WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. -- Drew Brees took one small step closer to getting back to work on Tuesday when he dressed in full pads for the New Orleans Saints' practice.
Brees didn’t participate in any drills, though, as he continued to throw and exercise off to the side with the training staff as he recovers from a strained oblique.
Once again, it appears extremely unlikely that Brees will play in Friday’s preseason game against the Tennessee Titans. But he still appears on schedule to be back in plenty of time for the regular season.
“He's progressing well,” Saints coach Sean Payton said after practice. “So all those things are good signs. Each day he does a little bit more with the training room and then out here. And we just keep working on the rehab and making sure, functionally, that we're not stressing it where it sets him back."
When asked if it’s difficult to keep Brees patient, Payton said: “Well, he has that nature in him. But I also think he’s smart and he understands that the type of strain he has is something that can reoccur if you’re not careful and you don’t let it heal properly.”
The Saints had a number of positive developments Tuesday with their injury list.
Cornerback Champ Bailey returned to the practice field for the first time in nearly two weeks after suffering an undisclosed injury -- though he was limited to walk-through and individual work.
“He’s progressing well, feeling better, and it’s encouraging,” Payton said.
And guard Jahri Evans was spotted on the sideline for the first time in a week, although he wasn’t dressed in pads and only did some light exercises with the trainers off to the side as he recovers from an undisclosed injury.
Other injury updates:
Linebacker Victor Butler, fullback Erik Lorig and safety Ty Zimmerman remained absent from practice. Receiver Kenny Stills, cornerback Patrick Robinson, linebackers David Hawthorne and Kyle Knox, cornerback Rod Sweeting, running back Timothy Flanders and offensive tackle Ty Nsekhe were among the players who attended practice but did not wear pads or participate in any drills. Tight end Je'Ron Hamm also did not participate.
Kicker Shayne Graham returned to practice after being held out with an undisclosed injury Monday. Center Jonathan Goodwin was also back after being absent from Monday’s afternoon walk-through.
Safety Jairus Byrd, guard Ben Grubbs and defensive tackle John Jenkins participated in individual drills but remained out of full-team drills.
