NEW ORLEANS - Drew Brees could return to the Saints' starting lineup just in time for the team's biggest game of the regular season.

Saints insider Nick Underhill reported Wednesday that Brees had been cleared to return to practice from the injured reserve list. Brees was sidelined the past four games with fractured ribs and a collapsed lung.

#Saints QB Drew Brees (lung/many ribs) was officially designed to return to practice, per the wire. A big-time and positive step toward returning potentially as early as Sunday vs. the #Chiefs. @nick_underhill had reported this.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 16, 2020

The latest development means Brees may be back just in time to take on the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs Sunday in New Orleans.

The Chiefs currently hold the top spot in AFC playoff seeding, with the Packers currently holding a tie-breaker over the Saints for the NFC's number one seed. If the Saints hope to secure home field advantage throughout the playoffs and a first-round bye, they will likely need to win out the remaining three games. 

The Saints have gone 3-1 in Brees' absence with Taysom Hill at quarterback, leaving them at 10-3 on the season so far. Sunday's game kicks off at 3:25 p.m. local time.