Brock Purdy’s throwing elbow remains inflamed, so surgery on the 49ers’ quarterback has been postponed from Wednesday until likely next month, a league source confirmed.

Dr. Keith Meister recommended pushing back the procedure after examining Purdy in the Dallas area. That came on the eve of what still is expected to be a procedure in which an internal brace is inserted to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament, as Tom Pelissero of NFL Media first reported.

Purdy tore the UCL in his right elbow when hit on the 49ers’ opening possession of their NFC Championship Game loss at Philadelphia on Jan. 29.

Some three weeks later, there remains a delay to repair Purdy’s elbow. While that may seem surprising, Purdy recently acknowledged why waiting was in his best interest, in case the torn ligament needed to “cool down,” as Purdy told KNBR 680-AM on Feb. 9.

“They want to make sure when they go in that they know what they’re looking at, that the ligament has started to heal on its own and it just allows the process to go smoothly,” Purdy added, “whereas if you tear it right away and go in and have surgery, the ligament is all up in pieces, there’s a lot of inflammation and fluid in there.

“So allowing it to actually cool down for a couple of weeks and then go in and have surgery, that’s what a lot of surgeons said is the best option, so that’s how we’re rolling with it.”

Purdy will revisit Dr. Meister next month, and the plan remains to go forward with an internal-brace repair that could have Purdy throwing within three months of surgery and practicing within six months. That timeline would push him close to the 49ers’ season opener in early September.

The news was met with differing opinions by sports physicians on social media. One doctor believed the surgery delay is good news while another was just plain confused by the news.

“This is good news as it means the ligament isn’t fully torn or at least the integrity is intact and he’s a better candidate for a UCL brace than Tommy John surgery,” said East Coast-based physician Jesse Morse, who offers sports injury analysis for fantasy sports purposes.

Meanwhile, Dr. Brian Feeley from UCSF was puzzled, telling 95.7 The Game that “Either something came up on his exam or there’s something else going on that’s causing a delay … honestly, I’m as confused as you guys,” Feeley said.

Trey Lance, the 49ers’ top draft pick in 2021, is expected to serve as the 49ers’ top quarterback when they reconvene April 17 for the offseason program, with organized team activities starting in mid-May. That assumes Lance’s right ankle is medically cleared, having required a follow-up procedure Dec. 30 to remove a stabilizing screw.

Jimmy Garoppolo becomes a free agent when the league year begins March 17 and is expected to sign elsewhere. Coach Kyle Shanahan said last month he can’t envision a scenario in which Garoppolo returns.

While Purdy’s best-case scenario is to come back in time for the start of the season, that would entail him avoiding a more serious surgery, from a complete reconstruction (Tommy John surgery) to a hybrid procedure.

“There’s a backup plan, of having a hybrid surgery, which means a little bit of the graft and then an internal brace, which could be anywhere from seven to nine months,” Purdy told NFL Network prior to the Super Bowl. “But the plan right now and what all the surgeons have said is an internal brace for a six-month recovery.”