Will the Chiefs Face Drew Brees or Taysom Hill Against the Saints?

The New Orleans Saints moved to designate quarterback Drew Brees for return from injury on Wednesday. The Kansas City Chiefs are now preparing for Brees or Taysom Hill to take the field on Sunday.

Four days removed from a Week 15 meeting between the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints, it seems fair to say that neither team knows who will be starting at quarterback for New Orleans. 

According to reports from NewOrleans.Football reporter Nick Underhill and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Saints quarterback Drew Brees was designated to return to practice from injury on Wednesday.

Brees has been on injured reserve since he punctured his lung and fractured many ribs against the San Francisco 49ers on November 15.

#Saints QB Drew Brees (lung/many ribs) was officially designed to return to practice, per the wire. A big-time and positive step toward returning potentially as early as Sunday vs. the #Chiefs. @nick_underhill had reported this.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 16, 2020

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes discussed his appreciation of Brees with members of the media before the designation was announced Wednesday. 

“Obviously, him being from Texas and then going to the Chargers, dealing with adversity there and then going on to the Saints and just [to] be consistently at the top of the game year-in and year-out, it is truly special to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and to be able to consistently produce every single year," Mahomes said.

Though Mahomes grew up watching Brees, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid's roots to BYU connect him with Saints and former Cougars quarterback Taysom Hill. 

Hill has started since Brees’ injury, surpassing 230 passing yards in three of the four games. He has been sacked 13 times. 

“He’s a good player — strong, a good runner, a good thrower,” Reid said on Wednesday. “He represents well, but unfortunately, he’s on the other team, so we’ve got to get ourselves ready to play against him.”

If Brees appears, Hill could still contribute as a utility player. He’s caught six passes for 74 yards and a touchdown.

Hill has also ran for 395 yards off 73 rushes, with over half the yardage arriving as the Saints' primary quarterback. 

"I have a ton of respect for Taysom and the way he's been able to play and produce,” Mahomes said. “I watched him when I was in college and then now in the NFL, I mean the way he's able to go out there and throw the ball, be a quarterback, but also be one of the best athletes on the field is truly special."

Brees will not be eligible to compete against the Chiefs until he is activated from injured reserve. The Saints have until 3 p.m. Saturday to do so.