Football

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo could return from his foot injury in time to play in the postseason.

ESPN's Adam Schefter provided more context Tuesday:

The 31-year-old suffered a broken foot Sunday against the Miami Dolphins and was forced to undergo what was thought to be season-ending surgery. He had soreness in his left knee after taking a hit against the New Orleans Saints the week prior.

Any injury to Garoppolo is cause for concern, especially because he has been hampered by ailments since the New England Patriots traded him to the Niners in October 2017.

The Eastern Illinois product appeared in only three games during the 2018 season before suffering a torn ACL in his left knee. In 2020, he played only six games due to an ankle problem. Entering this season, he underwent shoulder surgery and missed training camp.

He was supposed to be Trey Lance's backup this year, but the 2021 third overall pick suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2, thus thrusting Garoppolo back into the spotlight.

Garoppolo has played well this season, completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 2,437 yards and 16 touchdowns against four interceptions in 11 games. He has also rushed for 33 yards and two scores.

With Lance out for the year, rookie Brock Purdy is in line to start until Garoppolo returns.

Baker Mayfield will look to reignite his NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams after they claimed him off waivers on Tuesday.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Mayfield might suit up for the team as early as Thursday night against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Schefter reported that the San Francisco 49ers did not put in a claim for Mayfield despite losing Jimmy Garoppolo to a foot injury on Sunday. The Rams were ahead of the 49ers in the waiver order, so the Niners wouldn't have gotten him even if they had put in a claim.

The 27-year-old didn't make it a full year with the Carolina Panthers, which acquired him from the Cleveland Browns prior to the start of the 2022 season. They announced on Monday they had released the 2018 No. 1 overall pick.

It continued Mayfield's precipitous fall. Within the space of three seasons, he went from helping the Browns reach the playoffs for the first time since 2002 to getting cut by one of the league's worst teams.

Throughout 2021, the Oklahoma product battled shoulder trouble that eventually required surgery. From Carolina's perspective, you could talk yourself into the idea of him rebounding now that he was fully healthy. His bitter divorce from Cleveland provided a clear motivator as well.

Not only did the bounce-back from the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner fail to materialize, but he also played worse than he ever had.

In seven appearances, Mayfield threw for 1,313 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions and was on pace for career lows in completion percentage (57.8), quarterback rating (74.4) and QBR (18.3), per Pro Football Reference.

Equally as concerning, the shoulder surgery did little to help him be a more dynamic passer. His 5.6 adjusted yards per attempt were more than a full yard below his career average (6.9).

Shortly after Mayfield's release, former cornerback Richard Sherman offered a withering assessment of the signal-caller, arguing there wasn't a clear space for him elsewhere and that he'd probably get another chance largely because of where he was drafted.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported teams weren't exactly banging down Mayfield's door right now and may not be in the offseason:

Teams I've talked to say his days as an NFL starter could be numbered. But several teams could be completely starting over at quarterback, including the New Orleans Saints, Washington Commanders, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets and New York Giants. There will be jobs available. But he's low on the free-agent pecking order.

Somebody was bound to sign him eventually because good backups aren't in abundance across the NFL. Kyle Allen, Brett Rypien, Bailey Zappe, Cooper Rush, Bryce Perkins and Skylar Thompson are among the understudies that have been pressed into starting duty for one reason or another in 2022.

When it comes to Mayfield, you don't want to pin your hopes to him as the full-time starter, but there could be worse alternatives in a pinch.

The Rams are a good fit because head coach Sean McVay might be able to get the best out of him. Perkins and John Wolford aren't impossible competition to overcome for the starting job, either, as Los Angeles continues to cope without an injured Matthew Stafford.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown insisted he wasn't trolling former Tennessee Titans general manager Jon Robinson, even though it wasn't a stretch to make that connection.

Brown, who scored two touchdowns in Sunday's win over his former team, tweeted a link to a shirt on his website and captioned it "Swole Batman AKA The Terminator."

