surgery following the season.
At first, it appeared he would be ready to return in time for the 2023 NFL season. Now that’s less certain. In fact, Purdy says he could miss the entire 2023 season depending on how his recovery process goes.
Purdy recently told Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports that he’s “not really sure, honestly” whether he’ll play in 2023. He then clarified those comments in an interview with Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports.
“It’s going well. Just taking it one day at a time. Just trying to heal up and feel a little bit better every single day, and it’s all gone as planned,” he said. Obviously we’re in great communication with the doctors that I’m working with, the Niners, the organization as a whole, everyone’s on the same page and we’re excited for how it’s going. So just taking it one day at a time, man.”
If Purdy isn’t ready, the Niners will likely turn to Lance. The former No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has spent time working with Patrick Mahomes in the offseason and has fans excited about his new throwing motion.