New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees said in an Instagram post he ”will be back in no time,” his first public comments since he reportedly received word that he has at least five broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

Brees broke at least two ribs on his right side Sunday after being tackled by San Francisco 49ers defensive end Kentavius Street, and doctors believe that those broken ribs punctured the lung on his right side, according to ESPN. However, medical imaging showed that Brees also has at least three broken ribs on his left side, ESPN reported.

Brees missed only that one play in the immediacy of his hit, then came back in to hand the ball off to running back Alvin Kamara for a touchdown.

Brees, while feeling “terrible,” returned to orchestrate another two-minute drill, going 5 of 6 with a touchdown pass to Kamara before halftime.

“I had to find a way,” Brees said Sunday.

However, when he came back out of intermission and was going through his warmup throws, he knew he wouldn’t be able to perform effectively and handed the game to quarterback Jameis Winston.

THE NFL WILL have an all-Black officiating crew for the first time in league history when the Rams play the Buccaneers on Monday night.

“This historic Week 11 crew is a testament to the countless and immeasurable contributions of Black officials to the game, their exemplary performance, and to the power of inclusion that is the hallmark of this great game,” said Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations.

The crew consists of: referee Jerome Boger, umpire Barry Anderson, down judge Julian Mapp, line judge Carl Johnson, side judge Dale Shaw, field judge Anthony Jeffries and back judge Greg Steed.

Five members of the crew work together regularly. Johnson and Steed will join the group for this game. The crew has a combined 89 seasons in the league and has worked six Super Bowls.

GIANTS: New York placed placekicker Graham Gano on the reserve COVID-19 list after the team announced players would be working remotely after a player tested positive. The Giants learned of the result Monday night and Gano immediately self-isolated.

Two close contacts, both staff members, were identified and told to remain home. The Giants (3-7) have a bye this weekend. Players were to meet Tuesday and Wednesday and then have the rest of the week off. The team is working with the NFL’s chief medical officer on the problem.

WASHINGTON: Washington says a player has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. It’s the first such instance in the organization this season.

The club says it was notified Monday night, the player self-isolated, contact tracing was initiated and close contacts were told to quarantine. Washington is now in the NFL’s intensive COVID-19 protocol.

It’s unclear if this positive test result puts Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals in jeopardy. Washington already announced no fans will be allowed after hosting 3,000 for its last home game.

FALCONS: Atlanta placed wide receiver Laquon Treadwell on the reserve/COVID-19 list. He joins defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. as the team’s second player currently on the list. Fowler was placed on the list last week.

Treadwell, a fifth-year player who signed with Atlanta in March, has spent the last 10 weeks on the practice squad.

RAIDERS: Las Vegas placed defensive lineman Clelin Ferrell and defensive back Lamarcus Joyneron the COVID-19 list.

The list is used for players who either test positive for the coronavirus or have had close contact with someone who tested positive.

If the players tested positive they would miss this week’s game against Kansas City. If they are only close contacts and don’t test positive they could return before Sunday.

PACKERS: Green Bay wide receiver Allen Lazard has been activated from injured reserve after missing six games.

Lazard had the best game of his pro career Sept. 27 when he caught six passes for 146 yards and a touchdown in a 37-30 victory at New Orleans, but he suffered a core injury in that game and hasn’t played since.

JETS: Cornerback Pierre Desir was released after a disappointing half season with the team, and fellow cornerback Brian Poole was placed on injured reserve with shoulder and knee injuries.

Desir was one of General Manager Joe Douglas’ key offseason signings last winter when he brought the former Colts standout in on a one-year, $3.75 million deal. The 30-year-old cornerback was viewed as a starter, but struggled with hamstring issues during training camp and was then benched in the middle of the regular-season opener against Buffalo.

RAMS: Los Angeles placed 38-year-old left tackle Andrew Whitworth on injured reserve with injured ligaments in his left knee.

Safety Taylor Rapp and kicker Kai Forbath also went on injured reserve with injuries sustained in the Rams’ 23-16 victory over Seattle last weekend. None of the injuries is thought to be season-ending.

Whitworth will miss a game due to injury for the first time since 2013 when the Rams (6-3) visit Tampa Bay (7-3) on Monday night. The 15-year NFL veteran has been the foundation of Los Angeles’ offense for his four seasons under coach Sean McVay, who took over two months before Whitworth left Cincinnati to sign with the Rams.

BENGALS: Cincinnati waived defensive end Takk McKinley less than a week after claiming him off waivers from the Atlanta Falcons.

The team said he failed a physical, but didn’t provide any other details.

The Bengals picked up McKinley last Wednesday after he was waived by the Falcons, who made the move after the 2017 first-round draft pick had expressed on social media his desire to get out of Atlanta.

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