The terminator part drew attention since the Titans announced Tuesday that they fired Robinson shortly after the loss to Brown's Eagles. However, the wide receiver explained he was not making fun of the situation and provided more context:

"I will never kick another man while he’s down," Brown said in a now-deleted tweet. "The shirts was made few days ago. My eye has been red for two weeks now. That’s not who I am."

The Titans' firing of Robinson was something of a surprise. He just signed a contract extension in February, and Tennessee is in first place in the AFC South at 7-5.

Considering the 4-8-1 Indianapolis Colts are in second place in the division, it is basically a foregone conclusion that the Titans will host a home playoff game.

Albert Breer of The MMQB reported some people inside the building with the Titans were "floored" by the decision, although NFL Network's Tom Pelissero noted the team's "brass wasn't happy with the direction of the roster" and "decided to make a change."

There were hits and misses throughout Robinson's tenure, which is often the case for general managers. However, the timing of the firing was impossible to ignore given how dominant Brown was during Sunday's win. He had eight catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns even though the Eagles pulled their starters early in the fourth quarter.

Tennessee traded Brown this offseason for the Nos. 18 and 101 overall picks in the 2022 NFL draft.

"I just didn't appreciate how it all went down, and they just kind of blamed me for it," Brown told Pelissero in August (h/t Kevin Patra of NFL.com). "I'm man enough to say that, however people may take it. But I have no bad blood with Tennessee. I'm moving forward."

It seems as if Brown has had the last laugh since the Eagles are 11-1 and he has 61 catches for 950 yards and nine touchdowns in 12 games. But he made it clear he wasn't the one doing the laughing at Robinson on Tuesday.

Even if Odell Beckham Jr. signs with a new team within the next few days, it could still be some time before the free-agent wide receiver is back on the field.

The Dallas Morning News' David Moore reported Tuesday that Beckham's rehab from a torn ACL may "extend into the postseason." Moore added that if the Dallas Cowboys ultimately sign the 30-year-old, "it will be with the understanding that the veteran receiver is unlikely to play before the regular season is done."

ESPN's Ed Werder and Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News echoed Moore's reporting:

Fresh off visiting with Beckham on Monday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan's Shan & RJ the team was well aware of the risk presented by the move. He explained the inability to see the three-time Pro Bowler work out left him "not confident, at all," but clarified Dallas has enough information to feel good about a possible partnership:

It's not like a draft pick coming at you, we've got a lot of history here and you take a good look at everything. Not only the obvious, and that's his performance, but also any issues regarding health. So, all of this, we've got to come in with our eyes wide open and it has to be addressed and that’s when you see if you can make a deal or not.

Beckham's free agency has certainly garnered plenty of attention, but Moore's report underlines how he may not tilt the balance of power in the NFL this year.

Even if he's back in time for the playoffs, it's fair to question how effective he'll be. Beyond having to learn a new playbook on the fly, there's always a level of rust when a player has missed nearly a full year of action.

A final decision for Beckham could be imminent. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday the unsigned pass-catcher planned to speak with his family and might pick a team by mid-week.

Fans of whatever team wins the OBJ sweepstakes are likely to celebrate, but it could be 2023 before he starts paying meaningful dividends.

With Matthew Stafford likely out for the rest of the season and not wanting to let Baker Mayfield potentially go to a division rival, the Los Angeles Rams could be in the Mayfield sweepstakes.

Per Albert Breer of The MMQB, the Rams are "looking into" claiming Mayfield off waivers from the Carolina Panthers.

Breer noted the Rams are fourth in the waiver-priority order, behind the Houston Texans, Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos.

The Panthers announced Monday they released Mayfield after he started just six games this season.

Per The Athletic's Jeff Howe, the 2018 No. 1 overall pick requested his release after the Panthers told him he was going to be the third-string quarterback behind Sam Darnold and PJ Walker.

Mayfield's release came in the wake of Jimmy Garoppolo and Lamar Jackson suffering injuries Sunday. Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters Jackson is week-to-week with a knee injury.

