SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The “early returns are really good” on Brock Purdy after his first throwing session since March 10 elbow surgery, according to 49ers general manager John Lynch.
Purdy, with his ulnar collateral ligament repaired by an internal brace, appears slightly ahead of schedule in his comeback from an injury that led to the 49ers’ NFC Championship Game defeat in Philadelphia four months ago.
“He’s had one (throwing) session thus far and we’re incredibly encouraged by that,” Lynch said on SiriusXM NFL Radio this morning. “He’s hitting all his marks and that doesn’t surprise us, because he’s putting in all the work.
“As for best-case scenario, we’ll take it as it comes. The hope is he’s ready for training camp. The hope is he’s ready for the regular season,” Lynch added.
The 49ers reconvened Tuesday for their second week of organized team activities, which is presumably when Purdy was cleared to throw a football for the first time; that session was closed to the media, which will be allowed back on the field for today’s session.
Training camp will begin in roughly two months, and the regular-season opener is Sept. 10 at the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While Purdy prepares for his encore after his rookie emergence, the 49ers are forging ahead in offseason workouts led by Trey Lance and Sam Darnold, with Brandon Allen in the queue, too.
“We feel good about that position holistically,” Lynch added. “We are not going to put Brock in a situation where he’s not fully healed. That means not just get back, but get back and get in reps under your belt.”
Lynch praised Lance for a “really quality offseason” and said that Darnold has “taken to the coaching and structure we can give to him.”
Purdy won eight games in relief of Jimmy Garoppolo to lead the 49ers into the NFC Championship Game, where he got hurt on the opening series when sacked by Hasson Reddick.
Lynch said the 49ers studied Purdy’s rookie season, weighed whether it was a flash in the pan or the real deal, and they determined he played at a “high, high level,” not only within coach Kyle Shanahan’s scheme but in off-schedule action, too.
Lynch reiterated a line from March in stating that Purdy is “the leader in the clubhouse,” when it comes to the 49ers’ starting quarterback job. “But it will be open for competition,” Lynch added. “It’s up to those guys to win that job.”