One of the biggest storylines from Week 2 of the NFL season was the early exit of New Orleans Saint’s quarterback Drew Brees against the Los Angeles Rams. The quarterback injured the thumb on his throwing hand early in the first quarter. Brees was throwing the ball to tight end Jared Cook when his hand collided with defensive tackle Aaron Donald. He immediately went to the sideline for an evaluation by the team doctors.
Pro Football Network’s own Dr. Duane Scotti, was able to analyze the test that the doctors were performing to help provide some clarity on the situation.
or what they call Gamekeeper's thumb. #Brees could be looking at a ligament sprain of the ligaments that stabilize the thumb." (2/2) #Saints #SaintsGameDay pic.twitter.com/zd81YBMOj5
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 15, 2019
Head Coach Sean Payton had little information to give during his postgame press conference. He spent a large portion of his time brushing off questions about whether or not the 19-year quarterback had an MRI or x-ray done after the injury.
“It was a thumb (injury),” Payton said. “Right away, when he attempted to throw, he was having pain with it. It wasn’t anything elaborate. I’m sure we’ll go through the whole medical procedure and we’ll give you an update in two days.”
With little known for the moment, our injury expert was still able to provide slightly more information regarding the potential extent of the injury.
Following up on this: If and how long #Brees misses time will depend on the severity of the ligament sprain and/or if the ligament is torn. If torn, Brees season is likely over. If only a sprain, could still miss some games. (From @ScottiSPARK) #Saints #SaintsRams #NFLSunday https://t.co/KIAwCIZ41I
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 16, 2019
Dr. Scotti gave two different scenarios, both of which would involve Brees missing a number of games. With this injury, backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater came into the game to replace Brees. Unfortunately, it was in a losing effort as the Saints couldn’t score a touchdown and lost 27-9. Bridgewater, a 2015 Pro Bowler, threw mostly checkdown passes behind a spotty offensive line performance.
With the current landscape of the NFL, New Orleans Saints fans can only hope that the injury is not as severe as it seemed. The team has an easier schedule coming up, but the loss of an MVP caliber quarterback will be difficult to overcome.
We will continue to monitor the situation and update when we have more information regarding Brees’ injury.
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