SANTA CLARA -- Brock Purdy remains on schedule to pick up a football this week.
The 49ers quarterback underwent surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow on March 10. The plan was for Purdy to ease into a throwing program 12 weeks after surgery. That day arrives on Friday.
Another 12 weeks is anticipated for Purdy to rebuild his arm strength in order to get cleared to resume playing football. The 49ers are optimistic Purdy will be available for the season opener on Sept. 10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, coach Kyle Shanahan said last week.
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Purdy has gone through a lot of the 49ers’ on-field work during the team’s offseason program. But instead of throwing a football, he has gone through the motions with a towel in his right hand.
Shanahan said he believes Purdy's development will not lag behind because of his inability to throw a football this offseason as long as he makes the expected recovery.
Purdy also is convinced he has made significant strides this offseason. He continues to make improvements in his understanding of the 49ers’ offense and his responsibilities. Purdy recalls the difficulties he faced a year ago.
“Last year, every single night, it's like [I’d] study and sort of stress out about I got to learn this concept and this one and go run it at OTAs, and try to prove myself to my teammates and coaches,” Purdy said.
San Francisco 49ers
He proved himself, all right.
Purdy entered the NFL as the 262nd and final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. He joined his 49ers teammates at around this juncture of the offseason, and his mind was overloaded with the information he was required to learn.
Purdy was situated behind Trey Lance and veteran Nate Sudfeld on the team’s depth chart last offseason. He beat out Sudfeld. When Jimmy Garoppolo signed a new 49ers contract for a salary reduction, Purdy began the season as the No. 3 quarterback behind Lance and Garoppolo.
Ultimately, Purdy was pressed into service after Lance and Garoppolo sustained season-ending injuries.
And Purdy responded in a big way. He led the 49ers to eight consecutive victories, including two in the playoffs, to head into the 2023 NFL season as the team's presumptive starter -- or the "leader in the clubhouse," as general manager John Lynch described him.
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While Purdy has not been able to work on actually throwing a football up to this point, he believes he is clearly better-equipped to handle the job now than he was a year ago.
“Obviously this year I'm not out in the field, but being able to when a play call comes in and I hear it and I can see it better mentally, and it just happens a little bit quicker,” he said.
“But there's still a lot of details and things that I can clean up with how I operate and see the defense. So that's what I'm working on right now. But I think it’s like a night-and-day difference coming in as a rookie compared to now.”