NFC South

Tom Brady's eventual retirement and rumors surrounding it will be a major storyline until he leaves the game for good, and the 45-year-old quarterback addressed that Monday on the latest episode of his Let's Go! podcast with Jim Gray.

While NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that the 2022 campaign "is expected to be his final season in the NFL," Brady wasn't as definitive:

"I think for me, I'm just gonna take it day by day. I'll evaluate everything as it comes. One of these days, they're gonna be right. I will say that. One of the days, if you make enough predictions and so forth, and I think we've all kind of talked about the predictions that have not come true. But I think for me, the ability to play and love what I'm doing in Year 23 with a new group of teammates and a really committed team, it's really fun for me. And I still enjoy … I feel the joy. I feel the happiness. I feel the camaraderie."

On the field, Brady seems like he might be able to play until he's 50.

All he did last season was lead the Buccaneers to the NFC South crown while completing 67.5 percent of his passes for 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns with six interceptions. Nobody in the NFL threw for more yards or touchdowns, though he fell short of what would have been the fourth MVP of his illustrious career.

Yet this offseason was different. Brady retired, unretired and then left the Buccaneers for 11 days during training camp in a move that was met with plenty of scrutiny.

There is also quite the retirement plan waiting for him: He agreed to a 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox to contribute to the network's NFL coverage when his playing days are behind him.

Yet Brady said he is taking it one day at a time, and his first day of the 2022 season ended with a 19-3 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. It was far from his best individual showing, as he finished 18-of-27 for 212 yards and one touchdown with one interception, but the outcome was never in doubt down the stretch.

Tampa Bay figures to be a Super Bowl contender as long as No. 12 is behind center.

How long he will remains to be seen.

Former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton spent much of his career coaching a future Hall of Famer in legendary quarterback Drew Brees. Payton said on Monday that he once hoped the heir apparent to Brees would be another future Hall of Famer: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

During an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Payton gushed about Mahomes and said he reminded him of Brett Favre during his pre-draft evaluations. Payton said the Saints were poised to take him with the 11th pick in the 2017 draft before the Chiefs traded up to the 10th spot to select him.

"We're going right to the plane. Nobody knows we were here... That's our next quarterback."

— @SeanPayton details to @ColinCowherd how the Saints almost landed Patrick Mahomes pic.twitter.com/9h5UQQJs91

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) September 12, 2022

Payton explained that he grew enamored with Mahomes after a pre-draft workout he attended with other Saints team officials in Lubbock, Texas. The former Texas Tech star was so impressive that Payton wanted to keep it under wraps that New Orleans had found its quarterback of the future.

"He reminded me of Favre because he had that, not just gunslinger, but he could torque his body and he could create speed on the ball without his feet having to be set, or perfectly set, so some of these off-schedule throws, he was very good at," Payton recalled. "I remember when we finished, I said ... 'Look, we're going right to the plane, we're not stopping, no one knows we're here. That's our next quarterback.'"

Kansas City traded up 17 spots to jump New Orleans and take Mahomes, who went on to become an NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion. The Saints selected cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who was 2017 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and developed into a four-time Pro Bowler.

Payton thinks things worked out for both teams, but he maintains that Mahomes holds a special distinction in his mind.

"Both sides win, but [Mahomes] was the best that I've ever evaluated coming out of college, and there's a gap before the next one," Payton said. "He was that good."

Payton noted that there was just one negative he had in his evaluation of Mahomes.

"I wrote on my report, 'The only thing I don't like with this player, is the squeaky voice,'" he said. "That was it. That's a true story, that's the only thing I didn't like."

Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith expects some negative reviews for his team following a 27-26 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Sunday's season opener.

"You'll continue to write our obituary," he told reporters. Who cares? We have 16 games."

He also said, "You buried us in May. Bury us again. We don't care. We'll get back to work."

