Kevin Durant is interested in becoming part of the Washington Commanders' new ownership group after Dan and Tanya Snyder announced they were considering a sale of the franchise.

On Wednesday, the Commanders released a statement confirming the owners had hired BofA Securities to explore a potential sale.

The decision comes amid an NFL investigation into an allegation of sexual misconduct from Dan Snyder, who is also being probed by attorney generals in Washington, D.C. and Virginia over alleged financial improprieties.

Reports have credited Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos, as well as musician and producer Jay-Z, with an interest in making a joint bid for the team, and Durant wants to be involved.

Two-time NBA champion Durant, who grew up in the D.C. area, told ESPN: "In a perfect world, I would be a part of it.

"I would love to do it. I would love to give a little bit of my money to be a part of the Commanders, but we'll see. Hopefully it's somebody nice. I heard Bezos and Jay-Z, but you never know.

"I don't have a lot of money, though. I don't have that much money to say, 'Look, man, let me get a piece of the team.'

"I'm sure it would have to work out some way, somehow. I would love to, obviously, but to be honest, I doubt that it'll happen. It's a five or six-billion-dollar team."

Dan Snyder brought the Washington franchise in 1999, and while Durant is surprised to see him exploring an exit, the Brooklyn Nets star is excited about the team's future. 

"How long has he had it now, 20-something years? He's probably the only owner I've known, since I've been alive, for the Redskins or Commanders," Durant added. 

"It's definitely shocking to see him put them up because it's his baby. NFL teams are precious, they're important.

"That's going to be a team that everybody [wants]. Everybody wants to be a part of the league. It's one of the most lucrative teams in sports, so I'm sure there's going to be a lot of bidders.

"Our market is incredible. There's a lot of support in D.C., a lot of money in D.C. to be made. I feel like we drafted well the last couple of years, we got some foundation pieces that can help you win football games moving forward. 

"I know we've had some losing seasons, but it's starting to come around for us. I'm excited as a fan. 

"I'm excited about the sale. I'm excited to see who they bring in and who they sell the team to, and to see how we move forward with it." 

The New Orleans Saints have plenty of experience playing without Michael Thomas, and they’ll need to draw on that again with the wide receiver scheduled for toe surgery that is expected to wipe out another season. 

Thomas, who hasn’t played since September 25, was placed on injured reserve Thursday because his dislocated toe did not respond well to rehab, Saints coach Dennis Allen said. 

"I’m not going to get into any time frames right now. I don’t know," Allen said. "He’s going to go on IR. I don’t anticipate that he’ll be able to return this year."

After missing just one game in his first four NFL seasons, Thomas was limited to seven games in 2020 and did not play at all in 2021 due to an ankle injury and complications related to surgery in summer 2021. He will have missed most of the past three seasons since his five-year, $96million extension went into effect in 2020.  

"I think Mike worked his tail off and did everything he possibly could to try to rehab it," Allen said. "This is just something that happens from time to time. It didn’t respond the way we wanted it to, so we felt like surgery was the best option to go ahead and repair it and try to get him healthy." 

Thomas had at least 92 receptions in each of his first four seasons and was an All-Pro in 2019, when he set an NFL record with 149 catches and finished that season with 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns. 

His 470 receptions from 2016 to 2019 led the league, with DeAndre Hopkins in second with 393. 

Running back Alvin Kamara strongly defended Thomas. 

"I just saw a couple comments in the media about him," he said. "Basically like, ‘You can't’ trust him, he’s not being honest about his injury, why is he waiting until now to be ruled out?'

"I’m like, man, nobody knows what we go through in here. The masses get to see Sunday. It’s a lot of s--- we’ve got to go through.

"A player like that, that’s fighting to get back, not only for his team, but for the fans and for his city… for people to be talking s---, it’s like, ah, it hurts my soul to see that." 

The Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet in Week 9 in a matchup between two preseason NFC favourites who have spectacularly failed to live up to expectations.

Los Angeles and Tampa Bay produced a thrilling NFC Divisional Round playoff game last season, the Rams prevailing in overtime following a furious Bucs comeback en route to winning Super Bowl LVI.

Such excitement has been thin on the ground for both teams in 2022. They are a combined 6-9, with both of their offenses enduring significant struggles. 

Last week, the Rams (3-4) were thrashed 31-14 by their NFC West rivals the San Francisco 49ers, who completed a fourth successive regular-season sweep of Los Angeles.

That defeat marked the fourth time this season the Rams have scored 14 or fewer points and lost by double-digits. From 2017 through 2021 (head coach Sean McVay’s tenure prior to this season), they had six such games. Five of those 10 games have been against San Francisco.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 187 yards on 33 attempts against San Francisco. It was the 11th time in his career that he has thrown the ball at least 30 times and finished with fewer than 200 passing yards. His teams are 2-9 in those games.

