NFC South

When the Atlanta Falcons made the decision to give rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder a chance to start this week instead of veteran Marcus Mariota, they were reportedly unaware that Mariota would be out indefinitely.

According to The Athletic's Josh Kendall, Mariota is away to have a "chronic" knee issue evaluated, and the Falcons "don't know when or if" he will return to the team. Kendall added that Atlanta anticipates placing the signal-caller on injured reserve.

Mariota, who signed a two-year deal with the Falcons this offseason, started the first 13 games of the season. He threw for 167 yards, a touchdown and an interception in last Sunday's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. At 5-8, Atlanta has a slim chance of making the playoffs, prompting the switch to Ridder during the team's bye last week.

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith acknowledged that not having Mariota as a safety net increases the risk that comes with starting a rookie quarterback. Smith said Mariota's knee "is nothing that has been an issue this season, but that's (Mariota's) prerogative so… Of course, you want all your guys to be here, but guys have to make decisions. It's part of professional sports. You have to have contingency plans."

Earlier this week, the Falcons signed quarterback Logan Woodside off the Tennessee Titans practice squad. The 2018 seventh-round pick will act as the backup to Ridder and is the most experienced quarterback on the roster now that Mariota is out, having attempted three passes in his NFL career.

Second-year player Feleipe Franks, who switched to tight end this offseason, will act as the emergency quarterback. The former Arkansas and Florida signal-caller attempted one pass as a rookie in 2021, and it was intercepted.

The Falcons will hope to see some promise from Ridder when he takes the field this Sunday against the New Orleans Saints (4-9).

Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Tom Brady changes the team's offensive game plan presented by the coaches before each matchup, according to Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle:

The night before each game, Brady runs a separate meeting with the Bucs' skill players during which he goes over the game plan, makes tweaks to assignments and formations and provides a revised blueprint — one which first-year head coach Todd Bowles, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and the rest of the staff are left to discover in real time once the game begins.

The adjustments haven't done much to spark offense that ranks 28th in the NFL in scoring at just 17.2 points per game. There's been a clear lean toward Brady, as the unit leads the league in passing attempts and ranks dead last in rushing attempts.

It's contributed to a 6-7 record, including a 35-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday with rookie quarterback Brock Purdy making his first start.

The 45-year-old Brady's resume is certainly enough to justify him having a role in game-planning. He has won seven Super Bowl titles, three MVP awards and is considered by many to be the greatest of all time in the sport.

Yet it's hard not to wonder if his overruling of the coaching staff is problematic, especially with Tampa Bay continuing to struggle just two years after winning the Super Bowl.

Todd Bowles is in his first year as the team's head coach after replacing Bruce Arians in the offseason, coming in with a defensive background. Byron Leftwich, 42, is in his fourth year as the Bucs' offensive coordinator.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota will likely be placed on injured reserve with a knee injury, head coach Arthur Smith told reporters Monday.

The Falcons were already set to replace Mariota with rookie Desmond Ridder.

Mariota signed a two-year, $18.75 million deal with the Falcons during the offseason following a two-year stint with the Las Vegas Raiders.

In 13 games this season, he has completed 61.3 passes for 2,219 yards and 15 touchdowns against nine interceptions. He has also rushed for 438 yards and four scores.

The 2015 second overall pick said he signed with Atlanta because Smith told him he had an opportunity to start right away following the team's decision to trade Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts.

"It really came down to the opportunity," Mariota told reporters. "He said there's a chance for you to play, a chance for you to start right away. Really for me at this point in time in my career, that's what I was looking for."

Mariota appeared in 11 games with the Raiders but didn't make any starts, completing 18 of 30 passes for 230 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for 175 yards and two scores.

Before joining the Raiders, the 29-year-old spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. He was inconsistent during his time with the Titans and was labeled a draft bust.

That said, Mariota has dealt with injuries throughout his career. He missed four games during the 2015 season with a sprained MCL and one game in 2016 after breaking his fibula.