It appeared as if reporters would be doing anything but burying the Falcons when they jumped out to a 26-10 lead in the fourth quarter and were in full control. While there were multiple scoring chances that saw the home team settle for field goals instead of punching it into the end zone, it was an impressive showing by the defense.

And then it fell apart.

The Saints scored 17 unanswered points to end the game, with Jameis Winston finding Michael Thomas for two touchdown passes and Wil Lutz drilling a 51-yard field goal with 19 seconds remaining that proved to be the game-winner.

There were some positive developments for a Falcons team that is expected to struggle this season. Marcus Mariota didn't throw an interception while running for 72 yards and a touchdown, rookie wide receiver Drake London flashed his potential with five catches for 74 yards, and Cordarrelle Patterson ran for 120 yards and a score.

Yet it wasn't enough down the stretch.

Atlanta is in a daunting division with the Saints and a potential Super Bowl contender in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so losing at home when the Falcons seemingly had the game in hand simply cannot happen if they are going to make the playoffs.

The Falcons will look to change the narrative in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams.

Baker Mayfield isn't letting one game define his first season with the Carolina Panthers.

While he told reporters he would have loved to defeat his former team in the season opener after a 26-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns, he also pointed out that, "despite people making this out to be the Super Bowl, we have 16 more games."

He continued, saying, "that's not the culture we have and it's not what they built here prior to me getting here," when discussing how he believed the Panthers beat themselves. "And that's not what I'm ever going to accept."

Mayfield going up against his former team was one of the biggest storylines in the entire league heading into Week 1.

After all, Cleveland made him the franchise quarterback when it selected him with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft. What followed was four years of up-and-down play where he looked like that franchise signal-caller at times and struggled with turnover issues at others.

It was more of the same in his first game with the Panthers.

He seemed well on his way to a terrible game as his team fell behind 20-7 through three quarters but rallied in the fourth with a rushing touchdown and 75-yard touchdown pass to Robbie Anderson. He also led the Panthers into range for Eddy Pineiro's go-ahead field goal in the final two minutes.

However, Cleveland responded with Cade York's 58-yarder with eight seconds remaining to escape with the win.

York made all four of his field-goal attempts and was the hero in a game where the focus was on the quarterbacks. Jacoby Brissett, who is playing for the suspended Deshaun Watson, went 18-of-34 passing for 147 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions.

While Mayfield missed an opportunity to make his team pay for trading him to the Panthers and focusing on Watson, attention now turns to a winnable matchup with the New York Giants in Week 2.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers do not believe they'll be able to coax Rob Gronkowski out of retirement for a second time.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the Bucs are "not counting" on Gronkowski's return, believing he has "moved on with his life."

The team initially hoped Tom Brady would be able to convince Gronkowski to make a comeback during the 2022 season if the Bucs were a playoff team.

The future Hall of Famer announced his second retirement in June. He initially sat out the 2019 season during his first retirement before making a comeback and playing the last two years in Tampa.

After appearing in all 16 games during a relatively healthy 2020, Gronkowski again saw his body break down last season. He was limited to 12 regular-season games, compiling 55 catches for 802 yards and six touchdowns.

The 33-year-old has a history of significant injuries across his football career, undergoing at least nine surgeries. During a 2019 interview with CBS News' Reena Ninan, he estimated he suffered 20 concussions.

While there was instant speculation that Gronkowski could return midseason—even from his agent, Drew Rosenhaus—he's consistently pushed back on any comeback hopes.

"I'm done with football," Gronkowski told ESPN's Mike Reiss. "Love the game. Love the game. And definitely blessed with all the opportunities the game of football has given me and the relationships I've made—obviously, here in New England for nine seasons and two down in Tampa for two."

"But I'm done with football and stepping my feet into the business world, the business ventures, and just seeing what's out there and where I can find my place."

As it stands, Brady will go into his age-45 season without his biggest security blanket in the Bucs offense. With injuries across the offensive line dominating the offseason program and wideout Chris Godwin returning from an ACL tear, this is arguably the weakest supporting cast Brady has had since arriving in Tampa.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers veteran wideout Chris Godwin told reporters on Thursday he would be a game-time decision for Sunday's season-opening matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

"I don't have a definitive answer," Godwin said. "I'm just really grateful to be out there right now."

Godwin is recovering from a torn ACL and MCL suffered in Week 15 last season.

"I think it's a really like complicated process," he told reporters. "Obviously, you come off a major injury like this, you never really know how you're gonna feel. But I've been doing really well. Y'all see me out there practicing. I've been doing a lot of stuff, and like each day, it's very different than the day before. So, I think, ultimately, what it comes down to is, one, how I'm feeling, and then two, the discussions I've had with [head coach] Todd Bowles and the training staff. I think whenever the time comes for the game, I think everybody will know, but until then, even I'm not sure."

The concern for fantasy players is that the Buccaneers play the Sunday night game. The risk in keeping a starting spot open for Godwin is that if he's ultimately ruled out, a replacement option will need to come from either the Bucs, Cowboys or the teams facing off Monday night, the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks.

That eliminates a large pool of players and likely means that Godwin should remain on the majority of benches in Week 1 unless his situation is updated before Sunday's 1 p.m. ET slate of games.

But that seems unlikely, and the Bucs aren't going to rush Godwin back.

"[The games] count the same, but we want him well. I don't want him out there before it's time," Bowles told reporters. "If he's healthy and ready to go and they clear him, and everybody feels he's ready to go and it's completely 100 percent, then you take your shot. Anything less than that, I'd rather him sit."

Adjust your rosters accordingly, fantasy players.

The Carolina Panthers announced Baker Mayfield will be one of their team captains for the 2022 NFL season.

Oh Captain, Our Captains pic.twitter.com/2P1lhvtYp3

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) September 8, 2022

Mayfield is approaching his first year in Carolina following a trade from the Cleveland Browns. In late August, head coach Matt Rhule named him the starting quarterback for Week 1 ahead of Sam Darnold.

Darnold subsequently suffered a high-ankle sprain that forced him to go on injured reserve. That removed any lingering doubt about who will run the offense for at least the first four games.

Because his trade to the Panthers didn't happen until early July, Mayfield didn't have much time to get acclimated to his new surroundings.

Rhule told reporters on Aug. 9 he was happy with the veteran signal-caller's performance in practice.

"He's definitely improving," the coach said. "He gets more and more of a feel of what he can do at the line of scrimmage. What he's done in 10 days is pretty impressive—or 10, 11 practices. He's making really good jumps."

Mayfield will be carrying a massive chip on his shoulder after the Browns made their opinion of him very clear when they acquired Deshaun Watson. He's also due to become a free agent in 2023, so his future earnings will hinge on what he does on the field this season.

There's no question the 27-year-old regressed in a big way in 2021. He finished with 3,010 yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, and his 40.9 QBR ranked 27th, per ESPN.

Mayfield also battled shoulder trouble throughout the year before finally undergoing surgery.

Between making him the starter and assigning him captain duties, Rhule and the Panthers are guaranteeing the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner will at least have the platform he needs to silence his skeptics.

New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Trevor Penning might be able to play this season.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Penning "has a chance" to be ready by early November after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his foot.

Rapoport noted that at the least Penning will be able to practice and at best he could see the field down the stretch in the regular season.

The injury occurred in the Saints' preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Aug. 26.

Rapoport reported at the time that Penning was going to be out indefinitely. The 23-year-old was placed on injured reserve by the Saints last week, meaning he will have to miss at least the first four games.

The Saints used the No. 19 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft to select Penning. He was expected to compete for the starting left tackle spot vacated by Terron Armstead, who signed with the Miami Dolphins in free agency.

A three-year starter at Northern Iowa, Penning was named to the All-MVFC first team in 2021. He was also a finalist for the Walter Payton Award given to the most outstanding offensive player in the FCS.

