Things can change pretty quickly in the NFL. Just ask Brock Purdy.
The seventh-round rookie quarterback entered Monday’s NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles on the verge of a Super Bowl berth.
Now, Purdy is at risk of losing his starting role next season after an MRI confirmed he had suffered a torn UCL.
The injury would sideline Purdy for at least six months should he follow the advice of the 49ers and undergo surgery, according to ESPN’s chief NFL reporter Adam Schefter.
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Purdy is said to be exploring other options, although even if he did opt to go under the knife there is optimism that he could be back on the field early in training camp, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Purdy suffered the injury when he was hit by Eagles defensive end Haason Reddick while throwing the ball, later describing the injury as “extremely painful” in his post-game press conference.
“My arm just felt like it stretched out,” Purdy said.
“Just felt like, really, a lot of just shocks all over from my elbow down to my wrist — front and back. Just pain, really, all over.”
Purdy was replaced by fourth-string quarterback Josh Johnson, although he did not last much longer after going down with a concussion, seeing the rookie brought back into the game.
The seventh-round pick was clearly limited though, regularly handing the ball off while restricted to a few short screen passes when he tried to beat the Eagles through the air.
Purdy’s injury only casts further doubt over San Francisco’s quarterback picture for next season after losing Trey Lance (ankle) and Jimmy Garoppolo (foot) to significant injuries.
Garoppolo, who is a free agent this off-season, is expected to sign elsewhere given that he is unlikely to be the starter for the 49ers and there will be plenty of interest in a quarterback of his experience from rival teams.
As for Lance, it becomes more tricky for San Francisco given how much they invested in him.
The 49ers traded the 12th overall pick and a third-round pick and first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 to take Lance third overall in the 2021 draft.
However, there is not a lot for San Francisco or any potential trade partners for that matter, to go off when it comes to Lance, who has only attempted 102 passes in two NFL seasons.
Senior NFL reporter Charles Robinson said on the Yahoo Sports’ ‘You Pod to Win the Game’ podcast that the 49ers’ confidence in Lance is “very low” at the moment.
“I can just tell you that the confidence level between Brock Purdy and Trey Lance prior to this game, it was night and day and that is not good for Trey Lance,” he said.
“I’m telling you their confidence in Lance is very low right now.”
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Purdy will be staying put in San Francisco given he is under contract on a four-year, $3.7 million rookie contract that would make him one of the most valuable quarterbacks in the league, even if as a back-up.
It is more complicated for Lance though, who has two years left on his rookie contract and is set to earn $9.3 million in 2023 and $10.85 million in 2024.
However, should the 49ers trade Lance, they would still have to cop a dead money hit of over $11 million in signing bonus proration.
In other words, San Francisco would need some serious compensation in return for that to make sense as a move that helps both in the short and long term.
But there are still serious question marks hanging over both Lance and Purdy.
For starters, we don’t really know what Lance looks like in this 49ers offense. There is just not enough of a sample size to work with. Then there is the question of what he looks like after the ankle surgery.
While Purdy should be fit to return early in training camp there are still genuine concerns there too over how quickly he will be able to ramp up. Plus, opposition teams will also have the chance to study his game over the off-season, presenting a fresh challenge.
So, could the 49ers opt to sign one of the experienced quarterbacks who are set to hit free agency?
Of course, Garoppolo is one of those experienced quarterbacks on the market but if they didn’t think he was the answer at the beginning of this season then what’s changed to suggest otherwise?
You can expect rumors linking Tom Brady to the 49ers to only ramp up this offseason, although it will cost San Francisco a lot to win the race for the legendary QB’s signature.
Speaking on KNBR’s ‘Murph & Mac’ show on Tuesday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said the 49ers would be a destination Brady “would consider” but it is obviously not that easy.
“If Tom Brady tells the 49ers, ‘I would only want to be with you guys,’ they would probably have to consider it,” Rapoport said, per 49ers WebZone.
“I don’t know that that would be their number one option. They have someone they really like as a potential starter [Purdy] who is extremely cheap. Tom Brady has typically played for $30 million the last couple of years.
“He’s not going to come back for a $1 million minimum salary. He’s just not. He’s never been willing to do that, and he’s just not. It’s Brady at $30 million or Brock Purdy at like [$900,000].
“And you have Trey Lance, who’s also there. I don’t see him going anywhere. Just try to develop him and see what happens. That’s probably your choice, Brady or Purdy, at least to me.”
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated though said on Colin Cowherd’s ‘The Herd’ that he could see a scenario where the 49ers sign Brady while keeping both Purdy and Lance.
“I think the advantage that the Niners have right now is that they have Purdy on such a cheap contract, and they have Trey Lance on such an affordable contract that there’s a way logistically for them to keep everybody in house and bring in Brady if they want to,” Breer said last week.
With an elite defense and array of offensive weapons like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, there is little doubt the 49ers have plenty to offer Brady.
Former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson described it as a “dream scenario” for San Francisco should Brady link up with his childhood team.
“[If I’m the 49ers’ front office]I’m going to have a conversation with him come free agency,” Johnson said ESPN Radio.
“I’m going to say, ‘Hey, you get to ride off into the sunset with essentially the same type of team that you had when you left New England and you went to Tampa.
“I’ve got a stout defense. I’ve got a running game. I’ve got one of the most dynamic players in the NFL on the offensive side of the ball in Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel, who is No. 2. We can upgrade one or two receiver positions. By the way, we’ve got one of the top tight ends in [George] Kittle.
“You were a little boy… remember that jersey that you wore? Joe Montana? This could be your dream scenario.”
Whether it is more dream than reality for San Francisco though remains to be seen. But the latest injury news on Purdy sets up an interesting offseason for the 49ers.
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