In March, Kyle Shanahan raised some eyebrows suggesting quarterback Brock Purdy might not be ready for the start of the season, noting that anytime between Weeks 1-4 was in play.
During Wednesday's Dwight Clark Legacy Series event, the San Francisco 49ers head coach offered a more positive update on the quarterback's recovery from elbow surgery.
Shanahan said he expects Purdy back by training camp -- barring a setback, of course -- via David Lombardi of The Athletic.
Following March UCL surgery, which was initially delayed, Purdy remains on pace to start throwing a football in early June. Shanahan noted that Purdy has been making throwing motions with a towel already as part of his rehab -- a good sign he's on track.
The June throwing sessions will tell the biggest story on when the second-year quarterback will be fully healthy and whether he'll be on the field when the Niners kick off the 2023 campaign. If healthy, the starting job is Purdy's, but Shanahan kept the door open for Trey Lance to close the gap with a good offseason.
"When Brock comes back and is healthy, we'll see where we're at," Shanahan said, via Cam Inman of The Mercury News. "We know we have a quarterback out there who's won at a high level."
Shanahan added that Lance's finger injury suffered in the summer of 2021 lingered last year before his season-ending foot injury. The coach said Lance is in a much "better place" regarding his delivery and motion.
Shanahan said he believes Purdy, Lance and Sam Darnold can all be productive NFL quarterbacks and that he likes the group.
However, it's the former seventh-round pick -- not the two No. 3 overall selections -- in line to start the season under center if healthy. So far, every update we've gotten has been a good one.
