Brees has surgery on thumb; Saints to use 2 QBs

New Orleans Saints veteran quarterback Drew Brees underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb of his throwing hand this afternoon, according to coach Sean Payton.

The surgery was performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Steven Shin, the hand specialist Brees saw for his first consultation. Payton said the Saints are optimistic, declined to give a timetable for his return.

Brees posted on Instagram that the surgery was successful and did his best to give a thumb’s up in his selfie.

Payton said Wednesday that the team does not plan to place Brees on the injured reserve as of right now.

“We’ll look at that each week as we go,” Payton said of the possibility of injured reserve.

Brees took to Instagram before going in for surgery, posting a selfie with his wife, Brittany, saying, “Heading into surgery with this beautiful gal by my side. This is what she gets to do on her birthday today! I love you Brittany. More and more everyday!”  Brees injured his thumb Sunday in the Saints’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He left the game in the first half and did not return.

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The injury, a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), is common for athletes and hinders the ability to grip.

In sports injuries, the UCL, which is located in the area where the thumb meets the hand, usually tears quickly due to a fall. It’s also known as “skier’s thumb” because of its prevalence in that sport. 

It’s the most notable Brees injury since he missed a Week 3 game in 2015 vs. the Carolina Panthers because of a rotator cuff injury. That’s the only start he’s missed to injury dating back to high school.

Payton said having the experience of preparing for that game without Brees is 2015 can be helpful in this situation as well. Backup Teddy Bridgewater played the rest of the game against the Rams, but Payton said on Wednesday that he’s not going to announce the starter for the Week 3 contest against the Seattle Seahawks. 

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