SANTA CLARA >> Brock Purdy’s bruised throwing elbow will keep him out of the 49ers’ season finale Sunday at Arizona, but coach Kyle Shanahan relayed positive word Tuesday about his quarterback’s long-term prognosis.
“He’s most likely going to miss this week but no long-term issues. The UCL is fine,” coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday morning on a conference call with reporters.
Purdy, two years removed from an ulnar collateral ligament repair, sustained what Shanahan termed Tuesday as an elbow contusion with nerve inflammation, which sent a darting pain through his arm in the 49ers’ 40-34 loss Monday night in their home finale against the Detroit Lions.
“I’m relieved but I wasn’t too worried about it with the information we had on it last night,” Shanahan added. “Good to hear the same thing today.”
Shanahan said he will decide later Tuesday whether to start Josh Dobbs or Brandon Allen in Sunday’s closing act at Arizona. Dobbs relieved Purdy and ran for a last-minute touchdown Monday night. Allen played in the 49ers’ Nov. 24 loss at Green Bay when Purdy was sidelined with a right-shoulder injury.
Two years ago, Purdy tore the UCL in his right elbow when struck on a first-series sack in the NFC Championship Game loss at Philadelphia. He underwent an InternalBrace repair in March 2023, resumed throwing three months later, and went on to pass for a franchise-record 4,280 yards last season, en route to his first Pro Bowl honors and a fourth-place finish in NFL MVP voting.
Purdy was injured Monday on a sack with 1:36 remaining, initially dropped by safety Brian Branch for a 7-yard loss before 300-pound defensive lineman Pat O’Connor’s right hand and facemask piled into Purdy’s elbow. Purdy headed to the sideline, winced as the 49ers’ medical staff inspected him, and after exchanging light handshakes postgame with opponents at midfield, he tucked his right hand into his hip-pocket warmer for an awkward-looking jog into the locker room.
Last December, Purdy experienced a nerve-related stinger to his left shoulder and briefly left the 49ers’ NFC West-clinching win at Arizona, and he was forced to leave their next game with a similar injury in the 2024 Christmas night loss to Baltimore.
Next week, at season’s end, Purdy becomes eligible for a contract extension, three years into his bargain-basement rookie deal. With multiple quarterbacks making over $50 million annually, that figured to be a starting spot in Purdy’s negotiations, and the 49ers’ brass has indicated throughout the past year they planned to reward Purdy for his breakout stature after being drafted with the 262nd and final pick in 2022 out of Iowa State.
Purdy passed for a career-high 337 yards on Monday night, his fourth game this season over 300 yards and the ninth of his career which ranks as the fourth-most in 49ers history.
A pair of second-half interceptions crushed the 49ers’ comeback hopes, and it sent Purdy to his 13th loss in his past 27 regular-season starts.
Shanahan had yet to speak to Purdy on Tuesday before speaking with reporters.
“He’s handled this year head-on. He hasn’t ran from anything,” Shanahan said. “He attacks everything and works as hard as he can. He comes in Mondays and Tuesdays and faces the truth of everything and tries to get better every week. Last night he was disappointed in the turnovers, disappointed in the loss. Kind of how he always is.”
Purdy, assuming his season is done, passed for 3,864 yards, completed 300-of-455 passes (65.9%), threw 12 touchdown passes, got intercepted 12 times, lost three fumbles, was sacked 31 times, and posted a 96.1 passer rating. He ran for a career-high 323 yards on 66 carries, with five touchdowns matching the most by a 49ers quarterback since Colin Kaepernick in 2012.
Purdy ranks fourth in 49ers’ history in terms of games with three-touchdown passes (nine) and 350-plus yards (four).
Monday marked was his 15th career game with two-or-more passing touchdowns and a passer rating of at least 115.0, and no other quarterback in NFL history has that many such games through three seasons.