Report: Saints' Drew Brees Requires Surgery for Thumb Injury; Could Miss 6 Weeks

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees reportedly will need to undergo surgery after suffering a thumb injury in Sunday's 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweeted Monday morning that "Brees has a torn ligament in his throwing thumb and he's going to require surgery, sources say. The timeframe depends on the surgery, but he's likely out 6 weeks. That's the initial estimate."

Rapoport previously reported Brees met with a specialist Sunday.

Teddy Bridgewater threw for 165 yards without a touchdown or interception as the Saints offense stalled without Brees. Bridgewater, who started one game last season, has not seen much regular-season action since suffering a catastrophic leg injury during the 2016 preseason with the Minnesota Vikings.

Brees has missed only one start because of injury since high school. The 40-year-old told reporters after the game he is "concerned" about his status but did not know the extent of his injury.

"It's all up in the air right now," Brees said. "I really don't know at this point. There's only so much you can do here other than have a doctor look at it on the sideline."

Saints coach Sean Payton told reporters the team did not change its offense much when making the transition from Brees to Bridgewater. Payton also defended Bridgewater, saying the team around him didn't play well.

"He's a pro. He knows how to win in this league," Payton said of Bridgewater, who was 11-5 with the Vikings in 2015. "I didn't think we played particularly well around him. I think when we watch that tape tomorrow, it's not going to be pleasant for some guys."

It's hard to determine how the Saints would look with the 26-year-old getting a full week of practice to prepare, but it's fair to say they'll be taking a hit under center, even if do-everything backup QB Taysom Hill sees more snaps.

When Bridgewater was in Minnesota, he looked like an average NFL starting quarterback; Brees remains among the game's best and is a master of Payton's offense.