Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield missed his third straight game on Sunday, but the team is hoping that his absence from the lineup will be ending soon.
Mayfield’s dislocated right thumb has also kept him off of the practice field since he was injured in Week 3, but he tested his ability to throw the ball last week and head coach Todd Bowles said at a Monday press conference that the current plan is for Mayfield to be involved in practice this week.
“He’s supposed to practice Wednesday,” Bowles said. “We’re gonna take a good look at him there, and we’ll kind of evaluate him during the week and see how he does.”
Jalon Daniels has started while Mayfield has been on the bench and the Bucs have gone 1-2 in those games. Bowles said the team will construct a game plan that takes into account the uncertainty about who will start in Carolina.
“I think you have to,” Bowles said. “Both will be in the meetings, obviously. Both will be in the meetings and we’ll see how the week goes before we decide who it is.
Daniels was 22-of-43 for 164 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in Sunday’s overtime loss to the Steelers.
Panthers Clips
Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble punctuated his second touchdown of Sunday’s 25-14 win over the Eagles by turning toward and pointing at defensive back Cooper DeJean.
Tremble’s move drew a flag for taunting and it came a play after DeJean picked up a personal foul of his own. DeJean and Tremble’s fellow tight end Mitchell Evans got into it after a Chuba Hubbard run and DeJean was penalized for picking Evans up and slamming him to the ground.
After the game, Tremble explained that he was trying to stand up for his teammate.
“I just thought that earlier personal foul was just kind of egregious, and so it was uncalled for, something that didn’t need to happen,” Tremble said, via the team’s website. “I shouldn’t have retaliated. That wasn’t cool for me to do.”
The ensuing extra point was no good, so the 15 yards hurt the Panthers and they would have hurt a lot more had it been a closer game. Tremble will likely feel a little more pain via a fine from the league, but Sunday was a net positive for him and the team.
The Eagles played without quarterback Jalen Hurts on Sunday, and they missed him.
Philadelphia had 11 drives, with eight ending in punts and another on downs late. The Eagles put together only two scoring drives of 78 and 69 yards.
The Panthers ran away with a 25-14 victory. Carolina is 3-2, and Philadelphia is 2-4.
Adding injury to insult, the Eagles lost running back Carson Steele (shoulder), defensive tackle Nolan Smith (concussion) and outside linebacker Jordan Davis (ankle) during the game.
The Panthers outgained the Eagles 399 to 222 as Chuba Hubbard ran for 120 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries.
Bryce Young was 20-of-39 for 281 yards and two touchdowns. Tommy Tremble scored on touchdown catches of 12 and 19 yards. Jalen Coker caught six passes for 97 yards, and Tetairoa McMillan added six receptions for 86 yards.
Eagles backup quarterback Tanner McKee went 26-of-45 for 215 yards and a touchdown. Dameon Pierce had 12 carries for 35 yards and a touchdown. DeVonta Smith caught seven passes for 75 yards.
The Panthers led 10-0 before the Eagles made things interesting.
Tanner McKee, starting for Jalen Hurts, led Philadelphia on a 10-play, 78-yard drive with Dameon Pierce scoring on a 2-yard run with 2:42 remaining in the first half.
Carolina leads 10-7 at halftime.
On their touchdown drive, the Eagles benefited with a 22-yard defensive pass interference penalty on rookie Will Lee, who pulled down Dallas Goedert’s pants. It was Lee’s second DPI, and set up Pierce’s touchdown run.
The Panthers have outgained the Eagles 178 to 110, with Bryce Young going 12-of-21 for 162 yards and a touchdown. Tetairoa McMillan has five catches for 79 yards.
McKee is 13-of-23 for 94 yards, with Goedert catching four passes for 38 yards.
The Eagles are struggling without starting quarterback Jalen Hurts.
They trail the Panthers 10-0 with 8:08 remaining in the second quarter.
Bryce Young hit tight end Tommy Tremble for a 12-yard score, completing a five-play, 35-yard drive. Eagles punter Braden Mann’s 23-yard punt set up the Panthers with good field position.
They faced a second-and-20 after an intentional grounding penalty on Young, but got a first down on the next play when Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis was called for roughing the passer.
The Panthers scored on the next play.
The Panthers have outgained the Eagles 143 to 74, with Young going 9-of-16 for 128 yards and a touchdown.
Panthers outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips aggravated his hamstring in the first quarter.
The team lists his return as questionable.
Thomas Incoom replaced Phillips but was hurt while covering a punt on a blindside block by Feleipe Franks. He limped off the field.
Incoom is questionable to return with a calf injury.
The Eagles have ruled out outside linebacker Nolan Smith with a concussion. He appeared to be knocked out on a chip block by Chuba Hubbard in the second quarter.
The Eagles have only Jonathan Greenard, Arnold Ebiketien and Keyshawn James-Newby at the position.
The Panthers lead 3-0 on Ryan Fitzgerald’s 47-yard field goal.
With the Eagles’ season quickly imploding and a potential reset coming in 2026, opportunities could arise over the next 23 days to trade running back Saquon Barkley.
On Friday’s PFT Live, we raised the possibility of the Seahawks rediscovering their 2025 formula — and rectifying the decision to let Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III leave in free agency — by making a deal for Barkley.
Other teams could be interested, too. Imagine what Barkley could do in the Vikings’ offense, which has rediscovered the ground game in 2026.
