The 49ers go into the offseason with more questions for the quarterback

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers enter another offseason with big questions at quarterback after a season riddled with injuries at key position ended without either of them being physically able to put the ball down.

Trey Lance, who started the season as a starter, is nearing full recovery after two surgeries on his broken right ankle.

Brock Purdy, who went from third-row rookie to starter who helped lead the Niners into the NFC title game before injuring himself, figures out how to treat his injured throwing arm.

Jimmy Garoppolo, the starter between these two before breaking his foot, is set to become an unrestricted free agent in six weeks.

And rumors are certainly circulating as to whether the best answer for coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch is to add a veteran like Tom Brady to help out a franchise that has gone to the NFC title game or further in three of the last four seasons is over the hump and winning the first Super Bowl in almost three decades.

The first big question at the position will revolve around Purdy’s health after he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow on the first drive of a 31-7 loss in Sunday’s NFC title game against Philadelphia.

Purdy was forced back into play in the second half when Josh Johnson left with a concussion but couldn’t throw the ball more than a few yards because of the injury.

“The moment I literally started throwing like I knew something was wrong. I couldn’t throw,” he said. “Obviously the adrenaline and things that I think I can get back into the game and give the ball off help – even that was quite painful. But overall it sucked that I couldn’t throw.”

An MRI showed the tear, and Purdy said he would undergo further testing and speak to more doctors to determine if recovery, repair, or full reconstruction was the best option.

The injury is much more common among baseball pitchers, who often undergo reconstructive “Tommy John” surgery that leaves them sidelined for up to a year. But Purdy hopes to avoid that; A simpler fix would keep him out for six months but allow him to return to training when training camp begins in July.

“The way a quarterback throws versus a pitcher, two different things. It’s similar but more violent than a baseball player,” Purdy said. “So you’re saying the recovery process might be a little quicker as a quarterback. I’ve looked at people who’ve been through this. I’m just trying to find the right one. Every situation is different and I’m trying to figure out which one is right for me.”

Purdy has shown a lot in his first season in the NFL, from last draft pick to conference title game starter. He won all seven of his starts before Sunday’s loss and threw for 1,374 yards with 13 touchdowns and just four interceptions in the regular season.

That performance could make him the favorite to start as a starter next season if he is healthy.

“That I can claim or say anything regarding what will happen in the future is beyond my control,” he said. “I will do what I can to get healthy again and be ready to compete in the fall.”

Lance was set to take on that role after San Francisco traded three first-round picks to take him third overall in 2021. But he only started two games as a rookie when Garoppolo got injured and then went down early with an injury at the end of Week 2 of this season.

Lance required a second operation in late December but said he expects to be fully healed in a couple of weeks and be 100% fit by the start of the offseason programme.

But after starting just five games in the past three years in college and the NFL combined, the question is whether Lance can be the long-term answer for San Francisco.

“I’m looking forward to going out there and showing what I can do,” he said. “The same situation it’s been for me for the last two years and really my whole life. Nothing has really changed and I still have the same attitude. … I’m just worried about what those guys in that locker room think, what the coaches think, what the people in this organization think. Anything beyond that is beyond my control. So I don’t let that affect me.”

NOTES: All-Pro DE Nick Bosa said he wants to sign a long-term deal to stay in San Francisco but will be patient and leave that to his agent.