Brees: Plan to return Sunday
Drew Brees pulled a football out of his locker inside the Saints’ training headquarters and wrapped his right hand around it, splaying his surgically repaired thumb away from his forefinger.
The demonstration of how far he’s progressed in his rehabilitation since his Week 2 injury left no doubt about his intent to tell coach Sean Payton he’s ready to play Sunday against the Cardinals.
“That’s the plan,” Brees said. “I’ll tell Sean if I’m ready — he’ll believe me.”
Brees affirmed that he does indeed feel like himself and that he threw the ball well at practice Wednesday but added that he wants to see how he performs throughout the week in team drills to ensure his accuracy, timing and overall effectiveness meets his standards.
“I need some competition,” Brees said.
Brees said that, technically, his thumb won’t be fully healed until he’s three months out of surgery, which was performed on his ulnar collateral ligament in Los Angeles on Sept. 18. But Brees noted that a surgically inserted internal brace provides enough support for him to grip the ball firmly now, five weeks later.
“Today it was good to have him out there throwing,” Payton said. “He’s done a great job with his rehab.
“He’s been medically cleared to play,” Payton added. “He’s got the strength and all of those things necessary when it’s on your throwing hand — and your thumb is almost 50 percent of that. But we’ll assess it day by day
Redskins (1-6) at Vikings (5-2)
Vikings 24, Redskins 10
and we might have to wait until Sunday to see if he’s playing.”
With backup QB Teddy Bridgewater filling in, the Saints (6-1) have won all five games Brees has missed since his injury during the team’s Week 2 loss to the Rams in L.A.
They enter their off week after Sunday, meaning that if Brees didn’t play against the Cardinals, he’d have seven weeks of rest before returning.
Mahomes throws: Chiefs coach Andy Reid was unwilling to rule out quarterback Patrick Mahomes from their upcoming game against the Packers, even though it’s been less than a week since the reigning league MVP dislocated his kneecap in a win against the Broncos.
The initial thought was that Mahomes could miss up to six weeks, but X-rays and an MRI returned the best possible result.
Mahomes was back at the facility over the weekend getting treatment on his knee. That has continued right into their first practice for the Packers on Wednesday, when Mahomes did some throwing.
Gordon to IR: The Patriots placed receiver Josh Gordon on IR with knee and ankle injuries.