NFC West

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is expected to be out for "threeish weeks" while he recovers from knee and ankle injuries, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Tuesday.

The 49ers said Monday that the 26-year-old suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee as well as a sprained left ankle. They added that he was expected to return during the regular season.

Samuel was injured in San Francisco's Week 14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he carried the ball up the middle and landed awkwardly after being tackled. He was visibly emotional as he was carted off the field.

The South Carolina product this season has recorded 54 catches for 612 yards and two touchdowns while adding 228 rushing yards and three scores on 41 carries.

Samuel established himself as one of the most productive offensive players in the NFL last season, racking up 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns on his way to earning first-team All-Pro honors and his first Pro Bowl selection.

The 49ers rewarded him with a three-year, $71.6 million contract extension with $58.1 million guaranteed in July.

While he hasn't put up those astronomical numbers, he has been a major part of San Francisco's success. The 49ers are the hottest team in the NFL with a six-game winning streak heading into Thursday night's game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Without Samuel in the lineup, Brandon Aiyuk will be San Francisco's top option on the outside. Running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle could also get more targets in the passing game.

Amid a disappointing season, Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury appears to be on the hot seat. After Monday night's loss to the New England Patriots, his seat may very well be on fire.

The Cardinals put forth a lackluster effort in front of their home crowd at State Farm Stadium on their way to a 27-13 loss on Monday Night Football. Arizona (4-9) lost star quarterback Kyler Murray to a potentially devastating knee injury early in the game, but the team's inability to bounce back from his absence falls on the shoulders of Kingsbury.

The fourth-year head coach was touted as a great offensive mind when he was hired in 2019 despite ending his six-year tenure as Texas Tech's head coach with three consecutive losing seasons. Without Murray, the Cardinals have shown an inability to move the ball despite their talented skill position players.

Fans on social media couldn't help but to question Kingsbury's future with the Cardinals, with some even calling for him not to return in 2023:

In March, the Cardinals signed Kingsbury to a six-year extension through the 2027 season. While it would be hard to part ways with the 43-year-old after making such a commitment, it's clear that change is needed if Arizona wants to be successful.

The Cardinals will try to regroup for Sunday's road matchup against the Denver Broncos (3-10).

Not a lot went right for Tom Brady during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 35-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, and then he had to relive his interception to Dre Greenlaw when the linebacker asked him to sign the ball in the aftermath.

"It was s--t for me, to be honest," the quarterback said on his Let's Go! podcast (h/t Nick Wagoner of ESPN) while laughing. "It was complete s--t. But I try to be a gentleman. No, actually, I mean, look, it was a great play he made. I'm happy he's got the ball. I wish I didn't throw it, but I'm trying to be a good sport. I can be a pretty bad sport. In the moment when they get me in the right frame of mind, I'm actually a good sport."

Brady may not have loved it even if he had some fun with it, but it certainly was a highlight for Greenlaw:

San Francisco has a number of injuries and is down to rookie Brock Purdy at quarterback, but that didn't stop the NFC West leaders from steamrolling Brady and Co.

The 49ers defense flummoxed the all-time great throughout the contest, and Tashaun Gipson Sr. also notched an interception.

But he didn't get the autograph that Greenlaw did.

The New England Patriots lost one of their top players on offense during Monday night's game against the Arizona Cardinals.

The team announced that running back Rhamondre Stevenson will miss the remainder of the contest after suffering an ankle injury in the first quarter.

Stevenson ran the ball three times for eight yards and caught two passes for two yards prior to being forced to exit the game. He briefly returned for one drive in the second quarter but couldn't play through the injury. Stevenson entered the game as New England's leading rusher with 734 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

A second-year player out of Oklahoma, Stevenson has become the workhorse of the Patriots backfield. His 161 carries entering Monday were nearly double that of backup running back Damien Harris, and his 56 receptions also led the team.

The 2021 fourth-round pick appeared in 12 games as a rookie and ran for 606 yards and five scores.

In addition to Stevenson exiting the game early, New England ruled out wide receiver DeVante Parker (head) and defensive back Jack Jones (knee) for the rest of Monday's game after they also went down in the first half.

The Patriots are left thin in the backfield without Stevenson, as Harris was inactive for the primetime matchup because of a thigh injury. With Stevenson out, New England's only available ball-carriers are rookies Pierre Strong Jr. and Kevin Harris, both of whom reached the end zone for their first career touchdowns against the Cardinals.

