Football

Dallas Cowboys fans hoping for their team to sign Odell Beckham Jr. might not have to wait much longer.

Tim MacMahon of ESPN asked the wide receiver how likely it is that the Cowboys will sign him, and he responded by saying, "It's a good possibility."

The comment came after Beckham visited the team Monday.

Dallas isn't the only team interested in landing the LSU product. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that OBJ also met with the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills and planned on making a decision by the middle of this week ahead of the stretch run.

While Beckham played for the Giants during the first five seasons of his career, the Bills and Cowboys stand out.

If he signed with Buffalo, he could catch passes from Josh Allen and take advantage of the spacing that comes with playing alongside Stefon Diggs. The same could be said about Dallas with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.

There was a time when Beckham was a No. 1 wide receiver, as he recorded more than 1,000 receiving yards in five of his first six seasons.

However, his health is a question mark after he suffered a torn ACL while helping lead the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl LVI win over the Cincinnati Bengals. An NFC executive said there is "considerable doubt" about whether Beckham is healthy and can play effectively, per Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports.

"And that's a problem because Beckham has informed teams he's seeking a multiyear contract that he hopes will end up being worth $20 million per year," Vacchiano wrote.

Yet the Cowboys have made no secret about their desire to add him to an offense that already has Prescott, Lamb, Tony Pollard, Ezekiel Elliott, Michael Gallup, Dalton Schultz and Noah Brown.

A number of players have said they want him on the team, and the version of Beckham who scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl and posted nine catches and 113 receiving yards in the NFC Championship Game last season could be quite the difference-maker.

It appears as if there is a solid chance Beckham will go for a second straight ring while wearing a Cowboys uniform.

The LSU Tigers are getting one of their top offensive weapons back for the 2023 season.

Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte announced he will return to the program next season, adding he will "lock in and focus on the main goal of any LSU Tiger: winning a national championship."

This is somewhat of a welcome surprise for LSU, considering Boutte was a potential first-round pick had he decided to enter the 2023 NFL draft. B/R's NFL Scouting Department listed him as the No. 31 overall player and No. 6 wide receiver in its most recent big board.

However, B/R's Derrik Klassen highlighted that there is room to improve:

"Drops that plagued him early in the season have waned as the year went on, but they haven't disappeared. Moreover, Boutte transitioned to play more from the slot this year, which is a somewhat concerning—or at least curious—move for a player who previously made his mark working outside the numbers.

"Stack those potential concerns on top of Boutte's less explosive play this season, and it's hard to justify giving him a first-round grade despite how naturally talented he is."

There is no doubting Boutte's talent after he arrived at LSU as a 5-star prospect and the No. 2 overall wide receiver in the class of 2020, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He wasted no time making an immediate impact with 735 receiving yards as a freshman and nine touchdown catches in just six games as a sophomore, but his numbers took a hit this year.

He posted 538 receiving yards and two touchdown catches in 11 games for the SEC West leaders. To Boutte's credit, he was at his best in important moments this season with 115 receiving yards in a win over Florida and 107 yards and a touchdown in the SEC Championship Game loss to Georgia, but there was plenty of inconsistency along the way.

Perhaps steadier play to go with his talent level could bolster his status ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.

Amid a disappointing 2022 season for the Green Bay Packers, many are wondering about Aaron Rodgers' future with the team. On Monday, head coach Matt LaFleur made his stance on the situation clear.

When asked if he wants Rodgers to be Green Bay's starting quarterback in 2023, LaFleur told reporters, "Yeah, absolutely. Of course."

Rodgers had said after Sunday's 28-19 road win over the Chicago Bears that his return to the Packers in 2023 would depend on whether there was mutual interest on both sides. The back-to-back reigning NFL MVP turned 39 on Friday and is likely at the tail end of his legendary career.

In March, Green Bay signed Rodgers to a three-year contract extension worth $150.8 million, which keeps him tied to the team through the 2024 season. The 10-time Pro Bowler has thrown for 2,864 yards, 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions through 13 games this year. He threw nine picks combined in the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Sunday's victory improved Green Bay to 5-8, but the team sits in third place in the NFC North. While the Packers are not yet eliminated from playoff contention, their chances are slim, and it would take some help to reach the postseason.

