New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis said his one-year-old daughter Carly-Faith is cancer-free.

"I'm a person that just never try to take anything for granted, and to know what she's been through, even to the point of having to lose her eye, but her body is free of cancer," Davis told TMZ Sports.

Carly-Faith Davis was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare cancer of the eye, in May. She lost her left eye as a result.

Davis has used his platform as an NFL player to help bring awareness to the condition.

"We're able to use her story and bring awareness to a lot of families that probably wouldn't of known about it if it wasn't for us going through it," Davis said.

Fantasy managers may be scrambling to fix their rosters soon in the wake of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees suffering an injury to his ribs Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, with Jameis Winston replacing him.

Brees missed five games in 2019 with a thumb injury he suffered in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams. The Saints were able to turn to Teddy Bridgewater then, but now the offense will be in Winston's and Taysom Hill's hands.

Head coach Sean Payton clearly believes in Hill as a valuable player in the NFL. The 30-year-old received $16 million guaranteed on his two-year contract signed this offseason. He's never thrown more than seven passes in each of the past two seasons and had a career-high 46 touches in 2019.

Hill played a big role in New Orleans' comeback win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 5. He only played 20 snaps but scored the game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

There are plenty of fantasy questions about Hill, who is currently available in the overwhelming majority of Yahoo leagues and 97 percent of ESPN leagues.

Both Winston and Hill are risky pickups if Brees' injury keeps him out beyond this week. Winston will likely be the starter, like Bridgewater a year ago, but his history of turnovers (30 interceptions last year) makes him tough to trust, even with a tantalizing matchup against the Atlanta Falcons next week.

Consider Winston a high-end QB2 if Brees remains out, while Hill's value will remain as a spot starter at tight end if the bye week has you in a bind.

One player whose status doesn't change regardless of who is at quarterback for the Saints is Michael Thomas. The star wideout, who is going to remain a WR1, has always racked up catches at a ridiculous rate. He led the NFL with 149 receptions and 1,725 yards last season.

Thomas had a modest performance in Week 9, his first game back from injury, with 51 yards and five catches on six targets in New Orleans' 38-3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Kamara has been Brees' go-to guy to start this season and outside of perhaps only Russell Wilson has been fantasy's MVP halfway through the year. He remains the easiest start in fantasy football.

Latavius Murray stabilized New Orleans' running attack in the wake of Kamara's absence last season. The 30-year-old had back-to-back 100-yard rushing games against the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals. He also had nine receptions and 55 receiving yards on 12 targets against the Cardinals.

Murray remains a significant presence in the offense.

If Payton is splitting carries between his top two running backs, Murray is also good enough to warrant a flex spot.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees will undergo an MRI and X-rays after suffering a rib injury during the first half of Sunday's 27-13 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, head coach Sean Payton announced.

Brees told reporters after the game he did not feel he would have been able to be effective had he tried to play through the injury:

Jameis Winston replaced the 41-year-old Brees, who was ruled questionable to return, to start the second half.

Brees never returned to the field on Sunday, with Winston—who went 6-of-10 for 63 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions—finishing the game under center.

Brees missed five games in the 2019 season after tearing a ligament in his right thumb. Backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater filled in admirably in his stead, leading the team to a 5-0 record in his starts. But Bridgewater is in Carolina now, and potentially losing Brees again to injury is a huge blow to the Saints' 2020 Super Bowl aspirations.

The veteran quarterback has maintained a high level of play, even into his 40s. In the 2019 season he threw for 2,979 yards, 27 touchdowns and just four interceptions, completing an incredible 74.3 percent of his passes, breaking his own NFL single-season record.

it was his fourth straight season—and fifth overall—completing at least 70 percent of his passes. He's thrown at least 30 touchdown passes 10 times and 40 or more touchdown passes twice. He threw for 4,000 yards 12 straight seasons between 2006 and '17. He's also thrown for 5,000 or more yards five times in his career.  

Suffice to say, Brees will be an easy selection to the Hall of Fame. But it appears as though his age might finally be catching up to him, as the famously durable quarterback—he missed just four games between the 2004 and '18 seasons, an incredible run—has two injuries in the span of two seasons. Before last year you had to go back to 2003 to find the last time Brees didn't play in 15 or more games in a season.

So the Saints turn to Winston and human Swiss Army knife Taysom Hill. And with Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas and a stout defense, they still remain a contender. 

But without Brees, their margin for error diminishes significantly.

The New Orleans Saints will reportedly face "significant" discipline for violating the NFL's COVID-19 protocols after last week's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Saints are facing a stiff fine and the loss of a draft pick for players and staff not wearing masks during their postgame celebration. Several videos were posted on social media after the 38-3 blowout showing maskless Saints employees, a violation of NFL protocol.

