Drew Brees may not be able to throw a football, but the plan is for him to throw his mind behind the Saints offense when the Dallas Cowboys roll into town.

The Saints quarterback is expected to be back in New Orleans this week following rehab from thumb surgery last week in Los Angeles, according to a report from ESPN's Ed Werder.

Sean Payton said on media conference call that Drew Brees has remained in LA for crucial post-surgery rehab. He’s expected to return to NOLA end of week and be on sideline with earpiece or headset helping offense vs #Cowboys. — Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) September 25, 2019

Payton, speaking on a call with reporters, said Brees would be wearing a headset or earpiece on the sidelines so the veteran can help the offense during the game, Werder reported.

Brees was absent from the Saints' victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3 after surgery earlier in the week to repair ligament damage in his thumb.

The game marked just the second Brees has missed due to injury in his 13-plus years with the Saints, but it was the first for which he wasn't in attendance.

"It crushed me not to be there," Brees said in a text message to ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

Payton added that a key benchmark to Brees' recovery timeline will be when he feels comfortable and confident gripping a football. A clip during the Saints' Week 2 loss to the Rams illustrated that point, showing Brees attempting to pick up a ball on the sidelines only to drop it to the ground immediately.

Brees' absence has thrust backup Teddy Bridgewater into action, with the 26-year-old helping to deliver a rare victory in Seattle. He went 19-for-27 for 177 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers in the game. The injury also appeared to impact the usage of do-it-all quarterback Taysom Hill. Now serving as the sole healthy backup quarterback, Hill saw markedly decreased usage from what he's seen with Brees in the lineup.

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Saints Week 3 snap count observations: Taysom Hill used less on both offense, special teams SEATTLE — Saints starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was on the field for all but one of New Orleans' offensive snaps in its win over the S…

Hill logged one snap at quarterback and just four snaps total on offense, his lowest percentage of action since Week 2 of the 2018 season. He saw action on just 24 percent of the team's special teams snaps, the lowest total since he joined the team in 2017.

The Saints and Cowboys last faced off in Week 13 last season, with the Cowboys grinding out a 13-10 victory in Arlington that put an end to New Orleans' 10-game winning streak.

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