Mariota then missed one game in 2017 with a hamstring strain and two games in 2018 with a neck stinger and elbow sprain. He started six games in 2019 before being replaced by Ryan Tannehill.

He suffered a quad strain last year with the Raiders and was placed on injured reserve and missed five games.

Ridder was a third-round pick by the Falcons in the 2022 NFL draft. He spent his college career at Cincinnati, winning AAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2020 and 2021.

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.

Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were torn up by Mr. Irrelevant and the San Francisco 49ers 35-7 on Sunday at Levi's Stadium.

Brock Purdy, the final pick in the 2022 NFL draft, was stellar in a beatdown of the Buccaneers, completing 16 of 21 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to rushing for three yards and a score in his first NFL start.

Brady, meanwhile, had one of his worst games of the season, and arguably his career, completing 34 of 55 passes for 253 yards and one touchdown against two interceptions.

The 45-year-old appears to finally be hearing the footsteps of Father Time, and he was ripped by NFL Twitter for yet another underwhelming performance in which he looked washed up:

Tom Brady is about suffer a seventh regular-season loss for the first time in 20 years. Since becoming a starter in 2001, he's never had eight.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 12, 2022

At this point it looks like Tom Brady spends most of his time trying to decide who to yell at next. #Bucs

— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) December 11, 2022

TB12 down 28-0 against Jimmy G’s backup. Purdy bad look.

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) December 11, 2022

https://twitter.com/exavierpope/status/1602073396178980864

Tom Brady and the Bucs are AWFUL

— max (@MaxWildstein) December 11, 2022

that’s on Tom Brady. gotta put it on him. Mike Evans beat his man

— Thomas Jefferson III (TJ 3) (@ttj_3) December 11, 2022

This Tom Brady to Mike Evans connection has just completely fallen apart for the #Bucs.

— PewterReport 🏴‍☠️ (@PewterReport) December 11, 2022

https://twitter.com/vanessafranko/status/1602088110904311808

Wow, Fox pulls out of bucs vs san fran game. Brady got 100 tickets for family and friends to watch him get blown out by a rookie QB making his first start.

— John DePetro Show (@JohnDePetroshow) December 11, 2022

https://twitter.com/DaddyFiles/status/1602086762033172480

Father Time eventually caught up with every QB in NFL history who played at 44 or older, and Tom Brady wasn't going to be the exception.

— Avry's Sports Show (@Avry) December 11, 2022

The 49ers defense after each Tom Brady interception pic.twitter.com/NCjIj1lEqj

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) December 11, 2022

Is this the worst game of Tom Brady's career? Has to be up there

— Adam Aizer (@AdamAizer) December 11, 2022

Tom Brady might need to retire after this game

— Jeremy (@JeromeyR0me) December 11, 2022

Guys, I (don’t) hate to say it:

Brady is washed.

— Brian Witt (@Wittnessed) December 11, 2022

Tom Brady’s career is over

— Dusty Baker (@DustyBakerTV) December 11, 2022

Brady and the Buccaneers drop to 6-7 on the season with Sunday's loss, and they're in danger of not making the postseason.

With Brady looking as washed up as he did against the Niners, it might be wise for the Buccaneers to give Kyle Trask a shot, especially considering Brady is in the final year of his contract and probably won't return to Tampa Bay in 2023.

The Buccaneers will host the Cincinnati Bengals next weekend looking to get back to .500.

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.

An emotional Deebo Samuel was carted off the field 💔

(via @NFLonFOX)pic.twitter.com/Wd3R3hl90v

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 11, 2022

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.

Tom Brady began his 23rd NFL season with plans on retiring at the end of the year—for real this time.

That may no longer be the case.

Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported "all options are on the table" for Brady at the end of the 2022 season. The future Hall of Famer will be an unrestricted free agent in March and could consider leaving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the right situation.

The Miami Dolphins were stripped of their 2023 first-round pick this offseason for tampering with Brady and former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton. It's unlikely Miami pursues Brady this offseason amid Tua Tagovailoa's breakout.

