Brock Purdy injury update: 49ers QB decides on big step on road to recovery

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is set to have surgery to repair the UCL ligament in his elbow on February 22, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport. He'll meet with Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas on February 21 and is expected to make a full recovery for the 2023 training camp.

Purdy, who was drafted in the 7th round of the 2022 NFL Draft, was the biggest surprise of the 49ers' 2022 season. Starting the year as the third quarterback, injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo propelled him to a starter position, to which he did not disappoint.

He injured his elbow in the first half of the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles and was replaced by backup quarterback John Johnson. Once Johnson was out with a concussion, Purdy returned to the game, but couldn't throw any passes.

Without a healthy quarterback available, the 49ers were easily dominated by the Eagles during the NFC Championship Game and lost 31-7, ending their season.

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49ers depth chart: Who will start at quarterback in the 2023 season?

It's unclear who will be the team's leader when the next season starts, but if he's fully recovered, Purdy has to be considered the favorite for the job.

Veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, also recovering from an injury, will be a free agent and should have many interested teams that can offer him more money and job security than San Francisco. He's not expected to return to the 49ers in 2023.

Quarterback Trey Lance is also an unknown. The franchise traded up a lot of assets to move up and draft him, but it's still unclear whether he's going to develop into what Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch thought he could be. A serious ankle injury suffered in Week 2 seriously hurt his chances.

Veteran backup quarterback Josh Johnson is not signed through the 2023 season.

The expectation is that, if Purdy's 100% healthy by July, he'll be given first-team reps when training camp comes. But Lance undeniably has a bigger ceiling, so he'll also have enough opportunities to prove that he should be the starter.

Having two young quarterbacks dueling for the job isn't always the best thing in the world, but considering the options available, it's a good problem for San Francisco to have.