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NEW ORLEANS – Did he or didn’t he?

Did New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees suffer significant damage to his left knee in a Week 3 overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons at the Superdome?

According to Saints fullback Heath Evans, Brees played “six weeks with a torn MCL’’ in his left knee, referring to a medial collateral ligament.

Evans made that revelation Monday morning as a guest on ESPN’s “First Take’’ while debating the manhood of Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who came out of Sunday’s NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers early in the third quarter with an unspecified knee injury.

Cutler reportedly suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee, according to comments made Monday by Bears' Coach Lovie Smith.

“Sorry Drew, I love you, but Drew Brees played six weeks with a torn MCL,’’ Evans said during a spirited one-on-one debate with “1st and 10’’ panelist Skip Bayless. “I know what Drew Brees did with a torn MCL.’’

It should be noted that Evans made a similar reference to Brees’ injured status for a story published by USA Today in December but did not cite the extent of the knee injury.

Saints right tackle Jon Stinchcomb acknowledged Monday that he was not privy to the extent of Brees' knee injury, only that the quarterback was playing on a bum knee.

"It wasn't a mystery that his knee was bothering him and he was wearinjg a brace for a few weeks,'' Stinchcomb told NewOrleans.Com. "Drew was able to play through it. He's a tough guy. In no way am I saying that he's tough and Jay Cutler is not. I don't want to make that comparison. I've never played with Jay nor am I condemning the fact that he left the game yesterday.

"But we were aware about Drew's knee. But it's not our position to speak on another player's injury.''

Brees injured his left knee during the fourth quarter of his team's 27-24 loss in OT to the Falcons on Sept. 26, then showed up the next week in practice wearing a brace on his left knee. He also played with a brace on the injured knee in subsequent games.

In his Monday press conference after the Falcons’ game Sept. 27, Saints Coach Sean Payton said Brees merely experienced a bruise and some soreness in his injured knee. Despite that acknowledgement and Brees wearing a knee brace, the quarterback was not listed on the league’s injury report leading up to the Carolina Panthers game the next week.

It was widely reported that an MRI revealed no structural damage based on information provided during team-related press conferences.

“There’s no situation,’’ Payton said days before the Panthers game. “His knee is sore from the game. There’s no specific injury other than he’s got soreness. We didn’t put him on the injury report. He took all the reps. There’s not an injury to report.''

In early November, citing unnamed sources, WIST-690 am reported Brees had been playing with a “fractured’’ left knee and torn meniscus and would have to undergo micro-fracture surgery at season’s end. Payton denied the report, labeling it “inaccurate, completely false.’’

Brees, too, dismissed the report and performed jumping jacks and knee lifts in front of his locker at the team’s training facility to illustrate his point. “I’m fine. I am 100 million, billion, trillion percent sure,’’ a smiling Brees told reporters on Nov. 4. “Does it look like my knee is injured?’’

Brees, who threw a career-high 22 interceptions in 2010, eventually played without a brace and did not miss a game snap or practice snap during the final 14 regular-season and playoff games because of the injury.

During his season-ending press conference Jan. 10 following a 41-36 wildcard loss to the underdog Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field, Payton said Brees would not need surgery.

Payton and Brees could not be reached for comment. Brees currently is in Honolulu, Hawaii, preparing to play for the NFC squad in Sunday's Pro Bowl game. Payton is in Mobile this week with his coaching staff scouting collegiate talent at the annual Senior Bowl.

Saints beat writer Brian Allee-Walsh can be reached at ballee-walsh@neworleans.com

SmashMouth

And so it is re-revealed!

QBREES9

and he never missed a beat. Beat that !!!

mjf150

On a related note, can the team, specifically Sean Payton, be reprimanded for not revealing the injury on his weekly report?

lynwood

I wouldn't say that. Career High 22 Interceptoions and was not as sharp on the long balls. Now having said that no one else on out team could have started in his place and lead us into the playoffs. He was still our best option bum kneee and all.

Cutler probably made the right call seeing how he was struggling before the knee injury.

AsylumGuido

Brees was on the injury report. The were plenty of stories about the knee and the brace that he wore for at least a couple of weeks.

Week 5
New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals
Name Position Injury Practice Status Game Status
Drew Brees QB Knee Full Participation in Practice Probable


Week 6
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Name Position Injury Practice Status Game Status
Drew Brees QB Knee Full Participation in Practice Probable


Week 7
Cleveland Browns at New Orleans Saints
Name Position Injury Practice Status Game Status
Drew Brees QB Knee Full Participation in Practice Probable

Note that our two big upsets were during this stretch.

AsylumGuido

He missed the beat big time in those games. That said, he was still our best option.

niteadept

Pretty certain not a one of us on the boards wouldn't have wimped out like Cutler. Only difference is I don't get paid the kind of $$ these QB's do. I'm proud of Brees, if he had 22 interceptions or 100 he got us to where no one else on the team could have. Easy to sit back on our couches and second guess every decision. Nice to see a real man is on our team and he showed up to every game and every relevant snap.

AsylumGuido

Brees' injury was classified as a low grade, or Grade I, MCL tear. This is a slight incomplete tear and while still painful, you can play on it. Although, most athletes miss one or two weeks.

On the other hand, Cutler's injury was described as a Grade II Tear. These are also incomplete tears, although with this degree of injury the knee loses its stability meaning the player cannot cut or pivot. It is also very painful and comes with substantial swelling. Most athletes must sit out 3-4 weeks with this degree of MCL injury.

Add to the fact that Cutler is a diabetic and cannot take the painkilling shots that all other players can take, I do not see him as wimping out.

iceshack149

The Bears made the right move in pulling Cutler. I don't know how physically tough JC is but he seems weak mentally. Once he starts tanking or gets rattled he just seems to get worse as the game goes on.

It was a good excuse for Lovie Smith to put in a QB that gave them a better chance at that point.