New Orleans Saints quarterback, Drew Brees injured his thumb this past Sunday and will need to have surgery, which means he’ll miss some games. But it looks like he won’t miss as many games as anticipated. Head coach Sean Payton spoke to the media on Wednesday and he announced the Saints won’t place Brees on Injured Reserve.
“Saints coach Sean Payton tells reporters today that he does not plan to place QB Drew Brees on Injured Reserve, which sounds like good news. It indicates NO believes Brees can be back within 8 weeks. 6 weeks was the initial estimate,” Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network wrote on Twitter.
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Had the Saints placed Brees on IR, he would have to miss at least eight weeks of action. And while the team has talent on both sides of the ball, Brees is one of the best quarterbacks to ever play in the league and losing him will hurt.
Brees injured the thumb when the Saints were taking on the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. Early in the game, Brees threw a pass and his thumb hit the helmet of Rams defensive tackle and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald. Since it was his right thumb, Brees could not handle the ball and he was forced to leave. Teddy Bridgewater took over and the Saints ended up losing 27-9.
On Tuesday, Brees told Ed Werder of ESPN he will have surgery on the thumb after getting a second opinion.
“I’m confident in the surgery that will take place and will dedicate myself to the rehab process to get back as quickly as I can,” Brees wrote in a text to Werder after making his decision.
Injuries haven’t been an issue for Brees, missing only one start due to injury back in 2015. He helped the team win the Super Bowl in 2009 and he led the Saints to an NFC Championship appearance last year. He will go down as one of the most prolific passers in NFL history, recording over 70,000 passing yards and 520 passing touchdowns. If everything goes well, the earliest Brees could return in Week 10 when the Saints host the Atlanta Falcons.
As for now, the Saints will ride with Bridgewater who was a starter for the Minnesota Vikings in 2014 and 2015. In those two seasons, Bridgewater won 17 games and lost 11.
