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Hours after the news broke that the New Orleans Saints are reportedly expected to start Swiss army knife Taysom Hill at quarterback against the Atlanta Falcons, it was reported that they would also move starting QB Drew Brees to injured reserve.
The Saints have placed Drew Brees on injured reserve.
— Amie Just (@Amie_Just) November 20, 2020
The Saints’ future Hall of Famer has suffered compounded chest injuries over the last couple of games including multiple rib fractures to both sides and a collapsed lung.
Despite his early and very optimistic return timeline being 2-3 weeks per Dan Graziano of ESPN, it seemed like a very long shot that would indeed be the case. With Brees being sent to injured reserve, he will now miss at least three weeks with the shortened IR rules for the 2020 season. Meaning his earliest possible return would be on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles on December 13th. Though returning to the field could take additional time if needed.
Saints QB Drew Brees has been placed on IR, meaning he misses at least the next three games (vs. Falcons, at Broncos, at Falcons). This is not a huge surprise considering a turnaround in less than 3 weeks would've been very quick for broken ribs.
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) November 20, 2020
Brees sought a second opinion on his scans after the initial diagnosis in the hopes of confirming the injuries were not worse than anticipated. In that aspect, he did get good news. After confirming the injuries, the Saints discussed the possibility of injured reserve for the 17-year vet.
For at least the next three weeks the Saints will start either one of Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill and will likely try to get a good look at both during that time. While it sounds like Taysom is expected to get the nod (again, not confirmed by Payton which makes sense), this conversation will continue to be ongoing up until and likely beyond Brees returns.
Until then, Brees will now have the chance to heal up and be ready for the stretch portion of the season leading into the playoffs. Getting a healthy Drew Brees back for the run will be imperative for the Saints’ success in the postseason. New Orleans feels the have three viable starting quarterbacks on their roster, but Brees will undoubtably be expected reclaim his role upon his return once healthy.
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