Many have wondered if Green Bay should give third-year quarterback Jordan Love an opportunity to start some games down the stretch. The 24-year-old has had limited playing time while backing up Rodgers, but he impressed in a Week 12 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles when he replaced Rodgers in the second half and went 6-of-9 passing for 113 yards and a touchdown.

The Packers are on a bye in Week 14, but it sounds like Rodgers will continue to be under center when the team returns to action against the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 19 and beyond.

The NFL announced several changes to the Week 15 schedule Monday, including flexing the New York Giants-Washington Commanders game to Sunday Night Football.

The Las Vegas Raiders were scheduled to host the New England Patriots in the prime-time game Dec. 18, but that matchup will instead air on Fox at 4:05 p.m. ET.

Additionally, the NFL announced a tripleheader to take place on Saturday, Dec. 17 with each game shown on NFL Network. The Indianapolis Colts will face the Minnesota Vikings at 1 p.m. ET, the Baltimore Ravens will take on the Cleveland Browns at 4:30 p.m. ET, and the Buffalo Bills will host the Miami Dolphins at 8:15 p.m. ET.

The games could have significant playoff stakes, especially in the AFC East as the Bills (9-3) and Dolphins (8-4) battle for first place. Miami earned a shocking win over Buffalo in Week 3, but this is the Bills' chance to get revenge at Highmark Stadium.

Baltimore (8-4) is in first place in the AFC North, although the team's hopes could be tied to Lamar Jackson's recovery from a knee injury. The Browns are just 5-7, but they won their first game with Deshaun Watson under center Sunday after his 11-game suspension following allegations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct. The squad has enough talent to make a run in the last month of the season.

The 10-2 Vikings are challenging for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, sitting one game behind the 11-1 Philadelphia Eagles.

The prime-time game between Washington and New York should also be close after their matchup Sunday finished in a 20-20 tie. The Commanders have a bye before taking on the Giants again in Week 15, while New York has a difficult game in Week 14 against the Eagles.

The Raiders' matchup with the Patriots represents a chance for head coach Josh McDaniels to beat former boss Bill Belichick, but neither team would be in the playoffs if the season ended today.

The NFL MVP race is tightening.

Patrick Mahomes' stranglehold on his second MVP award loosened in Week 13, and the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback dropped to +125 odds (bet $100 to win $125) following Sunday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. DraftKings Sportsbook had Mahomes as an overwhelming -160 favorite heading into the weekend.

Joe Burrow saw his MVP odds slashed by more than half, going from +1400 to +600 after outdueling Mahomes for the second time in less than a year. Burrow threw for 286 yards and two touchdowns and added a score on the ground in the Bengals' 27-24 win.

Cincinnati held Mahomes to a season-low 223 passing yards and two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing). He has only thrown two passing touchdowns over the past two weeks.

Meanwhile, a monster performance from Jalen Hurts in Sunday's win over the Tennessee Titans has the Eagles quarterback on Mahomes' heels. Hurts threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns while adding 12 yards and a score on the ground. He sits at +175 odds to hoist his first MVP.

No other player other than Mahomes, Hurts and Burrow holds better than 10-1 odds. Tua Tagovailoa was the biggest loser of the weekend after turning the ball over three times in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers. His odds dropped from +500 all the way to +1200.

Peter King of NBC Sports called the MVP a "tossup" between Mahomes and Hurts. However, he has Burrow third in his rankings and noted the Bengals quarterback will "have something to say" about the honor over the final five weeks of the season.

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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is slated to make his first career NFL start in Week 14. Opposite him will be Tom Brady, likely making his 330th start.

"Pretty cool," Purdy said of the matchup, per Peter King of NBC Sports. "The GOAT. He's been playing football longer than I've been alive."

Purdy was born before Brady made his NFL debut, but only barely. The rookie was about four months old when Brady was selected in the sixth round of the 2000 draft, going on to win seven Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A seventh-round pick in 2022, Purdy will hope for a similar trajectory in his NFL career after getting his chance in the spotlight.

Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a season-ending foot injury on Sunday, forcing the 49ers to go further down the depth chart after already losing Trey Lance earlier in the year. Purdy stepped up and threw two touchdown passes in a 33-17 win over the Miami Dolphins.

It sets the stage for Purdy to go head to head with arguably the greatest quarterback of all time when the 49ers face the Buccaneers next Sunday.