Garoppolo suffered a season-ending foot injury in the San Francisco 49ers' 33-17 win over the Miami Dolphins. Rookie Brock Purdy replaced Garoppolo and played well, finishing 25-of-37 with 210 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan seemed to downplay the possibility of San Francisco putting in a waiver claim on Mayfield.

"I've always been a fan of his but feel real good with all our players," Shanahan told reporters Monday.

The loss of Garoppolo could have huge ramifications on the NFC playoff race. The 49ers have won five consecutive games and are the No. 3 seed in the NFC, but they only have a one-game lead over the Seattle Seahawks in the division.

San Francisco and Seattle will play at Lumen Field on Dec. 15.

The Rams have lost six consecutive games following a 3-3 start. Head coach Sean McVay said after Sunday's loss to the Seahawks that Stafford will likely miss the rest of the year recovering from a spinal cord contusion.

John Wolford and Bryce Perkins have started games under center for the Rams with Stafford out. Wolford finished 14-of-26 for 178 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions against Seattle.

Mayfield went 1-5 in starts for the Panthers this season. In seven appearances, he completed 57.8 percent of his pass attempts for 1,313 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions.

There are still five weeks left in the NFL regular season, but three teams have a chance to clinch a playoff berth in their next game.

The Minnesota Vikings can clinch the NFC North with a win or tie against the Detroit Lions. The Kansas City Chiefs can wrap up the AFC West with a win and a Los Angeles Chargers loss to the Miami Dolphins.

The Philadelphia Eagles can clinch a playoff berth with a win or with losses by the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks:

No teams have clinched a postseason berth at this point. The Houston Texans and Chicago Bears are the only teams that have been eliminated from contention.

The Eagles have been the best team in the NFL all season, but they still have heat in the division race with the Dallas Cowboys sitting at 9-3. The NFC East rivals will play at AT&T Stadium on Christmas Eve in a game that could decide the No. 1 seed.

Philadelphia has made the postseason four times in the past five years. It hasn't won a playoff game since Jan. 16, 2019.

Even though they don't do it in dominant fashion, the Vikings keep winning games. Their plus-10 point differential through 12 games is the worst in NFL history by a team that started 10-2.

The Vikings' two losses were against the Eagles and Cowboys by a combined 54 points. They have a stiff test on Sunday against a Lions team that has won four of their last five games and has scored at least 25 points in four straight games.

Minnesota hasn't won the NFC North since 2017 when it advanced to the NFC Championship Game.

The Chiefs will play the Denver Broncos on Sunday. This is the first meeting of the season between these two teams. Kansas City has won 13 consecutive games against the Broncos dating back to 2015.

Coming into this season, there were some doubts about the Chiefs' ability to keep playing at the same level they had been at the previous four years with Tyreek Hill traded to the Miami Dolphins.

The rest of the division looked like it got better with players like Davante Adams (Las Vegas Raiders), Russell Wilson (Denver Broncos), J.C. Jackson and Khalil Mack (Los Angeles Chargers) joining the AFC West.

Instead, the Chiefs have looked the same with the No. 1 scoring offense in the NFL. Patrick Mahomes is arguably the MVP front-runner with a league-leading 3,808 passing yards and 30 touchdowns.

Kansas City owns the NFL's longest streak with six consecutive division titles. It will take a historic collapse over the final five weeks for that streak to end.

Jordan Love may not have a clear path to the Green Bay Packers' starting quarterback job just yet, but general manager Brian Gutekunst at least believes the 24-year-old is good enough to start in the NFL.

Gutekunst told reporters Monday the team has enough confidence in Love to consider him worthy of No. 1 status.

However, there's still the small matter of Aaron Rodgers being under contract for 2023 and set to count for $31.6 million against the salary cap.

