Report: Drew Brees Has Collapsed Lung, Multiple Rib Fractures

Drew Brees
Getty Images/Chris Graythen

Saints fans hoping to hear good news about the injury situation regarding star quarterback Drew Brees, will have to continue waiting.

On Sunday, Brees was forced to leave the Saints game against the 49ers after sustaining a hard hit to the ribs. On Monday, ESPN NFL reporter Ed Werder reported that Brees had suffered a collapsed lung, and five rib fractures.

Werder reports:

The two broken ribs on his right side occurred in the first half of the Saints’ victory over the San Francisco 49ers, a game that backup Jameis Winston finished after Brees determined he could not play the second half because he was having difficulty breathing.

The three fractured ribs on the left side are believed to have occurred in the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week. They did not show up as such on the X-ray performed at the time, possibly because of inflammation, but they were clearly seen on the CAT scan performed Monday.

Doctors performing the evaluation believe the right-side fractures might have punctured the quarterback’s lung Sunday, creating a pneumothorax. That is what caused Brees’ difficulty breathing in the game and resulted in him informing head coach Sean Payton that he could not play the second half against the 49ers.

While some are hopeful that Brees may only miss a couple of weeks, he likely will need more than that.

As Pro Football Talk reports, “Chargers  {QB} Tyrod Taylor needed more than a month to be cleared to return from a punctured lung suffered this season, and Taylor’s injury took place when a team doctor accidentally pierced his lung with a painkilling injection, an injury that did not also include broken ribs.”

Former Buccaneer Jameis Winston is expected to take over starting duties in Brees’ absence.

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