Since Drew Brees suffered a thumb injury in Week 2, the New Orleans Saints have gone 5-0 with Teddy Bridgewater starting at quarterback. However, Brees is hoping that Bridgewater doesn’t have to keep his seat warm any longer and is hoping to return to the field next week when the Saints host the Arizona Cardinals.
Brees said that it’s realistic for him to have a chance to return in Week 8 based on how he’s felt while throwing a ball over the past few weeks. Both Brees and Saints head coach Sean Payton reportedly called it a “goal” to have the 40-year-old back in action next week. However, Payton backed off a little bit following Sunday’s win over the Bears.
“I’ll fill you guys in day by day,” Payton told reporters. “We’re gonna see how he’s doing and we’ll give you the news when we feel like we’re ready to.”
After undergoing surgery to repair a ligament in his thumb, Brees was given a timeline of six to eight weeks. Playing next weekend would put Brees right at six weeks since the injury. If he’s unable to play this week, Brees would get an extra week to prepare for his return, as the Saints have a bye in Week 9. Even if he doesn’t play this week against the Cardinals, it seems like Brees would at least be ready to play Week 10 against the Falcons.
Of course, the Saints don’t necessarily need to rush Brees back. They’ve won five straight games with Bridgewater starter, making them 6-1 and putting them in first place in the NFC South. However, the New Orleans defense has done a lot of heavy lifting during the last five weeks. If the Saints want to be genuine Super Bowl contenders, they likely need Brees to be healthy.