49ers' Brock Purdy forced back into NFC Championship after leaving with elbow injury

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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy suffered an elbow injury that knocked him out of the NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. 

However, after a hit knocked his backup, journeyman Josh Johnson, off the field, Purdy had no choice but to go back in the game and played injured. 

Head coach Kyle Shanahan has kept things conservative, not making Purdy drop back to throw deep, but instead giving him short chances. Considering Purdy didn’t look like he was returning prior to the Johnson injury, Shanahan is going to have to get extra creative to get anything going on offense with the injured Purdy in place.  

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Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to the NFC Championship Game against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Jan. 29, 2023, in Philadelphia. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

The injury to Purdy came when he was looking to make a pass downfield when Eagles edge rusher Haason Reddick, who is having quite the playoff thus far, hit him before his arm came forward, causing a fumble and switching the field in favor of the home team. 

Purdy's arm was clearly disrupted as Reddick's hand smacked him prior to the throw. 

As the 49ers took the field on their next drive, Johnson led the offense while Purdy went to the locker room to look at his injury. Purdy had his elbow wrapped. 

This is definitely not what the 49ers wanted to see, as Purdy has been a rock for them since being trusted with the starting position following the season-ending injury to Jimmy Garoppolo. 

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Purdy kept the 49ers' win streak alive, winning all eight games he's started, including two playoff games. The first was an absolute rout of the Seattle Seahawks in the wild-card round followed by the 19-12 win over the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round. 

Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Jan. 29, 2023. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Because of his efforts, Purdy is up for the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in his limited time on the field. 

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Johnson is the definition of a journeyman quarterback, as the 36-year-old has been with 13 teams, playing with seven of them in game action, including the 49ers prior to joining them as Purdy's backup. It's his third time back in San Fran. 

Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC divisional playoff game at Levi's Stadium on Jan. 22, 2023, in Santa Clara, California. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

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Johnson will be the fourth quarterback under center for San Francisco this season, as Trey Lance, the season's opening day starter, has been gone since Week 2 with his year-ending injury. Garoppolo took over after him before Purdy's services were required.