There could be another 49ers star down for the count this season.
Quarterback Brock Purdy is set to undergo testing Tuesday after exiting the 49ers’ 40-34 loss to the Lions on “Monday Night Football” following an injury to his right elbow late in the fourth quarter.
“I got hit on the backside and basically just my arm was on fire kind of thing,” Purdy said postgame, according to ESPN. “I tried throwing a couple on the sideline and I couldn’t at that point.”
The third-year quarterback, who is roughly two years removed from a UCL tear sustained in San Francisco’s NFC Championship loss to Philadelphia, quelled fears it could be a similar injury.
“We did some tests with UCL stuff, and I’m good in that regard,” said Purdy, who went 27-for-35 for 377 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
“But we’ve just got to go get imaging on it tomorrow and see the whole thing.”
Purdy, 25, was also sacked twice in Monday’s loss. He was brought down by Lions safety Brian Branch with less than two minutes remaining in the second half before making his way to the sideline.
Backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs relieved Purdy for the game’s final moments.
Medical personnel told head coach Kyle Shanahan they believe Purdy’s injury has to do with “some nerve stuff.”
“I know everyone when they hear about Brock’s elbow and stuff, just like me, you think of the elbow injury from a couple of years ago,” Shanahan said, per ESPN.
“But just talking to the doctors, he just got hit in the right spot. When you get hit there, your nerves go and you can’t feel much, but hopefully it will be all right.”
Purdy’s status for Sunday’s meaningless regular-season finale against the Cardinals is unclear.
It’s been an injury-plagued run for the 49ers, who reached Super Bowl 2024 in February before losing in overtime to the Chiefs.
Beyond Purdy, who also missed a game in November due to a shoulder injury, San Francisco played much of the season without star running back Christian McCaffrey.
The reigning Offensive Player of the Year dealt with calf trouble in preseason and was later placed on injured reserve in September as he grappled with Achilles tendinitis.
McCaffrey was placed on injured reserve again this month after suffering a sprained PCL in a Week 13 loss to the Bills.
The 49ers also lost wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk for the year after he sustained a torn ACL and MCL in October.
San Francisco enters its final game of the season at 6-10.
