49ers' Purdy has bruised elbow, likely out Sunday

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy avoided a serious injury to his right elbow but is unlikely to play Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday.

Testing shows that Purdy has a right elbow bruise with some nerve inflammation, Shanahan said.

With Purdy likely out, either Joshua Dobbs or Brandon Allen would start at quarterback in the 49ers’ season finale. Shanahan said he hasn’t yet made a decision on who would get the nod.

Purdy was unable to finish Monday night’s loss to the Detroit Lions after taking a sack late in the fourth quarter.

“I got hit on the backside and basically just my arm was on fire kind of thing,” he said. “I tried throwing a couple on the sideline and I couldn’t at that point.”

There was concern because Purdy suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow in January 2023 during the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles, but the third-year quarterback said testing on his UCL Monday alleviated any fears.