Adam Schefter just confirmed what most New Orleans Saints fans already believed, and that is that Tyler Shough's left hand is broken. Just before Sunday's game against the New York Giants, Schefter reported that the quarterback has two broken bones in his left hand.
Schefter wasn't able to provide an undisputed timetable for the injury to heal. The general belief seemed to be that it would take weeks to heal. However, one source did say a couple months, and that's a huge difference.
Having to manage this for weeks could mean Shough would be fine coming out of the bye week. He suffered the injury in Week 4, and the team would be about a month removed from that coming out of the bye. A couple of months, however, could hold him back until the last stretch of the season.
Glass half full or glass half empty on Tyler Shough's injury
Shough suffered the injury on Monday night and wore a glove the following week. The question was never is Shough injured. It was always how injured is he.
Schefter's report would confirm of the worst case scenario, but also the expected scenario, if true. The Saints have yet to confirm the extent of the injury publicly, and Shough told the media that he couldn't say if his hand was broken after last week's game.
We all figured it was, however. We've seen the injury take a toll on Shough by the way that he's handing off the football. He hasn't missed any time, however, and the report has no mention of him having to miss time in the future, just how long it'll take to heal.
You could look at this through a glass half full or half empty view. On a positive note, Shough is going to be able to play through this as long as things don't get worse. The akward handoffs are a sympton of the injury, but it hasn't bit the Saints in the butt yet.
The most positive way to view the injury is it's to Shough's non-throwing hand. That's why he's able to play through it. It shouldn't have a major impact on his ability to pass, and the Saints will probably continue to ask him to throw a lot.
On the other hand, and more negatively, ball security will be a constant question for Shough. He may not throw with his left hand, but two hands on the ball is the best security. One of those hands is compromised.
When taking hits in the pocket, it'll be interesting to see how that hand holds up with taking unexpected contact or when defenders are swiping at the ball in the pocket. It's not a commonly discussed hinderance, but it could be costly if it impacts Shough in that way.
Add us as a preferred source on Google