The Saints and coach Sean Payton were previously fined for not following league protocol after Week 2. 

Because the Saints are repeat offenders, their punishment will likely be more significant. The Las Vegas Raiders were fined $500,000 and lost a sixth-round draft pick for repeated violations of the NFL's COVID-19 policy.

It seems likely the NFL will follow similar punishment guidelines with the Saints.

Last month, Saints wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders discussed having COVID-19, saying he feared for his life, per the 17 Weeks podcast:

"Every night I go to sleep, I'm like, 'Lord, please, let me like wake up in the morning feeling good.' Like, I don't want to wake up in the middle of the night and like can't breathe. And like, s--t just goes south, right? That's like my biggest fear in watching that s--t; it intensifies my fears, right?

Because people can say whatever you want, and everybody could say, 'Oh yeah, I'm not scared to get COVID.' But in the back of your head, and you may think you're healthy, but in the back of your head, you don't know this virus. Nobody knows anything about this virus. You don't know how your body's gonna react, and you don't know at any moment, like if s--t will go south, right?"

More than 245,000 people have died in the U.S. because of COVID-19 this year.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas returned to the field for the first time since Week 1 on Sunday and helped lead his team to a 38-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"It felt great just to be out there with the guys and dominate the game on all sides of the ball," he told reporters. "... It was a great time. I'm at a loss for words."

Thomas also addressed the practice incident with defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson that left him sidelined for the Week 5 win over the Los Angeles Chargers and said, "My emotions got the best of me in that situation. I've grown from that, and I'm here to help my team win games, finish the mission and win a championship."

While it was widely reported the Saints suspended Thomas at the time, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk reported that technically wasn't the case.

Instead, the Saints fined him $58,823.53 "for Conduct Detrimental to the Club" so that his potential future guarantees were not voided. What's more, possibly voiding those $27.95 million in future guarantees could have led to a grievance from the NFL Players Association.

That is not the only reason Thomas was sidelined, as he battled injuries throughout the first half of the year.

The Ohio State product finished with five catches for 51 yards, both team-high marks, in the blowout win over Tampa Bay and appeared to shake off some rust following such a long layoff. The game was never in doubt, and New Orleans built a 31-0 halftime lead behind the brilliance of Drew Brees and the defense.

While players such as Alvin Kamara, Emmanuel Sanders, Jared Cook and Tre'Quan Smith helped the Saints survive Thomas' absence, they are much more formidable championship contenders with him on the field.

He set the single-season receptions record with 149 for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns and is arguably the best wide receiver in the league. Just his presence opens up plenty of other options for the rest of the offense because he draws so much attention from opposing defenses.

While he won't match those numbers in 2020 after missing so much time, his goal of winning a championship is still very much in play following New Orleans' 6-2 start.

New Orleans Saints cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson has been fined by the NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct in last week's 26-23 win over the Chicago Bears. 

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Gardner-Johnson was docked $5,128 for his role in the fight with Bears wide receiver Javon Wims. 

The incident occurred in the third quarter when Wims, seemingly unprovoked, ran up to Gardner-Johnson after a play and threw multiple punches that led to a skirmish on the field between the two teams. 

Speaking to reporters Monday, Gardner-Johnson denied suggestions that he spit on Wims prior to their altercation.

"It ain't got nothing to do with me. If he's acting out, that's on him," he said. "It wasn't no incident. ... It's a lot of he said, he said. Ain't nothing happened. Nobody got spit on."

Pelissero reported that Wims told Bears officials that Gardner-Johnson spit on him and ripped out his mouthpiece. 

Wims was suspended for two games by the NFL. The 26-year-old will be eligible to return after Chicago's game against the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 16. 

Gardner-Johnson was a fourth-round pick by the Saints in 2019. He has appeared in every regular-season game over the past two seasons. 

New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins provided lunch for 300 poll workers counting votes for the ongoing United States presidential election at the Philadelphia Convention Center on Friday, per ESPN's Tim McManus.

The meals were purchased at Keven Parker Soul Food Cafe in Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market through the Malcolm Jenkins Foundation. Parker, a restaurant entrepreneur, also owns Ms. Tootsie’s Restaurant Bar Lounge in Philadelphia. 

Jenkins, who played with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2014-2019 and won Super Bowl LII to cap the 2017 season, provided the following statement:

"Covid-19 has made us aware of the importance of essential workers, and as we try to hold the election in the middle of a pandemic, those who are doing the job of counting votes are essential to our democracy.

"My Foundation and I wanted them to know they are appreciated and the work they are doing is important to the fabric of our democracy. It was also important to me to support a minority-owned business in Philadelphia and Keven Parker's Soul Food Cafe made it happen on short notice."

Numerous athletes and sports organizations have helped bring food to poll workers and voters alike during the election for voters and after the election for vote counters.

For example, Miami Marlins outfielder Lewis Brinson, in conjunction with his team's "Feed the Polls" initiative, helped provide 4,000 meals in Liberty City and Little Havana polling locations, per Joe Frisaro of MLB.com.

Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young bought lunch for poll workers at State Farm Arena, his home stadium. The Pittsburgh Steelers bought food for Allegheny County poll workers as well.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas is expected to take the field against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night after sitting out since suffering an ankle injury in Week 1.

A second-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2016, the two-time All-Pro is coming off a 2019 season that saw him set an NFL record for receptions (149) while leading the league in yards (1,725) and yards per game (107.8). He also tied his career best with nine touchdowns on 185 targets, appearing in all 16 games for the Saints for the second consecutive season.

The Ohio State product has barely seen the field in an attempt to post a successful follow-up campaign in 2020. In the team's season-opening defeat of the Buccaneers, he put up three receptions on five targets for 17 yards before exiting with a high ankle sprain.

Ahead of his scheduled return in Week 5, he was fined by the Saints after a fight with a teammate and sat out because of "a team disciplinary issue," and then he missed Weeks 7 and 8 with a hamstring injury.

The Saints now expect both Thomas and quarterback Drew Brees to play against their division rivals as New Orleans looks to keep pace with the NFC South-leading Bucs.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees remained limited in practice Thursday due to a shoulder injury.

ESPN's Mike Triplett provided more information:  

"The New Orleans Saints quarterback was working off to the side with no pads during the early portion of practice that was open to the media and was officially listed as a limited participant. It is rare for Brees to be limited in practice this late in the week and unclear if that will affect his status for Sunday night's critical NFC South showdown at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers."

Per Triplett, Brees wore Kinesio tape on his right throwing shoulder while leading the Saints to a 26-23 overtime victory against the Chicago Bears last Sunday. When asked about the tape on Wednesday, he said, "I'm 41 years old. I've got a lot of stuff going on. But I just keep ticking."

Brees was also limited Wednesday. When asked about his status that day, the quarterback noted he's been limited on Wednesdays for a few years to give himself ample time for rest before his next game. 

Brees and the Saints have a critical matchup with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday evening, with the winner sitting atop the NFC South perch leading into the second half of the season.

The 5-2 Saints are currently a half-game behind the 6-2 Buccaneers, who are first in the NFC South and second in the NFC standings behind the 6-1 Seattle Seahawks.

A Saints win would give them a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bucs, who lost to New Orleans 34-23 in Week 1.

Brees, a 20-year veteran, has been with the Saints since 2006. He sat only three games from 2006-18, and two were due to rest in Week 17 prior to a playoff push.

Brees missed five games in 2019 after suffering a torn right thumb in Week 2 versus the Los Angeles Rams. Teddy Bridgewater took over and won five straight games as a starter before Brees' return. However, Bridgewater is now the Carolina Panthers' starter, which means the Saints would have to pick another option if Brees can't go.

If he is unable to play, then the Saints can turn to Taysom Hill or Jameis Winston.

Hill, who played quarterback at BYU, has been used as the Saints' jack-of-all-trades as a passer, runner, receiver and special teams player. 

Winston, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, played with the Bucs for five straight seasons before his contract expired. He signed with the Saints during the offseason after becoming the first player in NFL history to throw at least 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a single season, finishing with 33 scores and 30 picks.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara says he will play in Sunday night's game against the New Orleans Saints despite head coach Sean Payton previously labeling him as "day-to-day" after he missed Wednesday's practice because of a minor foot injury.

"I'm playing on Sunday," Kamara said, per Luke Johnson of the Times-Picayune. "You ever stub your toe on the corner of a bedpost or something? That’s kind of what I'm dealing with. That's tough. It’s like, it sucks. That s--t hurts. I'm fine. I'll be out at practice tomorrow. It's more maintenance than anything."

According to ESPN's Mike Triplett, Kamara is dealing with a bone bruise. 

Kamara has emerged as one of the NFL's most dynamic dual threats since the Saints selected him in the third round of the 2017 draft. He topped 1,300 yards from scrimmage in each of his first three seasons, a feat made more impressive by the team's timeshare approach in the backfield.

The 25-year-old University of Tennessee product did see his workload increase a bit to open the 2019 campaign. That could have been a factor in his uptick in injury issues last year, which included knee and ankle injuries that caused him to sit out Week 7.

If he's forced to miss time, Latavius Murray should see a lion's share of the backfield playing time for the Saints. The former Las Vegas Raiders and Minnesota Vikings starter has proved capable of handling 20-plus touches. 

Ultimately, the Saints feature one of the league's most high-powered offenses, thanks in large part to the Drew Brees-led passing attack. So while the unit may continue to post solid numbers, a long-term Kamara absence would still limit the group's overall upside.