New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees didn’t show many outward signs of the excruciating pain he must have been feeling Sunday.

He got up after being slammed to the ground by Niners defensive end Kentavius Street midway through the second quarter, briefly touched his ribs, made a face, and walked back into the lineup on the very next play, where he was lined up out wide. He stayed in the game until halftime, and even his teammates weren’t aware of his injury until he pulled himself out of the game following third-quarter warmups.

“Honestly, I had no idea he was hurt,” right tackle Ryan Ramczyk said. “He did not show it. He didn’t show it in the huddle. I didn’t see him on the sideline, really. I truthfully didn’t even know he was hurt. He’s a fierce competitor and he’ll do anything he can to be on that field. So, I didn’t notice it.”

The 41-year-old quarterback is reportedly dealing with multiple rib fractures, possibly five or more, and a collapsed lung, according to ESPN’s Ed Werder. That’s in addition to an unspecified shoulder injury. All of these issues are described as “cumulative” by Brees, whose timetable to return this season, if at all, is unknown.

So just how and when did Brees get hurt? The Athletic analyzed every snap Brees took on offense this year, singling out each time he was knocked to the ground. This does not include shots where a defender ran into Brees after the play, although such shots could have played a role in his gradual wearing down as well.

(Note: Pro Football Reference advanced passing metrics define a quarterback hit as when the passer hits the ground after a throw, not marked on a sack play. By that metric, Brees statistically has been hit 18 times this season.)

Here’s what we saw in the game film:

Week 1 vs. Buccaneers

Second Quarter

(0:57) Third-and-10: Brees drops back to throw and cannot find an open receiver. He takes off running with two defenders chasing him. Brees ducks and goes down to the ground himself after gaining a yard, but 275-pound defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul lands on top of his back and legs. Brees quickly gets up and walks off the field.

Third Quarter

(11:13) First-and-10: Brees fakes a handoff to Kamara and has only a second to throw the ball away as 203-pound safety Antoine Winfield charges at him via an open lane. Winfield knocks Brees onto his back. He immediately gets up without assistance.

(11:08) Second-and-10: Brees is knocked down again on the next play. He is hit right as the ball comes out and is shoved to the ground. He catches himself with his hands as he falls mostly on his side, rolls over, and gets back up.

(10:29) Third-and-6: Pierre-Paul comes free up the middle to sack Brees, who was looking the other way. He falls mostly on his back and shoulder as Terron Armstead comes over to help him up.

(6:28) Third-and-15: Linebacker Lavonte David pulls Brees down by his ankle. He lands on his side/throwing shoulder, rolls over, bounces back up and jogs off.

Total = 5 shots

Week 2 at Raiders

First Quarter

(11:13) Third-and 3: Brees is looking for Tre’Quan Smith near the end zone. As he fires off the pass, he steps back and it is already out of his hands when a Raiders defensive player tackles him by his legs. Brees catches himself with his hands as he lands on his stomach and gets back up on his own.

Second Quarter

(7:33) First-and-10: Brees changes the play at the line of scrimmage and completes a 25-yard-pass to Smith. Tight end Josh Hill is blocked into Brees, who hits the ground with Hill on top of him. He appeared to limp back to the huddle afterward and briefly reaches down to touch both his knee and shoulder as he walks. He stays in for the next play (a complete pass to Adam Trautman).

“Drew looked like he was walking a little gingerly there, back to the huddle, we’ll watch for that,” one of the announcers remarked.

(6:14) First-and-8: Two plays later, Brees throws a pass off his back foot out the back of the end zone. He is already falling backward, but safety Johnathan Abram accelerates the process with a shove. Brees falls mostly on his hands and knees, although it looks like Abram’s foot may have connected with his right shoulder slightly as they both hit the ground. Brees gets back up on his own.

(0:55) First-and-10: As soon as Brees gets the ball off, he is grabbed by one defender, who tackles him from around his thigh, while his teammate is blocked into him from the other side. He lands on top of a Raiders defender, rolls over him, and gets back up.

Third Quarter

(7:12) Second-and-31: Brees sees one defender coming, ducks away, and is touched by another one as the ball comes out of his hands. Although he initially stays upright, the defender keeps pulling as he goes to the ground. Brees loses his footing and falls on his backside.

Fourth Quarter

(12:29) Third-and-7: Brees is hit from behind after the ball comes out and is pulled down on top of a defender. He gets up and jogs off.

(7:37) First-and-10: Brees is pressured from both his left and right side and goes down on his side, throwing his hands out to catch himself.

Total = 7 shots

Week 3 vs. Packers

Second Quarter

(12:50) Third-and-10: Brees is pressured from both sides. One Packers player knocks the ball loose and lands on his back. Teammate Andrus Peat jumps on top of the ball next to him and other players pile on looking for the ball (although only one is fully on his back). Brees gets up on his own, looking like he takes a gimpy step or two before jogging off.

