New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough has been playing with two broken bones in his left hand, sources told ESPN.
Shough suffered the injury Oct. 5 in the Saints' 45-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on "Monday Night Football," according to sources.
The Saints have not publicly confirmed the diagnosis, but the injury has forced Shough to tape together the ring and pinky fingers on his non-throwing hand.
The injury is expected to take weeks to heal, with one source estimating that the injury would last "a couple of months," but Shough hasn't missed any playing time. Shough is determined to play through any injury, but it has impacted how he does his job.
Shough spent last week's game against the Minnesota Vikings handing off with the opposite hand he normally uses, and he is expected to continue to do the same so long as the breaks in his left hand are an issue.
He also wore a protective glove last week atop a heavily bandaged hand, and the same protection is expected to be used for Sunday's game against the New York Giants.
Shough has been a full participant in practice since suffering the injury.
New Orleans plays the Pittsburgh Steelers next week in Paris before going on its bye week, which will give Shough more time to heal.
Shough struggled last week against a Minnesota team that ranks second in the NFL in total defense and has allowed the fewest points in the league. He passed for a career-low 96 yards and threw two interceptions in a 23-13 loss that dropped the Saints to 1-4 and drew harsh reaction from team owner Gayle Benson.
In a rare public criticism of her team, Benson said Tuesday that the Saints' start is "not acceptable" and called out several members of the organization, including coach Kellen Moore and general manager Mickey Loomis.
Shough said he shared Benson's frustration but emphasized that he thinks the Saints "are going to have a really good chance to go on a run here."
Shough has completed 66.8% of his passes this season for 1,299 yards, the seventh most in the NFL. The second-year quarterback has attempted the second-most passes in the league (205) and has been sacked 13 times -- tied for eighth-most in the NFL -- in five games.