NFC Notes: Drew Brees, DeAndre Hopkins, Cardinals, Saints

Drew Brees

• NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport does not believe that QB Drew Brees will be returning to the Saints in 2022.
• Ed Werder reports Brees had left shoulder surgery two weeks ago and would be physically unable to play until at least September or October.

Cardinals

Former Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald doesn’t see the career of WR DeAndre Hopkins being affected by the six-game suspension he will serve to begin the 2022 season.

“I don’t think so,” Fitzgerald responded to TMZ. “He’ll still be a Hall of Famer. He’s talented. He’ll work through it. It’s just some adversity and, you know, he’s a tough guy, resourceful, and he’ll work his way through it.”

The Cardinals’ splits without Hopkins have also been bad the past couple of seasons, but Fitzgerald is optimistic about Arizona the first six games of the season. 

“They got some talented guys around them. Obviously, it’s a big blow, but I think they’ll be able to weather the storm.”

Saints

Saints QB Jameis Winston is taking his rehab “slowly” but is hoping to return for Week 1 saying: “I know I’m going to be out there ready and prepared to go.”

Winston also spoke about how his time spent away from football due to injury has inspired him to come back stronger this year.

“I just got hungrier,” Winston told NFL Media. “I got hungrier because now it’s just admiration and a passion I got for the game, but the hunger I had to be back out there with my teammates. As a kid, my passion was always football. But being taken away from the game, I realized that my passion was playing football. I just missed playing football, being with my teammates, and game-planning. Just attacking the field with them. This was the first time in my life where — when I first got to the Saints, I got a chance to sit behind Drew, and took everything slowly — but this was the first time I was not in the building. I was really removed from it.”