The NFC South keeps delivering the kind of roster and quarterback updates that can reshape a week in a hurry, and this latest round touched all four teams in the division.
In Tampa Bay, Todd Bowles made it clear the Bucs are not interested in living with the mistakes that have crept into Baker Mayfield’s game. The head coach said Mayfield needs to be sharper with the ball and cut down on turnovers, even while acknowledging that the offense did plenty well enough to put points on the board.
“ Well, he knows he’s got to take care of the football, and we don’t want the turnovers, ” Bowles said, via Bucs Wire. “ He doesn’t want them either.
We’ve got to get better at that and understand there are times you just have to get down - understanding the play call and knowing when you’ve got the first down, knowing when the game’s on the line, and knowing when it’s not. So, obviously we don’t like the turnovers, and he’ll be better this week.”
Bowles also pointed to the bigger picture on offense. Tampa Bay put up 27 points, but the turnovers kept the unit from being as clean as it could have been.
“ We scored 27 [points] and still had the turnovers, so we’ve got to do a better job not turning it over, ” Bowles said of Tampa Bay’s offense. “ We just want to be effective and have positive plays, and I think we can be an effective offense.”
In Atlanta, Michael Penix Jr. is still pushing toward a return, and he’s not hiding the fact that he wants to get back on the field. He said he remains in the middle of his recovery process, even as he keeps insisting he’s close.
“I’m still working (toward playing). I’m close.
I’m close. I know I’ve been saying that, but I’m close.
… There are just some goals I want to hit. I am going to keep those to myself.”
Penix also said the work is about his own timetable, not a mental hurdle.
“I am running my own race. It’s not really a mental thing.
Mentally, I want to be out there with the guys. I want to be out there with the guys.”
Cooper Rush said he and Penix split first-team reps at practice on Wednesday, and Penix was listed again as a full participant on Thursday.
In Carolina, the Panthers made a move that caught attention when they waived cornerback Jimmy Horn. Dave Canales explained that the decision was tied to creating a roster spot so the team could promote linebacker Tyrel Dodson from the practice squad, but he also stressed that the team still sees Horn’s growth.
“Yeah, the roster spot drove it,” Canales said, via PanthersWire. “But certainly for Jimmy, and we had a great conversation-he and I and Dan [Morgan] talked about it.
Wanted to make sure he understood that we see the progress that he’s making, we see the strides. And right now, with what the roster was doing, I didn’t want him to go in the tank and be discouraged.
We want him to come back. We want him to be here on the practice squad, because he brings a lot to what we can do.
And this isn’t the end of that story. This is just a part of it.
And right now, we have to make the best decisions, I have to those hard decisions along with Dan to make sure we get guys out there that we feel confident with.”
The Saints were also included in the latest NFC notes roundup, though no additional update was provided.
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Panthers Just Lost A Receiver Dave Canales Still Wanted Back
The Panthers moved on from Jimmy Horn Jr., but not quietly. Carolina waived the rookie wide receiver and returner after taking him in the sixth round this year, even though Dave Canales had made it clear he would have liked to keep Horn in the building. Horns speed and versatility gave the staff another option on offense and special teams, and he had carved out a small but useful role as the roster churn continued.
Horn is now heading to Cleveland, where he is signing with the Browns practice squad and will reconnect with former college quarterback Shedeur Sanders. For Carolina, it is another reminder of how thin the margins can be for young receivers trying to stick, especially when a coaching staff still sees value but cannot keep everyone. The Panthers now have to figure out how to replace one of the players Canales seemed most interested in developing further. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Gave Up On Jimmy Horn Jr After One Costly Mistake
Jimmy Horn Jr.'s quick exit from Carolina says plenty about how thin the margin can be for a young receiver trying to stick in the NFL. The Panthers waived the sixth-round pick after a key mistake in their Week 1 loss, and when he went unclaimed on waivers, his next step came into focus quickly. Horn appeared in 13 games as a rookie, but the early stumble proved costly in a roster race where every snap matters.
Now Horn is headed to Cleveland, where he will reunite with his college quarterback, Shedeur Sanders. For a player trying to reset after being let go so early in the season, the Browns offer a familiar connection and another chance to show he can be more than one bad moment in Carolina. The Panthers, meanwhile, move on from a young receiver whose stay never had much room to breathe. [Read more 🡒]
David Teppers Place Among Americas Richest Says Plenty About Panthers Power
Forbes annual Forbes 400 list is out, and it offers another reminder of just how much financial muscle sits behind the Panthers ownership. David Tepper checked in at No. 39 with an estimated net worth of $28.5 billion, placing him among the wealthiest people in the country and well ahead of most of his NFL peers.
Teppers rise on the list has mirrored his time in Charlotte, with his net worth more than doubling since he bought the Panthers in 2018. It is a striking measure of the scale of his resources, even in a year when the top of the list is again crowded by names like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. [Read more 🡒]