That said, there will no shortage of potential suitors this spring. The New York Jets and Giants are both playoff teams and are arguably a quarterback away from being legitimate contenders. The Indianapolis Colts could make Brady an offer to be the latest in their revolving door of veterans at the position.

While it's unlikely, the New England Patriots could decide Mac Jones isn't their quarterback of the future and decide to pursue Brady for a short-term reunion.

The Bucs will also certainly do everything in their power to re-sign Brady, but the seams are starting to show with their veteran core. Tampa heads into Week 14 at 6-6, with the once high-powered offense taking a massive step back in 2022.

Brady is on pace for just 23 touchdown passes this season after throwing for 83 over his first two years with the Bucs. He's spent much of the year failing to connect on deep passes and instead settling for checkdowns. Chris Godwin is averaging less than 10 yards per reception, while Mike Evans' 13.8 yards per catch is a joint career low.

At this point, the writing seems to be on the wall for Brady's time in Tampa. The offensive weapons are only going to be a year older and more expensive heading into 2023. Brady explored the possibility of moving on via retirement and to another team last offseason after an explosive regular-season performance.

With the Bucs clearly looking like a middle-of-the-pack team, retirement and leaving via free agency should be considered the favorites for Brady's plans come March.

The NFL has fined the New Orleans Saints $550,000 after defensive end Cameron Jordan allegedly faked an injury in Monday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

The Saints were fined $350,000, while Jordan ($50,000), defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen ($50,000) and head coach Dennis Allen ($100,000) picked up individual fines.

The Saint released a statement denying allegations of faking an injury:

Statement from the Saints on the $550,000 of fines handed down to the team, Dennis Allen, Ryan Nielsen and Cam Jordan. pic.twitter.com/klCmrbXaD9

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 10, 2022

Jordan and his agent Doug Hendrickson discussed the punishment Saturday on Twitter:

Most expensive fine to date from the @NFL came in yesterday… added stressor for no reason

— Cam Jordan (@camjordan94) December 10, 2022

Are fines made by nfl open to public? I just feel like this should be public knowledge. ‘Cause some of the fines are silly but this 1… ridiculous. Anyways & for what a “deliberate action to delay game” before a tm punts? NFL just wanted a new patek aquanaut or summ… not off me

— Cam Jordan (@camjordan94) December 10, 2022

We are appealing the idiotic fine by @NFL what a joke- @camjordan94 more details to follow…. https://t.co/TD5KQhxnNl

— Doug Hendrickson (@DHendrickson41) December 10, 2022

The incident took place midway through the fourth quarter as the Buccaneers were hurrying to the line of scrimmage on a 4th-and-10. Jordan went down with an injury, forcing a stoppage, and the Bucs then punted instead of trying to convert the fourth down.

According to Florio, cameras captured Jordan "receiving direction" from the sideline to go down with an injury.

Tampa Bay won 17-16 on a last-second touchdown pass by Tom Brady.

The NFL released a memo last Friday stating it would fine players, coaches and teams for faking injuries, calling them "deliberate actions to delay the game."

In Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals defensive back Jessie Bates III seemingly faked an injury to help his team complete a substitution. Bates was also fined $50,000 on Saturday, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

On Monday, several fans called out Jordan for apparently doing the same:

Cam Jordan with maybe the most blatant fake injury of all time we all saw that right??

— Jake Huddy (@jakehudsonn) December 6, 2022

I think Cam Jordan faked that injury and u can’t tell me any different. Saw the hurry up coming and said nah fam #vetmove

— Not Andrus Peat (@SeaOfCowards) December 6, 2022

https://twitter.com/john_p_51/status/1599972032321847297

It's clear the league office felt the same and levied the fine against the player, the coaching staff and the organization.

It could be difficult for the NFL to prove injuries are not genuine, but the league is taking steps to reduce these attempts to get a competitive advantage.

Carolina Panthers defensive end Henry Anderson told reporters that he suffered a minor stroke in October due to a blood clot in his brain.

