While Drew Brees is optimistic that he will return to action sooner rather than later, the New Orleans Saints quarterback is waiting on final word from a second opinion on his X-ray results after suffering a major chest injury against the San Francisco 49ers last week. ESPN’s Ed Werder reported that Brees was initially diagnosed with a collapsed lung and multiple rib fractures, which forced the veteran passer to pull himself from a game for the first time in his decades-long Saints career.
Werder updated his reporting on Tuesday with more news, adding that the Saints could designate Brees to the injured reserve list if input from more doctors recommends a longer recovery timeline. This wasn’t the case at first, with the Saints hoping to just rest Brees two or three weeks; if he’s going to be sidelined for three or more weeks, putting him on ice makes sense.
Remember: the NFL changed its injured reserve rules for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing teams to send players to and from the list as often as needed so long as they sit out at least three weeks. If the Saints end up losing Brees to injured reserve, he would be out of action for upcoming games with the Atlanta Falcons (in Weeks 11 and 13) and the Denver Broncos (Week 12). Stay tuned.
Source: #Saints QB Drew Brees is having his scans sent to other medical specialists for a second opinion to determine the full scope of his chest injuries. Tests performed yesterday revealed Brees has multiple fractured ribs on both sides of his chest and a collapsed lung 1/2
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) November 17, 2020
The scans showed five definite rib fractures but a source mentioned the possibility there might be even more. The opinion of additional doctors will help decide whether Brees should be placed on injured-reserve, a designation that would result in him missing at least three games.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) November 17, 2020
