Has Brock Purdy's Arm Gotten Stronger?

It's possible his arm will continue to gain strength as the season goes on. Or, it's possible his arm was getting tired in the first half of the season, and he needed the bye week to recover.

Sometimes it's hard to remember that Brock Purdy had major elbow surgery just this year.

Purdy currently leads the entire NFL with a quarterback rating of 109.9, and he's doing this with a throwing elbow that isn't yet 100 percent recovered, according to Purdy -- that's what he told Troy Aikman before the 49ers played the Cowboys in Week 5. After that game, the 49ers went on a three-game losing streak, and Purdy played the worst football of his career -- six turnovers in three games.

But then he had a week to rest, and against the Jaguars, he played the best performance of his career. Completely eviscerated a good defense on the road. And he completed all four of his passes that traveled at least 20 yards past the line of scrimmage.

Suddenly, Purdy's arm looked stronger.

It's possible his arm will continue to gain strength as the season goes on. Or, it's possible his arm was getting tired in the first half of the season, and he needed the bye week to recover. He even said he didn't throw during the bye week. Sounds like he needed the rest.

If that's the case, the rest of the season could be murky for Purdy. His arm looks strong and fresh now, but how will it hold up over the next 8 to 12 games? Because to win the Super Bowl, they probably will have to play 12 games in a row unless they get the No. 1 seed and a bye, which seems unlikely.

So much depends on Purdy's right elbow.