49ers QB Brock Purdy cleared for elbow surgery later this week

Enough swelling has subsided in Brock Purdy’s elbow this surgery has been rescheduled for Friday, a 49ers source confirmed.

Two weeks ago, Purdy’s procedure was postponed after an exam with Dr. Keith Meister, who revisited the 49ers quarterback last week in Arizona.

Green-lighting the surgery is just one step, as it may not be until Friday’s procedure everyone learns the extent of repair needed to Purdy’s ulnar collateral ligament, which was torn in the 49ers’ NFC Championship Game defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles on Jan. 29.

A repair with an internal brace could have Purdy throwing within six months, which coincides with the start of the regular season. Other options, including a complete reconstruction, could sideline him into 2024.

Trey Lance figures to serve as the 49ers’ No. 1 quarterback through the offseason program, which begins in six weeks. Lance began throwing last month in his return from a pair of surgeries on his right ankle, which he fractured in the 49ers’ Sept. 18 home opener.

As for the 49ers’ third starting quarterback last season, Jimmy Garoppolo is fully expected to enter free agency next week for the first time in his nine-year career. A potential return to the 49ers has been all but ruled out, or at least more so than a year ago, when his exit strategy took a detour with his own March surgery (on a torn shoulder capsule).