Brock Purdy will have to go under the knife. 

Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that 49ers general manager John Lynch said Purdy will undergo surgery on Wednesday in Dallas to address the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Purdy's injury took place in the NFC Championship game. And he was the last of a string of unfortunate injuries that derailed the San Francisco 49ers season. 

Apparently, Purdy was supposed to have the procedure in late February, but persistent inflammation didn't allow doctors to operate on the quarterback. 

There are two tracks Purdy could go down once surgery happens. If he requires a simple procedure, he can practice six months following the operation. However, if doctors are required to complete a more complex procedure he could miss the entire 2023 season. 

"It could be six months, nine months, 13 months – there are a whole lot of scenarios, and we believe it will go well," Lynch said. "I talked to the doctor (this past Thursday), and everything is on track for him to have surgery (this coming Wednesday). But you’ve kind of got to get in there and see what’s up."

Purdy's surgery only complicates an already complicated quarterback situation in the 49ers' locker room. At the start of the season, Purdy was the third quarterback on the depth chart. Once Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo got hurt, Purdy stepped in and played extremely well. He won five regular-season and two playoff games. 

Purdy completed 67.1% of 170 passes for 1,374 yards with 13 touchdowns and just four interceptions in his regular-season appearances.

The road ahead for the 49ers is one of Lance or Purdy. With the injury to the latter, Lynch will be forced to make some difficult decisions this off-season. But what is clear is that this was not the update the 49ers and their faithful fans wanted to read.

Feature image via Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports.