New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees suffered a thumb injury in Week 2, one that required surgery and was set to sideline him for at least a month-and-a-half.
Of course, being the competitor that Brees is, he got back on the field at the early end of his timetable, returning on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, one week before the Saints' bye week.
So, why didn't the veteran simply wait until after the bye?
“I know the thought would be, why don’t you just wait until after the bye week, everything seems to be going well, right? So why take the chance? [But] I’m a football player, you know?” Brees said, according to Katherine Terrell of The Athletic. “And like I said, just that gratitude that came over me right before the game is just that, I’m blessed to play this game, and I love this game, and I love my teammates. I love being with them. I love going on the field with them. That was my motivating factor through this whole thing: Get back so I can be healthy, so I can play for those guys.”
Brees didn't miss a beat in his return, completing 34 of his 43 passes for 373 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in what ended up being a 31-9 win.
And you know what? New Orleans didn't skip a beat in Brees' absence, either, as Teddy Bridgewater led the Saints to a 5-0 record in the games Brees missed.
As a result, New Orleans is 7-1 on the season and is in a terrific position to lock down a first-round bye in the NFC playoff picture.
The Saints will have their aforementioned bye next week before taking on the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 10.
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