Drew Brees needs thumb surgery, likely out six weeks

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The Saints are going to have to get used to life without Drew Brees.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Brees has been diagnosed with a torn ligament in his right thumb, and he needs surgery.

Depending on the timetable established once the surgery is done, he’ll likely miss six weeks, which creates some roster considerations for the Saints. A stint on IR would free up a spot, but require him to be out for eight weeks.

That puts Teddy Bridgewater (or perhaps at some point Taysom Hill) in charge of a team that was built to win now.

Brees hasn’t decided who will do the surgery or other specifics, so the timetable could change. But it’s clearly a bad sign for Brees, who hasn’t missed a game because of injury since 2015 (and that’s the only one).