The 49ers have some optimism that quarterback Brock Purdy will be back in time to prepare for and play in the team’s season opener on Sept. 10 in Pittsburgh.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Tuesday told reporters following Day 2 of the team’s OTAs that Purdy was on track to begin his throwing program in the final week of May, which puts him within the initial 12-week recovery window the team laid out following surgery to repair the torn UCL in his right elbow.
“I think he’s allowed to throw sometime next week,” Shanahan said.
Shanahan also said he’s optimistic that Purdy will be back for the season opener, although his return to the field will be dependent on how his recovery progresses.
“It’s not really a moving target. It’s that only God knows,” Shanahan said. “It’s all estimates, so it depends on what quotes people have gotten from me. But, I mean, we’re hoping for Week One and I feel pretty optimistic about that. That’s what we’re hoping for that he’ll be ready to play in Week One and usually that doesn’t mean that’s the day he comes back. Usually you gotta come before that to make that goal and that’s kinda the goal we’re hoping for, and we don’t have any reason to think differently.”
Getting into a throwing program and successfully throwing a football again is just one step. Returning to live game action and confidently throwing and moving is the next, arguably more complicated step.
For now the optimism is all the good news San Francisco is realistically going to have. As long as there aren’t any setbacks though, it appears Purdy is on track to give himself a chance to play in the season opener.
