San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy suffered an elbow injury during Monday night’s loss to the Detroit Lions, but additional testing has revealed no structural damage and no long-term concerns. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Purdy likely won’t play in this week’s season finale against the Arizona Cardinals.
Purdy injured his right elbow when Lions safety Brian Branch tackled him with his hand, causing a facemask injury that made it difficult for him to escape. However, initial tests on the sideline showed no ligament damage. Shanahan confirmed that there are “no long-term issues” and the UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) looks fine.
With Purdy expected to miss the season finale, coach Kyle Shanahan will decide between Joshua Dobbs and Brandon Allen as starters for Sunday’s game. Dobbs was the backup Monday night, while Allen started in Purdy’s place earlier this season when he suffered a shoulder injury.
Shanahan expressed relief that the elbow injury isn’t serious, saying, “I’m relieved but I wasn’t too worried about it just with the information we had last night.” Despite this setback, Shanahan praised Purdy for handling the season “head-on” and playing as hard as possible.
Purdy’s season is coming to a premature end, but he will now have time to rest and prepare for an important offseason. With three seasons under his belt, Purdy will become eligible for a contract extension for the first time in his career after Sunday’s game in Arizona.
Source: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/43238032/brock-purdy-bruised-elbow-likely-49ers-finale