NEW ORLEANS — ESPN's Ed Werder reports that Saints quarterback Drew Brees will undergo surgery Wednesday in Los Angeles with Dr. Steven Shin.
Brees had a second opinion on his injury Tuesday and then made the decision, according to Werder's Tweet.
A specific timetable for his return won't be known until after the surgery, but the prevailing thinking is 6-8 weeks.
Werder said Brees sent a text back to him, saying, "I'm confident in the surgery that will take place and will dedicate myself to the rehab process to get back as quickly as I can."
Dr. Eric George, a local hand surgeon, said Shin, who is doing the surgery, is one of the best.
"He is an excellent physician," said George. He is with a giant orthopedic group out on the West Coast. He's been the hand surgeon for many of the West Coast teams. He does some work for the Rams, I know he does some work for the Dodgers... He's in good hands with who he chose."
Brees injured his thumb when his hand was struck by the Rams Aaron Donald in Sunday's 27-9 loss to the Rams.
Brees left the game in the first quarter and could not return. He was diagnosed with a torn ligament in the thumb.
Brees' injury poses a big problem for the Saints, who are starting the season with four games against 2019 playoff teams. They won against the Texans with a late comeback engineered by Brees, then lost to the Rams with Brees missing more than three quarters of the game.
The Saints play at Seattle this weekend and then face the Cowboys in New Orleans on Sunday night.
Teddy Bridgewater took the reins in Brees' absence, but facing a stiff Rams rush and several offensive penalties, had a hard time at the helm.
Do-it-all player Taysom Hill is the backup quarterback to Bridgewater. Head coach Sean Payton said no thought was given to putting him in against the Rams because he was serving as the team's third receiver due to injuries.
