Sunday's NFC Championship rematch took a blow early on at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees going down in the first quarter. It didn't look like much at the time, but the future Hall of Famer did not return due to a thumb injury, and now he is expected to miss six weeks. Brees had his throwing hand deflected by Aaron Donald on a first-quarter throw, as Teddy Bridgewater took over in a 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday afternoon. Brees will undergo surgery to repair ligament damage, but he will meet with Dr. Tom Hunt on Tuesday morning for a second opinion.
The team did not reveal whether or not they will place Brees on injured reserve, as head coach Sean Payton would not answer much regarding the injury. This blow will give the highest-paid backup quarterback in the NFL a chance to play, as Bridgewater is making $7.25 million on a one-year contract. The former Minnesota Viking does have playoff experience, but only had 15 pass attempts over the past three seasons entering Sunday. He ended up going 17-of-30 for 165 yards for the now 1-1 Saints. Brees has only missed one start since his high school playing days, which was a Week 3 matchup with the Carolina Panthers in 2015, This will also end his streak of playing at least 15 games in 15 straight seasons, something only Brett Favre has ever done.
Elsewhere, the PIttsburgh Steelers received even worse news regarding their veteran quarterback on Monday, as Ben Roethlisberger will miss the remainder of the 2019 season and will undergo elbow surgery. Roethlisberger exited Sunday's 28-26 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Heinz Field in the second quarter, but their is no official timetable for when "Big Ben" will be able to return. The injury is to his right elbow, as an MRI revealed the severity and that surgery was required on Sunday night. He was placed on injured reserve Monday morning.
The six-time Pro Bowler was replaced by former Oklahoma State Cowboy Mason Rudolph, who was able to keep his team in the game, but they still fell to 0-2 on the young season. The scary part about this injury to Roethlisberger is that it was seemingly a non-contact incident, as he was seen grabbing his elbow after a pass attempt before halftime. This will be the first time in his 16-year career that he will miss miss more than four games in a row. Rudolph is set to be the starter moving forward, as he finished Sunday's game at 12-of-19 for 112 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. His next test will come on Sunday afternoon on the road against the San Francisco 49ers.
The team did not reveal whether or not they will place Brees on injured reserve, as head coach Sean Payton would not answer much regarding the injury. This blow will give the highest-paid backup quarterback in the NFL a chance to play, as Bridgewater is making $7.25 million on a one-year contract. The former Minnesota Viking does have playoff experience, but only had 15 pass attempts over the past three seasons entering Sunday. He ended up going 17-of-30 for 165 yards for the now 1-1 Saints. Brees has only missed one start since his high school playing days, which was a Week 3 matchup with the Carolina Panthers in 2015, This will also end his streak of playing at least 15 games in 15 straight seasons, something only Brett Favre has ever done.
Elsewhere, the PIttsburgh Steelers received even worse news regarding their veteran quarterback on Monday, as Ben Roethlisberger will miss the remainder of the 2019 season and will undergo elbow surgery. Roethlisberger exited Sunday's 28-26 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Heinz Field in the second quarter, but their is no official timetable for when "Big Ben" will be able to return. The injury is to his right elbow, as an MRI revealed the severity and that surgery was required on Sunday night. He was placed on injured reserve Monday morning.
The six-time Pro Bowler was replaced by former Oklahoma State Cowboy Mason Rudolph, who was able to keep his team in the game, but they still fell to 0-2 on the young season. The scary part about this injury to Roethlisberger is that it was seemingly a non-contact incident, as he was seen grabbing his elbow after a pass attempt before halftime. This will be the first time in his 16-year career that he will miss miss more than four games in a row. Rudolph is set to be the starter moving forward, as he finished Sunday's game at 12-of-19 for 112 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. His next test will come on Sunday afternoon on the road against the San Francisco 49ers.