(2:40) First-and-10: Brees is sacked and does down mostly on his back/side with Peat and a Packers player slightly falling on top of him. He gets up on his own, shakes out his right shoulder and again appears to take a stiff step or two before walking back to the huddle.

Total = 2 shots

Week 4 at Lions

Second Quarter

(13:28) Second-and-1: Brees is sacked for an 11-yard loss. Hill’s blocker comes free and wraps his arms around Brees’ legs. He goes down on his back/side, landing partially on the defender, rolls over, and gets up on his own.

(12:44) Third-and-12: On the next play, Ramczyk’s rusher gets free on the right side, grabs at Brees, but misses him. Another player bumps into him after the throw and he goes down, but catches himself with his hands before he completely hits the ground.

(0:56) Third-and-9: Lions defensive end Trey Fowlers goes low and takes Brees out by his legs after the ball has come out. Brees lands on his stomach and gets up on his own. He throws a touchdown on the next play.

Third Quarter

(11:41) First-and-10: Brees scrambles to his right, looking for Emmanuel Sanders and is knocked onto his back as he throws.

Fourth Quarter

(8:51:) Third-and-12: Brees is sacked and starts to land on his stomach, catches himself with his hand and knees, and rolls over.

(3:25) Third-and-5: Brees is hit as he throws deep to Smith. The defender gets a hand in his face and pushes him onto his back down to the ground.

Total = 6 shots

Week 5 vs. Chargers

Second Quarter

(0:16) Third-and-1: Brees leaps high over the line of scrimmage for a touchdown. As he crosses the plane, a defender shoves him back down to the ground, hitting Brees’ left shoulder. It’s Brees’ right shoulder that hits the ground though when he comes down. He gets up with the help of Alvin Kamara and walks off

“He doesn’t like doing it. As you can see, he gets hit on the arm there,” one of the announcers says, pointing out that he took a shot on the play.

Air Brees ⚜️#Saints | 📺:: ESPN pic.twitter.com/RSEps0TxvA

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 13, 2020

Third Quarter

(12:41) Second-and-7: Brees is grabbed on the left shoulder and sacked. He goes down on his left side, although he catches himself with his hand.

Fourth Quarter

(13:44) First-and 20: Brees is looking for Sanders and is shoved onto the ground by a defender, landing on his side.

(12:55) First-and-10: Two plays later, Brees is swarmed by a pile of defenders, landing on top of one of them. Another Chargers player falals on top of him as well. His linemen help him up and he walks off.

(6:26) Third-and-8: A defender hits Brees from his blind side and he falls down, landing on his left side/stomach.

Overtime

(7:19) Second-and-5: Brees fakes a handoff, drops back, and is tackled to the ground by Joey Bosa, landing on his knees.

(5:18) Third-and-6: Brees scrambles to the right on an incomplete pass and is shoved to the ground by a defender, landing on his side.

Total Shots = 7

Week 7 vs. Panthers

First Quarter

(12:07) First-and-10: Two defenders push Brees’ teammate back into him, and he falls to the ground, landing on his back.

Second Quarter

(12:15) Third-and-1: Brees leaps over the line of scrimmage and as the ball crosses the plane, two defenders meet him, with one shoving at his helmet and left shoulder. Brees is able to get his feet down first as he comes down on the ground, although his right shoulder does eventually hit the ground with a defensive player right on top of him. He jogs off.

(7:05) Second-and-10: A defender blindsides Brees and grabs his left shoulder, he twists around and lands on his right shoulder/arm as the ball comes loose during the sack. He gets up on his own.

Third Quarter

(7:10) Third-and-1: Brees tosses to Kamara, who throws it back to him. Brees is hit almost as soon as the ball comes out (Erik McCoy is blocked into him) and lands on the ground.

Fourth Quarter

(1:05) Third-and-1: Brees sneaks the ball for the first down, landing somewhere in the middle of a pile of bodies, although he is towards the top of the pile and emerges mostly unscathed.

Total Shots = 5

Week 8 at Bears

This is the first and only time some sort of tape can be seen peeking out from underneath Brees’ shoulder pads on his (right) throwing arm. It is also the first time this season he is sporting a glove on his non-throwing hand. When asked about the tape after the game, Brees only answers one part of the two-part question.

Second Quarter

(1:28) First-and-10: Brees is sacked for an 8-yard loss and loses the ball. He bends down to get the football and goes down on his stomach. At least three players jump on top of him, including 324-pound defensive tackle Akiem Hicks. He stays in for the next play.

Third Quarter

(7:08) Third-and-6: Brees is pushed down by Hicks after an incomplete pass and lands on his back. He is given a hand up by Peat.