The ongoing courtship between the Dallas Cowboys and free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. appears to have reached its end, as the Cowboys are reportedly bringing in a veteran pass-catcher.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Jane Slater reported that Dallas reached an agreement with receiver T.Y. Hilton on Monday. The 33-year-old had played 10 years with the Indianapolis Colts and was a four-time Pro Bowl selection.

The addition of Hilton gives the Cowboys the extra offensive weapon they need as the playoffs approach. But where does that leave Beckham?

Here are the top remaining landing spots for the 30-year-old now that Dallas is likely no longer in the running.

Buffalo Bills

Beckham undoubtedly wants to join a contender to win another championship as he did with the Los Angeles Rams last season in Super Bowl LVI. He should look no further than the top team in the AFC.

The Buffalo Bills remained in the No. 1 spot after Sunday's gritty win over the New York Jets. At 10-3, Buffalo is one of the favorites to compete for a Super Bowl title this year, but the team could still use another target for star quarterback Josh Allen.

The Bills have one of the best receivers in the league in Stefon Diggs, who leads the team with 94 receptions, 1,239 yards and 10 touchdowns. However, no other player on the team has 40 catches. Allen's over-reliance on Diggs can come back to haunt Buffalo if teams focus their defense on him.

Adding Beckham to the mix would help take some attention off Diggs. For what it's worth, last month Beckham named the Bills as one of four teams he'd be interested in joining after he completed his recovery from a torn ACL.

San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers are the hottest team in the NFL, earning their sixth straight victory on Sunday with a blowout over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, star receiver Deebo Samuel went down with an ankle injury during the game, putting his status in question for the next few weeks.

Beckham could be the perfect option to fill in for Samuel if he misses extended time. If both are able to be on the field together, it would add a different dimension to an already dynamic 49ers offense.

San Francisco lost veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for at least the remainder of the regular season because of a broken foot. Rookie signal-caller Brock Purdy proved he can steer the ship in the interim with a three-touchdown performance (two passing, one rushing) against the Bucs.

The 49ers could look to add Beckham as another reliable target for the seventh-round pick as they charge toward the postseason.

Kansas City Chiefs

After losing star wide receiver Tyreek Hill this offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs have had to adjust on offense. However, perennial MVP candidate Patrick Mahomes still has the Chiefs on the cusp of a seventh straight AFC West title.

While Mahomes has been able to make up for Kansas City's deficiencies throughout the regular season, cracks have begun to show. In Sunday's win over the Denver Broncos, he threw three touchdown passes but also had a season-high three interceptions.

The Chiefs had been hoping free-agent additions JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling would be able to make up for the absence of Hill. They've combined to reach the end zone just four times through 13 games. All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce remains the top target in Kansas City's passing attack.

Beckham would provide Mahomes with another option in the explosive Chiefs offense. He could also open things up for Smith-Schuster and Valdes-Scantling. The three-time Pro Bowler would likely have a ton of fun playing in Andy Reid's scheme.

New York Giants

It's never too late to come home. In Beckham's case, a reunion with the team he started his NFL career with would come at a perfect time.

At 7-5-1, the New York Giants are clinging to the seventh seed in the NFC and could surely use a boost as the regular season winds down. New York is 0-3-1 in its last four games and has dealt with injuries to multiple receivers throughout the year.

Darius Slayton leads the Giants with 608 receiving yards, while Richie James leads the team's wide receivers with 38 receptions and three touchdowns. Quarterback Daniel Jones ranks near the bottom of the league with 194.9 passing yards per game. Clearly, New York's air attack could use an injection of energy.

Beckham has appeared to be open to rejoining the Giants, and he had a "good dinner" with head coach Brian Daboll earlier this month. A return to New York would give him the opportunity to be a key contributor to the team's push for the playoffs.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a disappointing 35-7 loss against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. After the game, Bucs quarterback Tom Brady didn't mince words when assessing Tampa Bay's performance.

"They kicked our ass," Brady told reporters. "That's just the reality of this sport. Every time you take the field, you have the opportunity to get your ass kicked or to kick ass. Obviously we were on the wrong end of it today."

The Buccaneers failed to put up any points in the first half of Sunday's game. The team's lone touchdown came on a deflected pass that landed in the hands of receiver Russell Gage.

Brady wasn't effective at all against the stout 49ers defense. He finished with 253 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, which came on back-to-back possessions at the beginning of the third quarter. The 45-year-old completed 34 passes on 55 attempts, his second successive game attempting 50 or more passes and fifth this season.

Even more concerning for Tampa Bay was the defensive performance, as the team's once-well-respected unit was dominated by a San Francisco offense led by rookie quarterback Brock Purdy. The 2022 seventh-round pick threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers. The Bucs also surrendered a total of 203 yards on the ground.

