New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees will require surgery on his injured thumb, which will sideline him for about six weeks. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and Adam Schefter of ESPN first reported the news.
Brees struck the thumb on his throwing hand against a Los Angeles Rams defender early in his team’s Week 2 game, prompting team medical staff to pull him aside for evaluation. He underwent X-rays after the game and met with a Los Angeles-area specialist, who recommended the surgery.
This is why the New Orleans Saints traded for Teddy Bridgewater last year. His action so far has been uninspiring, but he’s hardly been put in the best position to succeed. Bridgewater started a Week 17 game last year without starters like running back Alvin Kamara around him, and was thrust into this Week 2 game unexpectedly. Still, he’s a professional who’s been preparing for this exact situation, and has to perform better. The Saints have another option with Taysom Hill, who has mostly played tight end or wide receiver.
The next step is deciding what to do with Brees’ roster spot. If he’s going to miss six weeks, as expected, the Saints may place him on injured reserve with a designation to return, which would sideline him for eight games. He would have to sit out six weeks before a two-week window in which he could return to practice. Alternatively, they could keep him on the 53-man roster and simply wait it out, though they can use all the help they can get after Sunday’s embarrassing loss to the Rams.
