The New Orleans Saints were dealt a crushing blow when quarterback Drew Brees was forced to exit Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams with a thumb injury. Early reports indicated a torn ligament in the thumb that will require surgery, with a recovery timetable of six weeks.
Saints head coach Sean Payton has since revealed that he will be getting a second opinion on the thumb, via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk:
“He’s had one opinion, he’s getting a second opinion,” Payton said.
The Saints' desire to seek out a second opinion is certainly understandable. The prospect of Brees having to miss a big chunk of the 2019 NFL season would likely have some major playoff implications. It only makes sense for them to do their due diligence.
Still, it sure seems like this injury is indeed serious. Brees himself expressed major concern during his presser. It is safe to say that New Orleans will be taking every precaution before deciding on an official timetable for his recovery.
Placing Brees on IR would free up a roster spot for the Saints. It would also force him to miss at least the next eight weeks of the season. Depending on the final diagnosis, they very well may not have a choice.
The onus will now fall on quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to help maintain the high standards on offense. Although he struggled to reach the end zone against the Rams, there is still good reason to be confident in his ability as a backup. It will be interesting to see if quarterback Taysom Hill also gets some reps under center while Brees is out.
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