New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees may have to settle being on the sidelines if he has a torn rotator cuff, but it seems he may not even have to miss a game.

The Saints wasted no time to check Brees' shoulder after it led him to feel some "weakness, pain and discomfort," NFL.com reported. An MRI was already performed on Brees on Monday and more tests await him to know more about his condition.

Saints coach Sean Payton remained optimistic on Monday night during the WWL Radio coaches show, ESPN noted.

"It's not gonna be something where it's long-term. I think both he and the doctors are all optimistic. A lot of it is gonna be on the treatment and his ability to come back and really feel like he's got the strength he needs," Payton said.

"He's someone, you know as well as anyone, he's gonna be a competitor. He's gonna be smart about it as well. But I think we'll have a better idea come Wednesday," the Saints' mentor added.

If the Texas-born quarterback has a torn rotator cuff, there's a great chance that he'd miss the remaining games of the season. In the Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao's case, who had a "significant tear" on his rotator cuff, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache predicted that "Pacman" could be off the boxing ring in nine to 12 months, noted ESPN.

Luckily, Dr. James Andrews, who did the major reconstructive shoulder surgery on Brees before the 2006 season, confirmed that the Saints' quarterback only has a "bruised rotator cuff" and didn't see any tear on his recent MRI scans, ESPN announced, citing a source knowledgeable of the matter.

The source shared that according to the quarterback, there's a "reasonable possibility" that he could be with his team when they go against the Carolina Panthers this coming Sunday.

It is understandable why the quarterback wants to return soon.

First, he's a very active player for 15 years and reportedly missed only one game because of injury in 2005 while playing for the San Diego Chargers. Since then, he only missed another game under the Saints in the 2009 season, the same season the Saints got a Super Bowl victory, only to make him rest ahead of the playoffs, Black and Blue Review informed. Interestingly, it was a game against the Panthers.

Second, the quarterback, who tallied 5,476 passing yards in season 2011, may want to aid his team to get their first win this 2015 season. They are already down to 0-2 and are already thirsty for that victory.

Still, Brees must be really smart about it and should be cautious not to worsen his condition just for a short-term gain.

Related