Carolina Blitz relayed remarks from Anderson, who noted he went to the hospital after experiencing numbness and a loss of feeling in his extremities:

Henry Anderson reveals that he was placed on IR because he had a stroke. pic.twitter.com/7h0qjEA36o

— Carolina Blitz (@KeepBlitzin) December 7, 2022

Anderson also noted that his speech became slurred as well. His wife eventually took him to the hospital, and he said the issue was "resolved pretty quickly."

"I didn't know much about strokes but I found out more about them and realized I got pretty lucky avoiding anything serious and long term," Anderson said, per Steve Reed of the Associated Press. "I am glad that I was kind of oblivious when it happened because I would have been a little more panicked had I realized what was going on. But like I said, I got pretty lucky."

Doctors could not find what may have caused the blood clot despite running a battery of tests.

"Every test we looked at came negative," Anderson said. "I think it was something that I got unlucky because they ran a ton of tests and everything was good. There wasn't anything that showed up or they could point to that they said could have caused it."

Anderson said that he's undergone numerous blood tests to ensure he doesn't have any lingering effects from the stroke.

The Panthers designated Anderson to return from the reserve/non-football injury list on Wednesday, which starts a 21-day window for him to return to the 53-man roster. Anderson said he's hoping to play Sunday at the Seattle Seahawks. He initially landed on the NFI list on Oct. 25.

The 31-year-old has played eight NFL seasons for the Indianapolis Colts (2015-2017), New York Jets (2018-2020), New England Patriots (2021) and Panthers (2022). He's posted 12 tackles (six solo) for the Panthers in six games this year and notably amassed a career-high seven sacks for the Jets in 2018.

Despite speculation to the contrary, quarterback Baker Mayfield was reportedly a model teammate during his time with the Carolina Panthers.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Panthers felt Mayfield showed "great maturity" when he was demoted to the backup role behind PJ Walker and Sam Darnold and that he was not a "difficult teammate."

Furthermore, the Panthers reportedly believe Mayfield "accepted his role" and "didn't make any waves" despite the demotion.

Per ESPN's David Newton, Panthers head coach Steve Wilks said Monday that Mayfield requested his release and was granted it. The former Cleveland Browns signal-caller was subsequently claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams.

The Cleveland Browns originally made Mayfield the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, and while he had his moments, such as finishing second in the 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year voting and leading the Browns to the playoffs for the first time since 2002 in 2020, he ultimately flamed out.

Mayfield played with an injured non-throwing shoulder for much of the 2021 season, and he struggled to the tune of a 6-8 record, 3,010 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 14 games.

The Browns decided to move on from Mayfield, trading a bounty of draft picks to the Houston Texans for quarterback Deshaun Watson, despite the fact that Watson had been accused of sexual assault or misconduct by 25 female massage therapists.

That spelled the end of Mayfield's tenure in Cleveland, with Jason Lloyd of The Athletic later reporting that he was viewed as "childish and immature" within the Browns organization.

After missing out on other opportunities to upgrade the quarterback position, the Panthers acquired Mayfield from the Browns prior to the start of the 2022 regular season in hopes that he could take the reins from Darnold.

Mayfield was named the Browns starter for Week 1 and went on to make six starts overall, but he struggled mightily with a 1-5 record. He also completed just 57.8 percent of his passes for 1,313 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions for a Panthers team that fired head coach Matt Rhule.

The offense was so stagnant with Mayfield at the helm that the Panthers made the switch to an NFL journeyman and former XFL star in Walker until Darnold returned from injury.

L.A. could represent one of Mayfield's final NFL opportunities, particularly as a starter, provided he gets a chance to start down the stretch.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford is on injured reserve with a neck injury and presumed out for the remainder of the season, leaving the Rams with John Wolford and Bryce Perkins under center before they claimed Mayfield.

It has been a rough season for the Rams, but they are the reigning Super Bowl champions, and Mayfield could build up plenty of goodwill around the league with positive reports out of Los Angeles.