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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — After taking a sack late in Monday night’s 40-34 loss to the Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy felt a familiar and concerning feeling in his right elbow.
“I got hit on the backside and basically just my arm was on fire kind of thing,” Purdy said. “I tried throwing a couple on the sideline and I couldn’t at that point.”
Given that Purdy suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow in January 2023 during the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles, it was hard for Purdy and those observing not to wonder if he’d suffered a similar injury Monday night.
While Purdy is set to undergo further testing on the elbow Tuesday, he and coach Kyle Shanahan suggested that the initial indication is that it’s a nerve issue unrelated to the ligament.
“We did some tests with UCL stuff, and I’m good in that regard,” Purdy said. “But we’ve just got to go get imaging on it tomorrow and see the whole thing.”
Before Purdy spoke to the media and discussed his evening, Shanahan said the doctors told him they think the injury is “some nerve stuff.” Shanahan said he “wouldn’t think” the injury is anything to be concerned about long term but that further testing would be needed to confirm that optimistic outlook.
“I know everyone when they hear about Brock’s elbow and stuff, just like me, you think of the elbow injury from a couple of years ago,” Shanahan said. “But just talking to the doctors, he just got hit in the right spot. When you get hit there, your nerves go and you can’t feel much, but hopefully it will be all right.”
With the 49ers trailing by 12 and 1:45 remaining in the game, Purdy took a shotgun snap and scanned the field before trying to escape to his right. He was greeted there by Lions safety Brian Branch, who wrapped Purdy up and brought him down for a sack.
As Purdy rolled over, Lions defensive end Pat O’Connor landed on him, hitting Purdy’s elbow with his hand and then his facemask. Purdy was slow to get up and then made his way to the sideline with backup Josh Dobbs replacing him.
On the sideline, Purdy could be seen talking to doctors who were looking at his right hand, wrist and arm. He attempted a couple of throws but was unable to regain feeling in the elbow and did not return for the rest of the game.
In the moment, Purdy said the elbow “felt heavy in a sense.”
“It has nothing to do with tapping out of the game or anything like that,” Purdy said. “I love my teammates, and I’ll go to the very end for them and this fan base and everybody, so that’s what hurts me is I couldn’t finish the game. But again, we’ll see tomorrow.”
Purdy tore the UCL in his right elbow against the Eagles on Jan. 29, 2023. At the time, Purdy described the injury in far harsher terms than what happened Monday night. Purdy said then that his arm “felt like it stretched out” and that he “felt just like a lot of shocks all over from my elbow down to my wrist, front and back.”
That injury required a UCL repair and a lengthy rehabilitation period, though Purdy was back in time to participate in last season’s training camp and back at full strength at the start of the 2023 regular season.
After the game, tight end George Kittle wasn’t overly troubled about Purdy’s elbow.
“I’ll be concerned tomorrow if I need to be,” Kittle said. “Right now, I’m not worried about it.”
Monday’s injury brought a premature end to one of Purdy’s most productive nights of the season. He was 27-of-35 for 377 passing yards with three touchdown passes and a rushing score before his departure, though he also threw a pair of costly interceptions. Filling in for Purdy, Dobbs went 3-of-4 for 35 yards and scored on a 7-yard scramble, though the 49ers were unable to recover the onside kick to try to pull off a late comeback.
Shanahan said Purdy’s status for Sunday’s season finale against the Arizona Cardinals is up in the air and that Dobbs would be under consideration to start that game instead of Brandon Allen.
For his part, Purdy hopes his elbow will be healthy enough to allow him to finish the season against Arizona.
“We’re at a professional level and this is as good as it gets,” Purdy said. “So, for me it’s like why wouldn’t I play for my team and try to get some momentum going for the next year with our guys and make a statement to everybody here and that’s going to be here next year that I’m a competitor? I want to be out on the field any chance that I get. That’s my mindset.”
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