As if things could not get worse for the New Orleans Saints, the health of Drew Brees is suddenly coming into question. The Saints have started their season 0-2 with a win needed in Week 3 to avoid hitting the panic button, but they are at risk of being without their quarterback following a rotator cuff injury suffered in the home opener.
According to ESPN's Ed Werder, Brees went to see Dr. James Andrews who confirmed that the quarterback had a bruised rotator cuff, but did not have a tear which is the lone bright spot of the injury report. After an MRI confirmed no structural damage, Brees was upgraded to probable for Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers, but there is still a chance he might not be able to go which would put New Orleans in a tough spot.
Brees has played through shoulder issues before. He ended last season that way which does not offer much confidence to fans since the Saints were not good last season. If Brees were not able to play, Luke McCown is the option. The 34-year-old has one snap to his name in two years with the team. For a team in major need of getting a win, this is not the outcome Saints' fans want this week.
"He's someone, you know as well as anyone, he's gonna be a competitor. He's gonna be smart about it as well. But I think we'll have a better idea come Wednesday," Payton said via WWL Radio coaches show. "It's not gonna be something where it's long-term. I think both he and the doctors are all optimistic. A lot of it is gonna be on the treatment and his ability to come back and really feel like he's got the strength he needs."
If Brees were to play, he could still be heavily limited in terms of throwing. The Saints will likely lean heavily on their run game with Mark Ingram and healthier CJ Spiller. Ingram had a quiet Week 2 while Spiller is getting slowly worked back into the offense following injuries in the preseason. Both running backs will be critical for Brees in Week 3. According to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, Spiller was limited by design against the Buccaneers. Payton confirmed that Spiller was healthy, but the team felt no need to rush him back quickly. With Brees hurting, Week 3 is the time to push Spiller.
"He's doing fine," Payton said, via ESPN.com. "The plan was, call it a dozen [plays]. It was gonna be, 'Here's a list of Spiller plays. And let's get him up."
Brandin Cooks and Marques Colston along with Willie Snead have been headlining the receiving game so far for the Saints, but they are not expected to have big games whether Brees is healthy or not. The Saints have simply lacked the explosiveness they showed last season when Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills were on the roster. Having Brees injured will not change that.
