"You're hitting your hands on stuff all the time — helmets and different things," he said during a news conference following the loss. "You might get jammed thumbs, jammed fingers, different things where it swells up and what have you. But this felt like it was something a bit more significant that prevented me from gripping the ball."

If Brees of all people is concerned and he couldn't even grip the football, then I think hes out for a while.

I'm guessing atleast 4-6 weeks.

If the tear is complete or if the patient has significant instability due to the tear of the ulnar collateral ligament, then surgery may be considered. Surgery is usually most effective when performed within the first few weeks following injury. If possible, the surgeon will repair the torn ends of the ligament back together. If the ligament is torn from the bone, then the torn end will be sutured down to the bone itself.

If the injury to the ulnar collateral ligament is older, then it is likely that a direct repair will not be possible. In this case, either another structure will be transferred to reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament or one of the muscles at the base of the thumb will be advanced to compensate for the torn ligament.

Following surgery, patients will be placed in a cast for four to six weeks to protect the repaired ligament. At that point, gentle motion of the finger will begin. Most patients are able to play sports 3 to 4 months after surgery. Risks of surgery include infection, healing problems, and nerve injury. In addition, even with the surgical procedure, the damage to ligament will need time for healing.