Another QB down? Drew Brees reportedly could miss some games

What we saw from Drew Brees on Sunday was so out of line with what we’ve seen from him the rest of his New Orleans Saints career, it was clear something was wrong.

And there was a good reason his passes against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had no zip and he had trouble getting the ball downfield. Brees had a shoulder injury, we learned after the game. On Monday, we learned it might be a lot worse than a one-week problem.

Brees could miss “several games,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Saints coach Sean Payton said, via ESPN.com, it’s too early to say if Brees will miss any time.

“Today’s the day after, and we’ll take a peek and see how he’s feeling, coming along and see where we’re at Wednesday.”

Brees is tough, and didn’t leave Sunday’s game despite being hurt. Brees signed with the Saints in 2006 and has not missed one game since then due to injury (he sat out the 2009 regular-season finale as a precaution). That streak could end Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

Grandstanding: A Yahoo Sports podcast
Subscribe via iTunes or via RSS feed

Brees could join Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo as big-name stars to miss time with injuries. The Cowboys and Saints play on Oct. 4.

The Saints are in a bad spot if Brees misses time. They’re 0-2 already. So much of the Saints’ success the last decade has been built around Brees and coach Sean Payton leading a great offense. Luke McCown would likely be up next, although rookie Garrett Grayson is also an option.

If the injury is serious, one has to wonder how it would affect the 36-year-old Brees going forward. Brees came back from one shoulder injury, suffered during his last game with the San Diego Chargers, but it might not be so easy at the back end of his career.

– – – – – – –

Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab