NFC South

If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers do not reach Super Bowl 57, Fox "definitely" wants Tom Brady on its broadcast of the NFL's championship game, per Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports.

"If he’s not playing in the game, I would expect Brady to be part of Fox’s Super Bowl coverage," a source told McCarthy. "Definitely. I would be very surprised if he isn’t."

Fox is considering a number of options for Brady to be featured in its Super Bowl coverage at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on February 12, 2023.

One option is to have the seven-time Super Bowl champion join Greg Olsen and Kevin Burkhardt in the broadcast booth as a three-man team, per McCarthy. However, it's more likely he serves as an analyst alongside Terry Bradshaw, Michael Strahan, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson, Curt Menefee and Jay Glazer.

Brady signed a 10-year, $375 million post-retirement deal with Fox in May. He is expected to replace Olsen on the network's No. 1 broadcast team alongside Burkhardt when he officially hangs up the cleats.

Over the course of this long-term agreement, Tom will not only call our biggest NFL games with Kevin Burkhardt, but will also serve as an ambassador for us, particularly with respect to client and promotional initiatives.

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) May 10, 2022

However, Brady told reporters earlier this month that there is "no retirement in my future," so the 45-year-old may not appear in a broadcast booth on a regular basis for a while. That said, Fox does have the broadcast rights to two of the next three Super Bowls, so if Brady isn't in those games, it appears he'll at least be in the booth calling them.

At this point, it doesn't seem like Brady and the Bucs will be able to contend with the NFC's top teams for that coveted championship spot this year, either. Tampa Bay entered Thursday's game against the Baltimore Ravens with a 3-4 record and is struggling to remain afloat.

If the Buccaneers can turn things around and put together a much better second half, then we may see Brady contend for another title. Either way, it certainly seems like Brady will be involved in the Big Game regardless.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Julio Jones will play in Thursday's game against the Baltimore Ravens after his status was up in the air with a knee injury.

Jones was not listed among the team's inactive players 90 minutes prior to kickoff.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo and Sara Walsh first reported Jones would return to the field Thursday night.

Jones hasn't played since a Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The 33-year-old missed time with a partially torn PCL, continuing recent durability concerns that have plagued him at times. He appeared in 10 games last season for the Tennessee Titans and nine games in 2020 for the Atlanta Falcons.

There was a time when Jones was one of the best wide receivers in the league.

His resume includes seven Pro Bowl nods and two All-Pro selections, and he led the league in receiving yards in 2015 and 2018. Yet those days are likely in the past, and he joined the Buccaneers this offseason with the hope Tom Brady could help revitalize his career.

Jones has four catches for 76 yards and zero touchdowns in two games this season.

Baker Mayfield told reporters Thursday he doesn't plan to request a trade from the Carolina Panthers despite losing his starting job to PJ Walker:

Baker Mayfield says he’s healthy enough to go and obviously wants to play but is embracing his current role. Says PJ Walker “played his ass off.” pic.twitter.com/iElvcbl6ck

— Sheena Quick (@Sheena_Marie3) October 27, 2022

Mayfield has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, but he is expected to be available for Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. Head coach Steve Wilks said Walker got most of the first-team reps in practice Wednesday, while Mayfield took ran with the scout team.

Walker earned the starting job after totaling 177 passing yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in a 21-3 upset win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

"It's going to be tough to not put him back in there," Wilks said of Walker on Monday. "As of right now, I don't see any reason to. I still want to evaluate things through the week, but I thought his performance yesterday was really impressive, just the things he did, from commanding the offense, pushing the ball downfield."

Mayfield hadn't been nearly as productive during the team's 1-4 start.

The 27-year-old totaled four touchdown passes with four interceptions, averaging only 192.4 passing yards per game. His 71.9 passer rating would be a career low, while his 15.3 Total QBR is easily the worst of all qualified quarterbacks.

He must now win back his starting job amid Walker's strong play and Sam Darnold returning to full strength from his ankle injury.

It's clear Mayfield won't request a trade, however, as he did during the offseason with the Cleveland Browns. After months of uncertainty, he was finally shipped to Carolina in July in exchange for a conditional draft pick.

His market would likely be limited if he did want to move again before the Nov. 1 trade deadline.

The 2018 No. 1 overall draft pick is set to become a free agent after this season, which could grant him a fresh start in a new location.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is the best offensive player on the team, so he took it upon himself to say something to his teammates after their disappointing 42-34 loss to the Arizona Cardinals this past Thursday.

Kamara explained to reporters on Wednesday that the Saints need to adjust their mentality and "get their swag back," and that's why he gave a postgame speech to the team.

New Orleans fell to 2-5 as a result of Thursday's loss. The team has struggled with defense and turnovers, and it's also one of the most penalized groups in the NFL.

Kamara feels that the difference between this year's unit and other Saints teams from the past is the way they respond to adversity.

"Even when we were down, it was never like, we were looking at the score. It was like, 'Well, alright, s--t, let's go play football.' It wasn't a score thing, it wasn't like what the other team was doing thing. It's like, let's go out and execute, and ... we're gonna like the result," Kamara said. "I feel like, just honestly, we haven't really been playing like that. It's been like, we kind of, it's just of a little bit of a panic, a little bit of a, 'oh s--t, we're down.' Like, man, we don't play like that. I still don't have that kind of mentality."

The sixth-year running back appears to be taking on more of a leadership role, and he said he felt it was necessary to speak up after a disappointing loss.

"You come out of a game you feel like you should have won, you kind of have some mistakes that cost us the game and you don't feel good," Kamara said. "It's easy to kind of go in there, and it's like, that quiet. That quiet in the locker room, waiting for somebody to say something. I feel like you have a lot of those moments, but I just felt compelled to say something, so I got what I had to get off and I left it at that."

When asked directly why he felt motivated to speak to the team, Kamara gave a lengthy answer and said, in part, "It does so much to lead by example, but sometimes people gotta say s--t. So I felt like I had to say something. ... What I said, it wasn't me talking at people. It was like, 'Shoot, hold me accountable, too.' If you don't see me with that swag and that energy and that pride I'm talking about, then tell me and call me out. Because I'm going to do the same thing to everybody on the field. Because I know what it takes to be what we want to be."

The Saints will look to bounce back from their early-season disappointments when they face the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston is fully recovered from the back and ankle injuries that forced him to miss the last four games, but he's not getting his starting job back.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen announced Wednesday that veteran Andy Dalton will remain the starter for the team's Week 8 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders over Winston, who started New Orleans' first three games. Allen called the move "an offensive decision."

New Orleans (2-5) has gone 1-3 with Dalton as the starter this season. He's thrown for 946 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions in his four games, and Allen said there's "no need to upset the apple cart" by changing quarterbacks. He also noted that Dalton will remain the starter as long as he is playing well.

Despite the team's losing record, the Saints offense has performed well this year. New Orleans ranks third in the NFL in total offense with an average of 398.3 yards and seventh in scoring offense at 25.0 points per game. The team's offense took off when Winston was sidelined, as New Orleans averaged 17.0 points in his three starts and went 1-2.

However, the Saints have struggled on the other side of the ball all season and rank second-to-last in scoring defense with opposing teams averaging 28.6 points against them.

New Orleans has dealt with injuries to its defensive backfield, as starting cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo were sidelined for last Sunday's 42-34 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The Saints lost veteran cornerback Bradley Roby to an ankle injury in that game, and he was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday.

Things won't get easier this week, as the Saints will face a Raiders offense that ranks third in the league with 27.2 points per game.

The Carolina Panthers' scouting department reportedly recommended the team trade up in the 2020 NFL draft to select Justin Herbert, but former general manager Marty Hurney and former head coach Matt Rhule declined to pursue a deal.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported there were concerns moving up from the No. 7 pick in 2020 "could hurt other areas of the team."

The Los Angeles Chargers selected Herbert with the No. 6 pick. Carolina used its first-round pick on defensive tackle Derrick Brown, who has been solid but is nowhere near the franchise-changing talent of Herbert.

The Herbert decision is one of a cornucopia of gaffes during Hurney's second tenure in Carolina. Hurney consistently clashed with owner David Tepper and Rhule over their preference for data-driven decisions before his ouster in December 2020. Carolina fired Rhule five games into the 2022 season after he posted an 11-27 record—a failure largely caused by ineptitude at the quarterback position.

Herbert has become an instant star in Los Angeles, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2020 and making his first Pro Bowl last season. The Chargers haven't reached the postseason yet with Herbert at the helm, but they have a franchise face for at least the next decade whereas Carolina is in the early start of another rebuild.

There's something to be said for wanting to build a depth-laden team, but there's a reason teams continually mortgage their futures for quarterbacks. There are only so many competent ones—let alone ones with Herbert's potential.

If the Carolina scouts felt that strongly about Herbert in 2020, it was a no-brainer to make a move—even without the benefit of hindsight.

Former Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule reportedly heavily influenced the front office's decision to trade for quarterback Sam Darnold during the 2021 offseason.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Wednesday a team source described Rhule's leadership approach was to "wear everybody out" until he got what he wanted, with the Darnold deal being one key example.

"It was Darnold, Darnold, Darnold [for Rhule] that offseason," a Panthers front-office source told Fowler.

How the Panthers would fill their quarterback void was the biggest question when Rhule was hired in January 2020. He was fired two weeks ago with an answer at the sport's most important position still elusive.

Carolina held the No. 7 pick in the 2020 draft and considered trading up but opted against the idea amid "concern that trading draft capital to make it happen could hurt other areas of the team," per Fowler.

The Panthers watched as Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert came off the board inside the first six selections. They grabbed defensive tackle Derrick Brown, a high-impact player in his own right, but the chance to get a franchise QB slipped away.

Teddy Bridgewater, who was signed in free agency ahead of the 2020 season, also wasn't the solution, which led Carolina to Darnold in 2021.

The former USC standout had produced three mediocre seasons with the New York Jets, but Rhule pushed forward with his interest, showing he was "willing to overlook Darnold's well-documented problems with turnovers and accuracy," per Fowler.

It didn't work out, as Darnold threw nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions across 12 appearances last season. Carolina tried another quarterback change this year, acquiring Baker Mayfield from the Cleveland Browns, but that also hasn't produced the desired results.

So the Panthers' hunt for a long-term QB continues, and now it's taking place alongside the search for a new head coach.

Meanwhile, Darnold may be in line for another chance to lead the Carolina offense before season's end as he moves closer to a return from an ankle injury.

P.J. Walker was announced as the team's starter for Sunday's road game against the Atlanta Falcons after leading the team to a 21-3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7.

The NFL announced Tuesday that it determined officials Jeff Lamberth and Tripp Sutter did not ask Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans for an autograph following the Bucs' 21-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Statement from the NFL saying it has spoken with the officials involved in the postgame interaction with Mike Evans and confirmed they were not, in fact, asking for an autograph. https://t.co/UQGJMFvhqp pic.twitter.com/DJZ24up1wL

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 25, 2022

The league launched an investigation into Lamberth and Sutter after video surfaced of the referees interacting with Evans in the tunnel after the game.

Lamberth and Sutter appeared to hand Evans a piece of paper, and it looked as though Evans wrote something on it.

The NFL's collective bargaining agreement does not permit NFL officials to seek autographs from players, coaches and other team personnel.

Pro Football Talk asked the NFL to elaborate on what the interaction was about, and the league responded, "We won't have any further comment."

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero later followed up, reporting that Evans was giving Lamberth his phone number to pass along to a golf pro for golf lessons. Evans and Lamberth both attended Texas A&M.

While the league found no evidence that the officials asked Evans for an autograph, it noted in the statement that the referees were "reminded of the importance of avoiding even the appearance of impropriety."

The interaction occurred after a bitterly disappointing loss for the Bucs, as they could not muster a touchdown against a team that entered the day as the worst in the NFL with a 1-5 record.

Tampa fell to 3-4, its worst start since quarterback Tom Brady arrived two years ago.

Evans finished with nine receptions for 96 yards Sunday, but he had a tough game overall, as he dropped what would have been a walk-in touchdown on a bomb from Brady in the first quarter.

It was an uncharacteristic miscue from the 29-year-old Evans, who has been among the top wideouts in the league since the Buccaneers made him the No. 7 overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft out of Texas A&M.

Evans is the only wide receiver in NFL history to finish with at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first eight seasons, and he is on pace to cross that threshold again this season with 454 yards through six games.

The 6'5" target has also finished with double-digit touchdown catches four times in his career, including last season when he hauled in a career-high 14 touchdowns.

All told, Evans has 639 receptions for 9,755 yards and 78 touchdowns in 128 regular-season games. He is also a four-time Pro Bowler and won the Super Bowl two years ago, meaning he may one day be in line for a Hall of Fame induction.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers figured to be among the most realistic Super Bowl contenders as soon as Tom Brady decided to come back for the 2022 campaign, but they are fighting to stay around .500 after four losses in their last five games.

Yet the future Hall of Famer hasn't lost his passion for the game despite Tampa Bay's 3-4 start.

"Absolutely," he said on his Let's Go! podcast when co-host Jim Gray asked if he still loves the sport at 45 years old in the face of the recent struggles (15:45 mark). " … It's a hard sport we've chosen, and it's tough. It challenges you in every area, physically, mentally and emotionally. Certainly, at this stage we're in, this is where you've gotta dig deep and see what you're all about. See what kind of character you have."

This surely isn't what Brady had in mind when he decided to return after temporarily retiring this past offseason.

Tampa Bay scored just three points in Sunday's loss to a Carolina Panthers team that already fired head coach Matt Rhule and traded running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Robbie Anderson.

It has scored more than 21 points just once all season, and that was during a 41-31 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The frustration is clearly there, as Brady has been seen yelling at his offensive linemen and throwing a tablet on the sidelines, but he put a stop to any speculation he might retire again during the season.

"I made a commitment to this team," he said (18:00 mark). "And I love this team. … I've never quit on anything in my life."

Brady spent much of the podcast discussing how important it is to overcome adversity and how he still believes this Buccaneers team is capable of making a run. It surely helps that they are tied with the Atlanta Falcons atop the NFC South and could seize control of the division with just a couple of better efforts.

"Everyone can be there during the parades," he said. "Everyone can be there when everyone's telling you how great you are. Who are you when things aren't great? Who are you when things don't go your way?"

Next up for the Buccaneers is a Thursday night showdown with the Baltimore Ravens, who are also looking for a bit more consistency after alternating wins and losses on their way to a 4-3 record through the first seven games.

It might take just one impressive offensive performance from Brady and Tampa Bay to turn things around, and fans at least don't have to worry about whether he still loves the game while his team is struggling.

The NFL is reviewing a postgame incident where two officials appeared to ask Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans for his autograph:

The NFL is reviewing the incident involving side judge Jeff Lamberth and line judge Tripp Sutter, I’m told.

The NFL-NFLRA CBA specifically says game officials “shall not… ask players, coaches or any other team personnel for autographs or memorabilia.” pic.twitter.com/2suFfK3MWL

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 24, 2022

One official could clearly be heard yelling, "Mike," getting Evans to stop before appearing to ask him to sign something.

The interaction came after the Buccaneers' 21-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

As Tom Pelissero of NFL Network noted, officials are not allowed to ask players for autographs or memorabilia according to the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL Referees Association and the league.

Former official Jerry Bergman made headlines in 1995 when he asked Brett Favre for autographs before a game, which violated procedure.

Side judge Jeff Lamberth and line judge Tripp Sutter were the two officials seen in the Evans video.

Lamberth is in his 21st season in the NFL, joining the league in 2002. He's worked six playoff games during his lengthy career as an official. Sutter is in his fourth season, spending time as a line judge and down judge.

Evans, a four-time Pro Bowler, was ejected from his team's Week 2 game after a fight with New Orleans Saints cornerback Marcus Lattimore, leading to a one-game suspension.

The 29-year-old hasn't been called for any penalties outside of the Saints game.