Phase 3 of the San Francisco 49ers offseason programming brought with it some good news on the injury front for second-year quarterback Brock Purdy. The 49ers signal caller was not on the field for the team's first open OTA workout, but per head coach Kyle Shanahan, he is expected to take the next step in the recovery process very soon.
"I think he's allowed to throw some time next week," Shanahan said.
Purdy, who suffered a season-ending right elbow injury during the NFC Championship Game, underwent UCL repair surgery in early March and has been working his way back to health since. Early reports from Shanahan and general manager John Lynch both indicated, that barring any setbacks, Purdy would be able to begin a throwing program at the 12-week post-surgery benchmark, and so far, he's right on schedule.
"We've just been taking it from what the physical therapists, surgeon, what they've said, what it looks like with guys that they've worked on" Purdy commented. "We've just been following the plan and really it's just how your arm feels on a day-to-day basis and week-to-week basis. You go from there, and you make decisions from there."
Purdy has been going through modified drill work up until this point, using a towel to mimic a throwing motion. While there's no concrete timeline for the former seventh-round draft pick's return, Shanahan does have a target date in mind.
"We're hoping for Week 1, and we feel pretty optimistic about that," Shanahan said. "That's what we're hoping for, that he'll be ready to play in Week 1, and usually that doesn't mean that's the day you come back.
"Usually, you have to come back before then to make that goal. That's the goal we're hoping for, and we don't have any reason to think differently."
As Purdy continues through his physical therapy, he's choosing to focus more on getting the arm right than looking too far ahead.
"I feel good, my arm is feeling good," Purdy said when asked about a possible Week 1 return. "To say I am going to be ready by this time, we're not trying to label any kind of timeline, but for sure, that's a goal.
"You want to be ready for the season, and if that's the case great. But we're taking it one day at a time."
The 49ers are slated to open up the season on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 10.
