Free agency officially kicks off in about a week, and there are still myriad questions for the 49ers to answer.
The first? What is Brock Purdy’s status.
According to Mike Silver and Matt Barrows, Purdy is slated to undergo elbow surgery on his torn ulnar collateral ligament on Wednesday.
No one knows for sure what surgery he will need until the elbow is actually opened up. It could be season-ending “hybrid” procedure with a 9-12 month timeline, or an internal brace surgery that comes with a six-month timeline and would have him back early in the season.
Per Silver, the 49ers are bracing for the worst.
In an article on Sunday, Silver reported that the 49ers, depending on Purdy’s surgery, “… will be seeking a veteran to pair with 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance. Matt Ryan, Jacoby Brissett and Andy Dalton are among those being considered.”
Things will look a little more dire, possibly desperate, if Purdy is out for the season. If it’s a season-ender, well… Tom?
In that season-ending scenario, writes Silver:
I’d expect the Niners to place a call to Tom Brady to see if there’s any chance they could convince him to end his retirement and play a final season with his hometown team.
So much rides on the results of Purdy’s surgery. If he has an internal brace repair, a more affordable veteran quarterback might be in the cards. If he’s out for the year? Well, everything’s on the table.