New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees' playing status is up in the air after he suffered a shoulder injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2, but the veteran told reporters Wednesday that he's "pretty confident" he'll be ready to play against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
Drew Brees ‘pretty confident’ he’ll play in Week 3 despite shoulder injury
Brees bruised his rotator cuff against the Buccaneers in Week 2.
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
“I don’t want to miss a game. I want to be there for my teammates. I want to be play but I have to be smart with this injury,” Brees said, adding that he was a limited participant in practice Wednesday.
While Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported earlier this week that Brees could be out for “several games,” Ed Werder of ESPN claimed that how Brees responded to treatment would determine how much, if any, time he would have to miss.
Brees, 36, never left the Week 2 game, but was in visible discomfort after a Tampa Bay sack and could be seen trying to shake his arm out a few times. He finished the day 24-of-38 passing for 255 yards, one touchdown and one interception and told reporters after the game that his shoulder affected a few throws.
“Maybe on a few throws,” Brees said. “I want to say a few balls downfield didn’t come out very well.”
Saints head coach Sean Payton didn’t say much about Brees the day after the game, but agreed that the quarterback’s shoulder hindered him some, although he didn’t sound concerned:
Payton - I'm not worried about Drew, but you want to make sure he's healthy and upright
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) September 21, 2015 Brees arrived in New Orleans with shoulder concerns, signing with the Saints nine months after suffering a shoulder dislocation that ended his tenure with the San Diego Chargers. In the next nine seasons with the Saints, Brees missed just one game and owns the franchise record in every major passing category. Brees is fifth in NFL history in passing touchdowns with 398 and fourth in passing yards with 56,643.
Luke McCown is the backup for the Saints and would presumably take over starting duties for Brees, while rookie third-round pick Garrett Grayson will likely move up to No. 2 on the depth chart.
After back-to-back losses to open the season, the Saints are scheduled to face the Panthers next and then the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4. If Brees is still rehabbing, the Cowboys game could potentially feature a quarterback matchup of Brandon Weeden against McCown, as Dallas' Tony Romo also suffered an injury in Week 2.
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