Drew Brees has made it clear when it comes to rehabbing his injured thumb, which occurred in the second week of the season, he won’t rush himself to get back onto the field. The New Orleans Saints quarterback recently talked about his healing process to Mike Nabors on Cox Sports TV, admitting he would prioritize his well-being over the sport.
“I’m not going to rush myself back just so I can get myself back out on the field and not be who I need to be for this team. I’m just going to take it one day at a time and see if we can fast-track this,” Brees said in the interview.
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What Brees said comes on the heels of him posting a video of him throwing the football just three weeks after having surgery on the right thumb. Brees might look good enough to play, but he’s not going to risk doing more damage to the thumb and putting the team in a position where they can’t win.
“I’ve never been through this before,” Brees said. “I know what feels normal. It’s not normal yet.”
Brees injured the thumb in the second week of the season against the Los Angeles Rams. The Saints lost that game, but ever since Teddy Bridgewater has taken over as the starting quarterback, the team has won their last three games and are tied for the second-best record in the NFC.
“I’m extremely proud,” Brees said WWL Radio. “I’ve had a chance to sit back [and watch] from a different perspective than I’ve ever been in and really watch the team grow and be strengthened from within.”
In the three games without Brees, Bridgewater has been a steady hand, throwing for 370 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and completing 73 percent of his passes during that span.
“He did a great job all day of making great reads, getting the ball out on time, Brees said. “You’re just seeing the product of what we get to see every week with Teddy.”
Brees is expected to miss six weeks which means he will return when the Saints play the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 10. And while Bridgewater is playing at a high level, Brees is one of the best to ever play the game. The 19-year veteran has thrown for over 70,000 yards, 500 touchdowns and he led the Saints to a Super Bowl win in 2009.
