49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday he is “pretty optimistic” Brock Purdy will return in time to start the season opener.
The quarterback has resisted putting a timeline on his return but did allow that the game against the Steelers on Sept. 10 is the goal.
“Feeling good and taking it one day at a time,” Purdy said Tuesday, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “I feel good. Arm is feeling good. So, to say I’m going to be ready by this time or this time, we’re not trying to label any kind of timeline like that.
“For sure, though, that’s a goal, right? You want to be ready for the season, and if that’s the case, great, but like I said, we’re just taking it one day at a time and don’t want to say anything that we regret down the road or whatever.”
Purdy will begin limited throwing sometime next week, about a week earlier than anticipated.
He underwent surgery March 10 to repair on the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and is expected to need a slow, three-month buildup before being fully cleared for football activities.
He currently is working to regain strength.
After the team’s offseason program ends, Purdy will head to Jacksonville to continue his rehab. If he’s healthy by the start of the season, Purdy is expected to start.
“For me, I just try to focus on where I’m at right now, and for me, it’s getting my arm healthy,” Purdy said. “To say all these things and say you want to be this kind of guy or that kind of guy on the team, I think that’s just, in a sense, foolish, just for myself to think like that.
“For me, I come into work every day trying to get my arm right, trying to be around the guys, and do what it takes to win. We want to win a Super Bowl here. Simple as that. And so, for me, I just do my job, and everything else falls into place. But I’m just trying to be present. I’m not trying to get caught up in rumors or what people are saying or anything like that.”