Drew Brees Injury: Updates on Saints Star's Foot and Return

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees suffered a foot injury against the Detroit Lions in Week 15. However, he will not miss any time.

Continue for updates.

---

Brees Active vs. Jaguars

Sunday, Dec. 27

The Saints confirmed Brees will be under center against Jacksonville.

---

Brees Comments on Playing, Practice Status

Thursday, Dec. 24

"I have every intention of playing," Brees said, per Woodbery.

"I'm playing it safe for now," Brees added regarding not participating in Thursday's practice session, per Woodbery.

---

Payton Speaks on Brees' Injury

Thursday, Dec. 24

Head coach Sean Payton confirmed Brees is dealing with a plantar fascia tear but didn't specify if it's a full or partial tear, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Payton added the team will start whoever gives it the best chance to win in Week 16 if Brees cannot go, per Triplett.

Payton told reporters Dec. 23 the team is taking Brees' situation "day by day," adding: "I think each day, we'll gather more info, know whether he's able to play Sunday."

Payton said he hadn't met with the team's trainers to discuss if Brees is at risk of further injury by playing, adding: "If a player is playing, we've cleared him medically, and he's not risking further injury."

---

Brees' MRI Results Revealed 

Tuesday, Dec. 22

Ed Werder of ESPN reported Brees' MRI showed a torn plantar fascia in his right foot and that he is awaiting the opinion of Dr. Robert Anderson.

---

Latest on Brees' Playing Status

Tuesday, Dec. 22 

Werder reported Brees hopes to play the final two games of the season and is "expected to be day-to-day."

---

Brees Can't Shake Injury Bug

Brees went 34-of-52 for 341 yards and three touchdowns in the Saints' 35-27 loss prior to exiting.

Trouble started to creep in for the 15-year veteran during a Week 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as he suffered a shoulder injury after taking a hard hit. 

Brees wasn't the same after that, and it was clear the shoulder was bothering him. He was ultimately diagnosed with a bruised rotator cuff, which was actually a positive development from the Saints' perspective, as NFL Network's Ian Rapoport initially reported he would miss a significant amount of time.

Although Brees and the Saints dodged a bullet to some degree, he did miss one game. That was a harbinger of things to come, as there are now additional concerns regarding the 36-year-old's health.

The future Hall of Famer's durability over the years has been something to behold. He entered the season having played in all but one regular-season game since 2005 despite being one of the NFL's smallest quarterbacks at just 6'0".

Brees has often had a great offensive line during his time with the Saints, and his quick release has also helped him avoid too many hits. Now that his line is suspect, though, the hits are starting to pile up more than ever.

There is little doubt Brees is the best and most significant player in Saints history, but now that the talent around him is starting to wane, an unrealistic burden has been placed on his shoulders.

While the Saints have had their struggles even with Brees at the helm, there seems to be essentially no chance of the team succeeding if he is forced to miss time with the ailment going forward.

New Orleans' backup options at quarterback are less than ideal in the form of rookie Garrett Grayson. The Saints may have been able to get by for a game or two with a backup in previous years, but with offensive weapons like Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills no longer in the fold, there is far less margin for error.

Brees may not be the same player he once was, but he is still their only hope in terms of being competitive.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.