Despite being just 2-2 in their past four games, the Bucs maintain a one-game lead for first place in the NFC South with a 6-7 record. The Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons (both 5-8) are not far behind. The Bucs will play both teams one more time this season.

If Tampa Bay can maintain its position, it will be in line for a home game in the postseason. The Bucs will look to put forth a better effort when they host the Cincinnati Bengals (9-4) next Sunday.

In his first NFL start, San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback Brock Purdy completed 16 of 21 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns to lead his team to a 35-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

The former Iowa State star, who was the last pick of April's NFL draft, added a rushing touchdown as well.

Purdy is calling signals for Jimmy Garoppolo, who suffered a broken left foot early in the 49ers' 33-17 win over the Miami Dolphins last Sunday. The rookie walked onto the field in relief and completed 25 of 37 passes for 210 yards, two touchdowns and one pick.

He now leads a 9-4 49ers team with a two-game edge (plus the head-to-head tiebreaker) over the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC West lead. With Garoppolo likely out for the season, it appears Purdy will be leading San Francisco into the playoffs in hopes of earning the franchise's first Super Bowl since 1995.

His performance Sunday provides hope that he will be up to the task. Purdy made some big plays, including a two-yard touchdown run for a 13-0 edge, an impressive toss to Deebo Samuel after evading pressure and a 27-yard TD lob to Christian McCaffrey.

Purdy also found Brandon Aiyuk for a 32-yard score en route to a 28-0 halftime lead.

The 49ers were on cruise control in the second half, so much so that starters got to rest in the fourth quarter.

But the story of the day was Purdy, who soundly defeated 45-year-old and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and the Bucs. San Francisco is now on a six-game win streak, and Twitter was elated over the rookie's performance.

San Francisco can clinch the NFC West title Thursday evening with a road win over the Seattle Seahawks.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel was carted off the field during Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after suffering a potentially devastating ankle injury. Hall of Famer and 49ers great Jerry Rice was not happy and expressed his displeasure on social media.

Rice took issue with San Francisco's play-calling, as he posted a photo of Samuel on Instagram with a caption that read, "Please stop running our skill player up the middle" and tagged Samuel and injured quarterbacks Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.

Samuel went down with the injury with just over five minutes left in the second quarter when he carried the ball up the middle and was bent awkwardly after being tackled, which caused him to fumble the ball. He was visibly upset after being placed on the cart, with teammates consoling him before he was taken to the locker room.

Samuel's injury is yet another blow to the 49ers offense. After losing Lance to a broken ankle in Week 2, Garoppolo went down with a broken foot last week and will likely be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season.

The versatile Samuel is used in a variety of ways within San Francisco's offense. Entering Sunday's game, he totaled 776 scrimmage yards with two receiving touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. He's not on the same pace that earned him first-team All-Pro honors in 2021, but he's still an integral part of the team's success.

Samuel's role played a factor in negotiations for his contract extension this offseason. After not receiving an offer he deemed suitable for a player of his caliber, he reportedly requested a trade. The 26-year-old eventually agreed to a three-year, $73.5 million extension with $58.1 million guaranteed.

The 49ers are in first place in the NFC West, but losing Samuel for any amount of time would be detrimental to the team's chances of maintaining its spot.

San Francisco 49ers star Deebo Samuel exited Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second quarter and was ultimately ruled out with an ankle injury.

Samuel's leg got twisted awkwardly on a tackle and he was slow to get up before eventually being carted off the field.

Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed after the game that Samuel "most likely" suffered a high ankle sprain, per The Athletic's Matt Barrows.

The only time Samuel has missed this season came in a Week 8 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams with a hamstring injury that he suffered in a Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Through San Francisco's first seven games, Samuel had been one of the team's best players. He caught 32 passes for 387 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 138 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries.

He entered Sunday's game having caught 50 passes for 569 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games, in addition to rushing for 207 yards and two scores.

The 2019 second-round pick has been mostly durable through his four-year NFL career. However, he appeared in just seven games during the 2020 season because of two separate hamstring injuries and a foot ailment.

When fully healthy, Samuel is one of the most effective players on the field for San Francisco. His best season came in 2021 when he caught 77 passes for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games, in addition to rushing for 365 yards and eight scores.

When the South Carolina product is sidelined, the 49ers have enough talent to make up for his loss, including Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey.

The 49ers entered Sunday's game with an 8-4 record. They'll need Samuel fully healthy for a push for the playoffs.