SANTA CLARA — Brock Purdy pulled off his grey 49ers sweatshirt Friday and, as he headed for the locker room showers, his sore right shoulder was exposed.
There was no noticeable swelling or lump, aside from minor marks via treatment he received since last Sunday’s once-subtle injury. His muscular 24-year-old build appeared stout as ever.
Looks can be deceiving. So can words, in any NFL team’s injury descriptions, any Instagram doctors’ prognosis, or any reporters’ déjà vu feelings.
“I don’t want to say there’s long-term concern,” coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday, referring to Purdy’s MRI exam and indicating the quarterback will miss Sunday’s game at Green Bay.
Brandon Allen will make the spot start. For how long, though?
Exercising caution is wise to protect a bona fide franchise quarterback who threw for a 49ers-record 4,280 yards last season on a surgically repaired elbow and is due for a 49ers-record contract extension at this season’s likely bitter end.
Shanahan and general manager John Lynch indicated that Purdy’s MRI on Monday did not reveal a dire, franchise-altering ailment.
“We thought he just needed some rest and really weren’t concerned about him not being good this week,” Shanahan said. “But when he started up Thursday, (his shoulder) just surprised him, surprised us, how it felt.”
It’s no surprise, however, how a shoulder injury can grow into a bigger firestorm.
For now, public proclamations are minimizing any long-range ramifications.
Purdy was not made available to reporters, but as he walked through the locker room Friday, he tried to exude a positive outlook, saying: “We’re all good.” His demeanor remained as upbeat and polite as ever in an ensuing conversation with a staff member.
Neither of Purdy’s understudies, Allen and Josh Dobbs, has a history of shoulder injuries, so they were hesitant to speak about how fear-inducing those must be for a quarterback.
“I’m not too worried about it, I don’t think any of our guys are,” Allen said. “He’ll rehab and get back as fast as he can. And as far as shoulders, it happens. I don’t think it’ll be anything lingering or long-term for him.”
Three seasons ago, when the 49ers last visited Lambeau Field, Jimmy Garoppolo was a week removed from hurting his shoulder – a torn capsule, the 49ers said – in a wild-card playoff win at Dallas. Garoppolo played through the injury, the 49ers won without scoring an offensive touchdown.
Two months after losing in the NFC Championship Game, Garoppolo surprised the 49ers by electing to have surgery on his shoulder, complicating a potential trade or release and keeping him on the roster. That made for an awkward but necessary comeback in 2022 as he served as a helpful bridge between Trey Lance’s two-start cameo and Purdy’s late-season emergence for another playoff run.
Go back nine years and there is another 49ers quarterback quandary. Colin Kaepernick was listed as probable to play at Seattle, but a day before kickoff, the 49ers surprisingly put him on injured reserve. He headed for surgery to repair a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. Benched three weeks before that IR move, Kaepernick spent the ensuing offseason rehabilitating for what would be one final season with the 49ers and the NFL.
An even messier shoulder story unfolded with Kaepernick’s predecessor, Alex Smith. A 2007 feud ensued between Smith and third-year coach Mike Nolan, who publicly dismissed Smith’s shoulder pain that traced back to a Sept. 30 separation. Smith played hurt a few games, then confessed to the nagging pain in his shoulder, after the 49ers had listed him out of practice with a forearm strain. Smith rallied and rebuilt his career, albeit under other coaches.
Now it’s Purdy stepping aside for an unknown length of time.
Allen relayed their Friday conversation: “He believes in me, says ‘You’re here for a reason. Go in, step up, play well.’ He’ll be back. So I’m not worried about it.”
“He’s doing well. He’s in good spirits,” Dobbs added. “Obviously, I don’t want to speak for him, but he wants to be out there. So he will work his butt off to get back out there, and we’ll hold it down for him until he gets back.”