What It Means:

Things appeared bleak shortly after Purdy suffered an elbow injury during the 49ers' devastating NFC Championship game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but it seems like the breakout quarterback avoided any worst case scenarios. He is now reportedly on track to begin throwing as early as next week after undergoing surgery after the playoffs and is expected to be ready to start for Week 1.

The 49ers seem intent on having Purdy lead their team come Week 1, and his shocking performance as a rookie provided a pretty good case as to why. He finished the regular season with 1,374 passing yards and 13 touchdowns to 4 interceptions, and rose to the challenge during the playoffs until his injury. Unless we hear otherwise during the summer, Purdy seems to have locked up a starting gig.