Yes, Brock Purdy suffered devastating injury in NFC Championship

The 49ers effectively lost the NFC Championship game when Brock Purdy went down with an injury, and the latest report says it’s a serious one.

The odds may have been against the San Francisco 49ers not long after the Philadelphia Eagles opened up the NFC Championship game with a touchdown, one that probably shouldn’t have happened if the officials ruled an incomplete pass on Philly wide receiver DeVonta Smith’s fourth-down catch, or if Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan called a challenge.

That was only a seven-point swing, though. The tide didn’t wholly turn until quarterback Brock Purdy, who had played such a major role in San Francisco win 12 games in a row, suffered what appeared to be a minor injury at the end of the 49ers’ first offensive possession of the game.

Purdy was hit on a strip-sack tackle by Eagles defensive end Haason Reddick, and the quarterback was subsequently seen on the sideline talking with the Niners’ medical staff.

It didn’t seem urgent, however, but all that changed once backup quarterback Josh Johnson entered the fray in Purdy’s stead.

Johnson went 7-of-13 in relief but eventually had to exit the game with a concussion, giving way to an injured Purdy having to reenter the game amid speculation that something was wrong with his reported elbow injury.

All Purdy could do was hand the ball off and attempt some low, 5-yard passes.

Nothing worked, of course, and San Francisco ultimately saw a 31-7 defeat.

Brock Purdy suffered a UCL tear, will miss 49ers offseason program

Needless to say, there was plenty of concern surrounding the rookie’s injury and the severity of it.

On Monday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that Purdy suffered a torn UCL in his throwing elbow and will require surgery:

A six-month absence, as reported, means that Purdy won’t be able to partake in organized team activities and minicamp, but he could be back in time for training camp later this summer.

If that helps open up the door for the 49ers’ top pick from the 2021 NFL Draft, Trey Lance, to reassume the reins as the No. 1 quarterback after he suffered his own devastating ankle break way back in Week 2.

Perhaps that battle winds up being the storyline for the Niners during training camp, but injuries could ultimately be the biggest focus instead of the competition.