‘Doesn’t feel the best. My arm was on fire.’
An elbow injury sidelined San Francisco’s Brock Purdy late in the fourth quarter of the 49ers’ loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday night after the quarterback took a sack in the final minutes.
Purdy is now dealing with a nerve issue in his throwing elbow, head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game at Levi’s Stadium. His status for the Niners’ final game of the season is now in doubt.
“Doesn’t feel the best,” Purdy said after the game, via the Bay Area News Group’s Cam Inman. “My arm was on fire. Tried throwing couple on the sideline and couldn’t. … Did tests with UCL, but it was good in that regard.”
Purdy was sacked inside the two-minute warning of the 49ers’ 40-34 loss to the Lions on Monday night. Lions safety Brian Branch got to him in the pocket, and Purdy landed awkwardly on his right wrist as he went down. Purdy immediately clenched his right wrist and arm.
He went to the sideline and tried to work through it, but appeared to be unable to effectively throw the ball. So the 49ers sent in backup Joshua Dobbs to lead the team the rest of the way.
Dobbs finished out the drive successfully. He ran in a 7-yard touchdown, but the team’s onside kick attempt failed. The Lions then held on to grab the six-point win.
Purdy finished 27-of-35 for 377 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He ran in a 9-yard touchdown in the second quarter, too, which gave San Francisco an eight-point lead at halftime. While he kept the 49ers in it for most of the game, the Lions scored a touchdown after both of his interceptions and surged ahead down the stretch to close out the win.
That moved Detroit to 14-2 on the year. The Lions will take on the Vikings next week to close out the regular season in a matchup that will determine who takes the top seed in the NFC playoffs.
The 49ers, however, have already been eliminated from the postseason race and will finish last in the NFC West. They will take on the Arizona Cardinals next week to close out the season. Further specifics of Purdy’s injury are not yet known. He is set to undergo further testing Tuesday.
Purdy is entering a critical offseason with the 49ers. The former Iowa State star and last pick in the draft will be eligible for a contract extension next month, and he’s currently slated to make $1.1 million in base salary next season to close out his rookie contract.