Injuries in the next four weekends of games also could create needs. If a contender loses its top tailback, Saquon could be the answer.
Barkley would need to be healthy. He suffered a hamstring injury on his first carry against the Rams in Week 4. He’s believed to have a “realistic” chance to return in Week 7.
Still, moving on from Barkley would come with a cost, under the salary cap. Trading Barkley now would trigger a $26 million dead-money charge in 2027.
It also would avoid $16 million in 2027 pay owed to Barkley.
Regardless, if someone offers the Eagles enough draft picks (which become young, cheap players), they may consider doing it. The Eagles have gotten a Super Bowl win from their time with Barkley, and they acquired him as a free agent. They could get multiple draft picks by trading him before the deadline.
Signs have pointed to Bears quarterback Caleb Williams making his return from a hamstring injury all week and it became official on Sunday morning.
Williams is active for the team’s 1 p.m. ET game in Atlanta. Williams missed three games after being injured in Chicago’s Week 2 loss to the Vikings and was listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report, but he was a full participant in practice all this week and he posted a comeback-themed video to social media on Friday night.
Michael Penix will be the other quarterback on Sunday. Penix was forced out of last weekend’s loss to the Ravens with injured ribs, but he was also a full practice participant and he had no injury designation.
Bears at Falcons
Bears: RB Kyle Monangai, CB Tyrique Stevenson, LB T.J. Edwards, LB Keyshaun Elliott, OL Jordan McFadden, DL Jayden Loving, QB Case Keenum
Falcons: QB Cooper Rush, QB Jack Strand, CB C.J. Henderson, DB Malcolm DeWalt, LB Christian Harris, OL Ethan Onianwa, DE Drake Jackson
Ravens at Browns
Ravens: QB Lamar Jackson, C Cam Jurgens, DT Broderick Washington, TE Matt Hibner, WR Elijah Sarratt, G Andrew Vorhees, S K’Von Wallace
Browns: RB Quinshon Judkins, QB Taylen Green, CB Noah Igbinoghene, DT Mike Hall Jr., C Parker Brailsford, G Teven Jenkins, DT Mason Graham
Titans at Colts
Titans: CB Alontae Taylor, S Kevin Winston, OT Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, TE Kylen Granson, RB Nick Singleton, DL Jackie Marshall, DL Jordan Elliott
Colts: LB Jaylon Carlies, WR Ashton Dulin, QB Riley Leonard, G Dalton Tucker, TE Tyler Warren
Jets at Patriots
Jets: RB Breece Hall, DL Jack Heflin, WR Adonai Mitchell, LB Joseph Ossai, G Dylan Parham, CB Nahshon Wright
Patriots: QB Behren Morton, TE Tanner Arkin, OT Dametrious Crownover, CB Carlton Davis, CB Karon Prunty, CB Channing Canada
Saints at Giants
Saints: QB Zach Wilson, LB Anfernee Jennings, S Mike Reid, LB Kaden Elliss, DL Nathan Shepherd, DL John Ridgeway
Giants: CB Colton Hood, QB Jake Haener, S Tyler Nubin, OT Jermaine Eluemunor, TE Theo Johnson, DL C.J. Okoye
Panthers at Eagles
Panthers: OT Monroe Freeling, TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, QB Haynes King, RB AJ Dillon, G Torricelli Simpkins, OT Albert Reese, DT TeRah Edwards
Eagles: WR Hollywood Brown, QB Joe Milton, RB Saquon Barkley, DB Michael Carter, LB A.J. Epenesa, LB Jalyx Hunt
Steelers at Buccaneers
Steelers: WR Ben Skowronek, QB Drew Allar, QB Will Howard, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting, RB Eli Heidenreich, CB Terell Smith, DL Kevin Jobity
Buccaneers: DL DeMonte Capehart, G Luke Haggard, QB Baker Mayfield, CB Benjamin Morrison, G Billy Schrauth, RB Sean Tucker, S Antoine Winfield Jr.
The Eagles announced the move to place quarterback Jalen Hurts to injured reserve on Saturday afternoon and they also made a move to fill the open space on their 53-man roster.
Running back Jaydon Blue has been signed off of the practice squad. Blue signed with the Eagles after being cut by the Cowboys at the end of the summer.
Blue was a fifth-round pick in Dallas in 2025. He had 38 carries for 129 yards and a touchdown in five appearances during his rookie season.
With Saquon Barkley ruled out and two other backs on injured reserve, Blue will join Dameon Pierce and Carson Steele as the available running backs against the Panthers on Sunday.
The Eagles also announced that they have elevated linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby and safety Cole Wisniewski from the practice squad for Sunday’s game.
Panthers offensive tackle Taylor Moton is set to make his 2026 debut.
Moton returned to practice this week after missing all of training camp and the first weeks of the regular season while recovering from blood clots in his lung. The Panthers announced that he has been activated from the physically unable to perform list on Saturday.
Moton could be back at his familiar right tackle spot against the Eagles. First-round pick Monroe Freeling has been manning the spot, but he is doubtful to play due to a knee injury.
The Panthers also activated defensive lineman Turk Wharton and running back Trevor Etienne from injured reserve. They elevated running back Anthony Tyus and cornerback Robert Rochell from the practice squad to round out the day’s moves.