Gutekunst indicated he'd like to see the four-time MVP come back:

"Well, certainly that's an offseason-type kind of decision, but surely, yeah. I mean we want all our guys back. We made a big commitment to him this offseason, so that was obviously something that was really important to us. But like we've talked about in the past, this is something we'll sit down with him after the season and it will be something we do together and move forward that way."

Love didn't look great in his only career start to date. He finished 19-of-34 for 190 yards, one touchdown and one interception as the Packers lost 13-7 to the Kansas City Chiefs last season.

The 2020 first-round pick has performed better when filling in for Rodgers this year, particularly in a 40-33 Week 12 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He was 6-of-9 for 113 yards and one touchdown.

Green Bay is 5-8 so far, and its postseason hopes dwindle by the week. One silver lining is that the team might be able to give Love an extended look over the final few weeks because there's little else to play for.

Should that happen and he finishes the campaign strong, the Packers could choose one of two paths. They could pencil Love in as their 2023 starter if Rodgers is willing to be traded or retires altogether. They could also trade him, presumably getting a healthy return while failing to recoup a first-round pick.

Granted, that doesn't mean things won't get messy since the Packers are well aware of how difficult it can be to pass the torch from a franchise legend to the starter-in-waiting.

Patrick Mahomes and Dak Prescott are among the 32 nominees for the 2022 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

The league announced the nominees for the award that will be given out during the NFL Honors ceremony on Feb. 9.

Each team gets one nominee for the award that is given out annually to the player who best exemplifies a commitment to philanthropy and making a positive impact in their communities, in addition to a high level of performance on the field.

The winner of the award receives a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice. The 31 other nominees receive a donation of up to $40,000 for a donation to a charity of their choice.

Prescott, Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett and Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry are all repeat nominees from 2021.

Andrew Whitworth of the Los Angeles Rams won the award last year. He retired after helping the Rams defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56.

J.J. Watt (2017), Calais Campbell (2019) and Russell Wilson (2020) are the only active players who have won the award.

Payton, Dan Marino, Peyton Manning, LaDainian Tomlinson, John Elway, Johnny Unitas, Roger Staubach and Joe Greene are among the former players who won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award and have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The award was originally known as the NFL Man of the Year Award when it was adopted in 1970. The league renamed the award after Chicago Bears legend Walter Payton following his death in November 1999.

New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram took the blame for his team's 17-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.

In a Twitter post after the game, Ingram apologized to his teammates for failing to get a crucial first down after catching a pass on 2nd-and-8 midway through the fourth quarter.

Ingram caught a pass from Andy Dalton and appeared as if he could have picked up an additional yard or two for a first down, but he elected to step out of bounds short of the sticks.

Dalton's third-down pass to Marquez Callaway was incomplete. Saints head coach Dennis Allen elected to punt the ball away from the Bucs' 44-yard line with 5:31 left to play.

Tom Brady led the Bucs on a 10-play, 91-yard touchdown drive that cut the deficit to 16-10 with three minutes left in regulation.

The Saints offense went three-and-out on its next possession, giving Tampa the ball back with 2:29 on the clock. Brady hit Rachaad White for a six-yard touchdown with three seconds left to give the Bucs a comeback win.

This was Ingram's second game back after he missed four weeks with a sprained MCL suffered during the Saints' 24-0 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 30.

It's unclear if Ingram's decision may have been an attempt to protect himself from being hit. Bucs linebacker Devin White was bearing down on him before he stepped out of bounds.

It's certainly not entirely Ingram's fault that New Orleans lost the game, either. Allen's decision to punt on the same drive cost his team 12.7 percent win probability, per NumberFire.com.

New Orleans' offense also came away with three field goals in each of its three red-zone trips against the Bucs defense.

Despite entering the game with a 4-8 record, the Saints were very much alive in the playoff race because the NFC South has been a mess. They would have gone into their Week 14 bye with the same number of wins as the Bucs (five) and just one game back in the loss column if they had been able to hold on.

Now, the Saints are effectively four games behind the Bucs after being swept in the two-game season series with four games to play.