Brees slated to return for Chiefs game
NEW ORLEANS — Saints record-setting quarterback Drew Brees “looked good” in his first practices since returning from rib fractures and a punctured lung, and is slated to start against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, coach Sean Payton said.
“We went off how it felt as he went through a full practice week. And he’s done a good job,” Payton said after Friday’s practice.
Brees has missed four games since his injury, which occurred when he was sacked against San Francisco.
Taysom Hill has started in Brees’ place, going 3-1. Even before Brees’ injury, Hill would intermittently take snaps under center to provide New Orleans’ with a change-of-pace, readoption QB. So he could continue to see snaps at QB as well.
“We have a number of personnel groupings to give us some flexibility and we’ll go from there,” Payton said.
Payton said Brees would be wearing a protective vest over his torso, but the coach dismissed the idea that the Saints were rushing the 41-year-old QB back from injury.
“We wouldn’t be playing him if he wasn’t healthy and able to function and feeling good and recovered,” Payton said.
Brees is the NFL’s career leader in yards passing with 79,612. He has 565 TD passes to rank second behind only one active QB, Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady, who has 571.
The Saints (10-3) enter the weekend tied atop the NFC with Green Bay, but the Packers would own the tie-breaker for the No. 1 playoff seeding — and the only playoff bye — in the conference by virtue of a
Week 3 victory in New Orleans.
Haskins to start for Washington
Dwayne Haskins is set to start at quarterback for Washington against Seattle because starter Alex Smith is out with a right calf injury.
Coach Ron Rivera ruled out Smith and standout rookie running back Antonio Gibson on Friday and named Haskins the starter. Smith had hoped to play despite not taking part in full practices this week.
“Getting to watch him do some of his movements and some of the things he was going to have to do in the game, he still felt a little tight,” Rivera said.
Haskins will be making his first start since a Week 4 loss to Baltimore. The 2019 first-round pick relieved Smith in Washington’s most recent game against San Francisco.
Rivera benched Haskins after four starts and initially turned to Kyle Allen. After Allen got injured, Smith started an NFL game for the first time since 2018. Washington is 4-1 since Smith took over.
Now, it’s Haskins’ chance again.
“I’m excited for the opportunity,” Haskins said. “The biggest thing I wanted to do facing this whole thing was come out the other side stronger. That’s what I did. And I’m looking forward to doing that with any opportunity that I get going forward.”
Gibson will miss a second consecutive game with a toe injury. Linebacker Cole Holcomb is out with a concussion.
49ers to close out season in Arizona
The San Francisco 49ers will finish out the regular season practicing and playing home games in Arizona after a ban on contact sorts in their home county was extended into January.
The Niners relocated to Arizona at the beginning of December after Santa Clara County announced a three-week ban on contact sports games and practices to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. That ban was initially supposed to be lifted on Dec. 21 but now has been extended until at least Jan. 8, meaning San Francisco’s home game Jan. 3 against Seattle will be played in Arizona.
The 49ers were expecting to be forced to stay in Arizona for the rest of the season and made plans for many families of players, coaches and staff to join them next week for Christmas.