San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was knocked out of the NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles on the team’s very first drive. While he later returned after backup Josh Johnson left the game, he did not appear capable of doing much more than handing the ball off.
Purdy confirmed after the 49ers’ 31-7 loss to Philadelphia that he was in pain from his elbow to his wrist, and was not capable of throwing the ball more than five yards while playing hurt in the second half.
Purdy added that he did not know the nature or severity of the injury, and will undergo an MRI on Monday.
This would explain why the 49ers simply could not challenge the Eagles in the passing game during the second half. Purdy threw a few screen passes after returning to the game, but was unable to do anything to challenge the Philadelphia defense.
The rookie quarterback hurt his arm on the very first drive of the game, leaving the 49ers shorthanded the rest of the way. We do not know if they would have beaten the Eagles with a healthy quarterback, but it probably would have been more competitive.
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