There is no evidence of any shoulder issue with Drew Brees, other than that chip as he returns to San Diego for the first time in 10 years.
Chip on His Shoulder – How an Injury Changed a City
December 31, 2005:
Despite the drafting of Philip Rivers, Drew Brees had his role as a starter firmly intact. After his 2004 campaign where he led the San Diego Chargers to their first division title in a decade and a 12-4 record.
The Chargers franchised Brees in 2005 and the team would finish the season at 9-7. While the record was a bit of a disappointment, week 17 brought more than the heartache of a year without playoffs. Drew Brees took a hit from Denver Broncos strong safety, John Lynch that would end his career with San Diego. The result of the devastating hit resulted in a torn labrum and rotator cuff damage in his throwing shoulder.
The Decision
Brees entered the 2006 with a great deal of skepticism as to whether the shoulder had fully recovered during the off-season. With Brees looking for a new long-term contract and Rivers on the back burner, The Chargers decided not push their moderate attempt to keep the recovered quarterback.
While the Miami Dolphins made a push for Drew Brees, it was the New Orleans Saints who would mortgage the franchise on the arm of the Pro Bowl quarterback. The rest, as they say, is history.
Brees is now in his 11th season with New Orleans. All he has done since his arrival is deliver Super Bowl XLIV, destroy every Saints team passing record and cement his spot in Canton, and he’s not done yet. Needless to say, the gamble paid off unimaginably well for the Saints and the city of New Orleans.
So, 11 years after that dreaded New Year’s Eve game in 2005, Brees will make his first return to Qualcomm Stadium. Despite being nearly 11 years removed, he will be very comfortable in the stadium in which he played his first five pro season.
This Sunday
Here in 2016, Brees remains at the top of his game. He leads the NFL in passing yards (1062) and touchdowns (8) with only one interception which came last week against the Atlanta Falcons. He also passed Dan Marino for third on the NFL’s All-Time Passing Yards list in week two against the New York Giants.
Despite Brees’ gaudy start to the season, however, there are problems in New Orleans. The team is off to an 0-3 start with no relief in sight on their schedule. The defense continues to be a liability and give up yards and points at a feverish pace, which partially explains why Brees is racking up his yardage totals thus far. All those who have #9 on their fantasy football team are loving it. However, most fans agree that this brand of football is a tough watch.
It should be interesting to see how Brees is received this week. It is hard to imagine that the Chargers fans will have any animosity towards their former starter.
As far as a prediction for this week, this’ll be a tough one to swallow. Until the injury-depleted and abnormally young defense gives reason to believe that they can slow down an NFL team, one must assume that we will see more of the same recipe we have seen in the first three weeks. A healthy portion of passing yards from Brees, a generous amount of points against, throw in a dash of Philip Rivers and Kelvin Benjamin and a sprinkle of Melvin Gordon.
Chargers 37 – Saints 30
Main Photo: NEW ORLEANS, LA – SEPTEMBER 01: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints throws the ball before a game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on September 1, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