Fourth Quarter

(12:51) First-and-10: Brees looks like he’s falling backward as he throws, outside linebacker Robert Quinn comes in from behind and Hicks from the front. Both land on top of him as he hits the ground.

Overtime

(9:01) Second-and-1: Brees sneaks up the middle, lands in a pile of bodies (although mostly on top of the pile). He shakes out his right shoulder after emerging from the pile.

(2:00) First-and-10: Brees takes off running and is tackled from behind. He lands mostly on his stomach and right arm.

Total Shots = 5

Week 9 at Buccaneers

Brees shows up on the injury report for the first time this season as “limited” on Wednesday with a right shoulder injury. When asked about it after practice, he said he’s always limited on Wednesdays (but never on the injury report for it). He is asked again about the tape, and says only: “I’m 41 years old, I’ve got a lot of stuff going on, but just keep ticking.”

Brees works off to the side without pads with an athletic trainer during the first portion of Thursday’s practice but is listed as a full participant on Friday, which is the lightest day of the week and mostly centered on red-zone work.

First Quarter

(14:06) First-and-10: Brees checks down to a pass to Kamara and is tackled from behind, landing on his side.

(9:42) Third-and-10: Brees has a mostly clean pocket on a touchdown pass to Smith, but stumbles as a rusher comes up to push him. He is caught by Armstead before he hits the ground.

Second Quarter

(2:18) First-and-10: Brees is falling backward as he gets a pass off, just in time for three rushers to swarm him. He is hit around his midsection and is slammed to the turf, landing hard on his left shoulder, while one defender’s weight lands on his right side.

Third Quarter

(11:58) Third-and-6: Shaq Barrett comes in from the right side to knock the ball out and Brees falls on his left side, catching the ground with a hand before his shoulder hits the turf. Barrett’s body weight lands on top of his right side.

Forced fumble by the one and only @ShaquilBarrett 😤

📲: https://t.co/wdieo2AEhe pic.twitter.com/FS6nAQEDyD

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) November 9, 2020

Brees plays out the whole game without any hints that something was amiss, but according to ESPN, he is believed to have fractured three ribs in this game on the left side that did not show up on the initial X-ray taken at the time.

Total shots = 4

Week 10 vs. Niners

Brees enters the week on the injury report again, this time being listed as limited the entire week. He does not participate at the beginning of Wednesday’s practice, similar to the week before. Entering the game, Brees is sporting a flak jacket, or padding that protects the rib cage. He is shown on TV with a massive bruise on his left arm that extends from his shoulder pads to his elbow.

Second Quarter

(8:42) Second-and-10: Brees is sacked by defensive end Kentavius Street. Brees hits the ground, landing on his right side and back with Street briefly on top of him, and rolls over, briefly laying on his stomach with his head down and not moving. Brees gets up and walks off slowly, touching his ribs briefly as the announcers note “he looks worse for the wear.”

“You can tell that one hurt,” the announcers remark.

Street is flagged for roughing the passer, although both Sean Payton and Brees note that it wasn’t a dirty play. Brees goes back in on the next play to line up out wide with Taysom Hill under center. He goes out for one play and then comes back in to end the drive by handing off to Kamara. Brees will remain in for the rest of the half, although the announcers note the sack seemed to take a lot out of him.

49ers’ Kentavius Street was called for a “Roughing the Passer” on Drew Brees in today’s game.@DeanBlandino explains if that was the right call or not. pic.twitter.com/jGdY2sfvFs

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 16, 2020

He will later note he felt “terrible” before the two-minute drill, which consists of six plays that end with a touchdown pass.

(1:32) Second-and-10: Brees gets hit one more time on a pass to Harris as a free rusher knocks him to the ground. He will continue to stay in for the rest of the series, showing no outward sign of pain other than briefly touching his ribs.

Brees goes into the locker room prepared to play the second half, but after second-half warmups, he goes to have a talk with Payton, pointing to his ribs on his right side. Jameis Winston comes out for the first series instead. Although Brees stays in his pads and keeps his helmet on most of the game, he never goes back in. Later, he says he felt like he wouldn’t be effective enough to play. ESPN’s report notes that two of the broken ribs on the right side occurred in the first half of this game.

Brees will later talk to the media after the game, speaking quietly and looking as serious as he’s ever been in such a setting. He notes that he was not in serious pain, but had several things he needed to take care of, “probably not just one.” His timetable to return is unknown.

“Nothing’s a long-term thing. It’s just a matter of how long it’s going to be,” Brees said. And honestly, I really don’t know. It’s not something quite to this extent that I’ve experienced. Like I said, I’m just going to take it one day at a time.”

Total shots = 2

Season shots = 43

(Top photo of Drew Brees vs. the 49ers: Chuck Cook / USA Today)