Penning had an inconsistent preseason performance before suffering the injury. He allowed five pressures and was called for a holding penalty that was declined against the Houston Texans on Aug. 13.

Per Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus, Penning fared better in the second preseason contest by allowing one pressure on 26 pass-blocking snaps against the Green Bay Packers.

James Hurst, who is entering his third season with the Saints, will likely be the starter at left tackle.

Quarterback Cam Newton is likely still a free agent because he wants to start.

According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Newton "has gotten zero sniffs" leading up to the season, and it is likely because teams "know" he wants to be a starter and play regularly.

Newton, 33, is an 11-year NFL veteran who has spent 10 seasons with the Carolina Panthers and one with the New England Patriots in 2020.

He's a three-time Pro Bowler and won league MVP during his first-team All-Pro 2015 season when he led the Panthers to a 15-1 record and a Super Bowl berth.

Injuries have largely derailed him since then, as he has posted a losing record as a starter in five of the past six seasons.

After being limited to just two games in 2019, Newton was released by the Panthers, and he signed with the Patriots as the replacement for Tom Brady.

Newton went 7-8 as the starter in 2020, and he threw just eight touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions, though he did rush for 592 yards and 12 scores.

He was released prior to the 2021 season when the Pats decided to go with rookie first-round pick Mac Jones as the starter, and after initially going unsigned, he eventually returned to Carolina.

Starting five of the eight games he appeared in for the Panthers, Newton posted an 0-5 record and completed 54.8 percent of his passes for 684 yards, four touchdowns and five picks while rushing for 230 yards and five touchdowns.

His passing has taken a huge hit in recent years, but he still has value in short-yardage and red-zone situations, especially as a runner.

Also, his experience would seemingly make him a solid insurance policy as a backup, but Newton has only come off the bench four times in 148 career regular-season games, which may be why a backup role would be a tough sell for the 2011 No. 1 overall pick.

With the 2022 season set to start Thursday night when the Los Angeles Rams host the Buffalo Bills, there is no indication that Newton will have an NFL job, although that could change with one injury.

New Orleans Saints strong safety Marcus Maye was arrested Thursday morning on suspicion of aggravated assault with a firearm, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

Law enforcement sources from Jefferson Parish confirmed the news to WDSU-TV's Travers Mackel (h/t Fletcher Mackel of WDSU-TV).

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network relayed a statement from Maye's attorney, Eric Hessler, denying the allegation:

Statement from Marcus Maye’s attorney, Eric Hessler:

“Marcus vehemently denies the allegation from a motor vehicle incident, and looks forward to defending himself when all the facts come out.”

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 1, 2022

Maye, 29, is about to enter his first season with the Saints after playing the first five years of his NFL career with the New York Jets.

Underhill relayed a Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office statement regarding the alleged incident, which took place in Metairie, Louisiana.

Police report on Marcus Maye incident pic.twitter.com/OxeAS4eNR9

— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) September 1, 2022

Saints head coach Dennis Allen was asked about the arrest Thursday and told reporters that the team wouldn't comment until it had more information.

Here’s what Dennis Allen had to say about Marcus Maye. Effectively a no-comment for now. #Saints pic.twitter.com/WWut7NOJ8h

— Jeff Nowak (@Jeff_Nowak) September 1, 2022

This is the second time Maye has been arrested in the past two years, per Jake Asman of ESPN 97.5 Houston.

Former #Jets safety Marcus Maye has now been arrested twice in the last year. In February of 2021, Maye was arrested for DUI and he didn't tell the Jets that it even happened until ESPN reported last October that it did. https://t.co/3z15q8w6xn

— Jake Asman (@JakeAsman) September 1, 2022

Maye, who played free safety for most of his Jets career, is currently set to start at strong safety according to the Saints' latest depth chart.

He signed with the Saints on a three-year, $28.5 million contract this offseason.

New Orleans opens the season on Sunday, Sept. 11 at the Atlanta Falcons.