Stafford averaged 4.71 air yards per attempt in the loss to the 49ers, the Rams' offense relying largely on the screen pass and rendered impotent in the second half after San Francisco succeeded in taking that away.

Los Angeles' lack of counterpunches when the Rams cannot get the ball to Cooper Kupp should offer the Tampa Bay defense, which is allowing the fourth-fewest yards per pass play (5.7) in the NFL, confidence it can contain Stafford and Co. as the 49ers did.

The Rams' distinct lack of a running game -- Los Angeles' run success rate of 24.3 per cent is by far the worst in the league -- will only further Tampa Bay's confidence in that regard, and the Buccaneers appeared closer to solving their problems on offense in Week 8.

Though the Buccaneers (3-5) lost for the third consecutive game, suffering a 27-22 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens, Tom Brady threw for 325 yards and zero interceptions. In his career, he is 54-7 when throwing 300 yards and no interceptions but is 1-2 in such games this season.

Still, Tampa Bay's three-game losing streak is their longest such run since the Buccaneers lost four in a row between Week 5 and Week 9 in 2019. In addition, they have scored 28 points just once this season, in a 41-31 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bucs were 12-0 when reaching that mark last season.

Both offenses appear likely to face plenty of third-and-long situations, and it may be the offense that does a better job of overcoming them that comes out on top.

The Buccaneers are five of 50 (10 per cent) on third down with six or more yards to go. That percentage ranks last in the NFL. The Rams' 17.5 per cent mark (7-for-40) is 28th in the NFL. Last season, the Rams were third at 35.0 per cent while the Bucs were 12th at 25.6 per cent.

It's a tale of two offenses experiencing a substantial downturn, but neither team is dead in the water, with the Buccaneers one game out of the NFC South lead and the Rams a game back in the loss column in the NFC West, which is led by the 5-3 Seattle Seahawks.

But time is running out for these teams to right their respective ships, and the loser of this game will be at significant risk of sinking out of contention even in an open NFC.

Jonathan Taylor has been ruled out for the Indianapolis Colts' Week 9 clash with the New England Patriots, head coach Frank Reich announced on Friday.

The running back is out with an ankle injury and is one of four absentees against the Patriots, along with cornerback Tony Brown (hamstring), quarterback Matt Ryan (shoulder) and linebacker Grant Stuard (pectoral).

Deon Jackson filled in for Taylor in his previous absences in Weeks 5 and 6, rushing 25 times for 104 yards and a touchdown, as well as catching 14 passes for 108 yards in those two games.

He faces fresh competition in the backfield, however, following the arrival of Zack Moss – who was acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday that saw Nyheim Hines depart, with the Colts also earning a conditional sixth-round pick for the 2023 NFL Draft.

Moss had limited opportunities on the ground in Buffalo, recording 17 carries for 91 yards, and has not played since Week 5.

The Colts are on a two-game losing streak and sit 3-4 on the season, second in the AFC South behind the 5-2 Tennessee Titans.

The 2022 trade deadline day proved a historic one for the NFL.

Teams struck 10 deals on Tuesday prior to the 16:00 EST deadline, with a total of 12 players traded, the most ever on deadline day.

None were of the level of the San Francisco 49ers' blockbuster trade for Christian McCaffrey on October 20.

However, there were still several deals that will have significant short and long-term impacts for some of the franchises involved.

So what can we glean from the hive of activity at the deadline? Stats Perform dug into the advanced data around the trades to answer that question.
 

Dolphins crank up pressure on opponents, and Tua

The Miami Dolphins made the headline move of trade deadline day, sending a package that included the 2023 first-round pick they acquired from the 49ers to the Denver Broncos for edge rusher Bradley Chubb.

It is a move aimed at improving the Dolphin defense's ability to better complement an offense that fired on all cylinders in their Week 8 win over the Detroit Lions.

Miami recovered from 14 points down to beat the lowly Lions 31-27, Tua Tagovailoa producing five passing plays of at least 20 yards in a single game for the third time this season.

Yet the Dolphins might not have needed such heroics from their quarterback had the defense been better equipped to keep the Lions at bay in the first two quarters.

The Dolphins are allowing successful plays on 47.7 per cent of passing downs, well above the league average of 41.1, and have tallied just 14 sacks for negative yardage this season, tied for 20th in the NFL.

Chubb's arrival brings the Dolphins a high-ceiling pass rusher who already has 5.5 sacks, eight quarterback hits, four tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in 2022.

His 32 pressures are more than every other Dolphins defender save for Jaelan Phillips, who has racked up 41, the fourth-most in the NFL, in a strong second season.

The hope will be that pairing Phillips and Chubb will greatly improve the defense's capacity to create negative plays and remove some of the onus from a high-powered offense.

That offense has a new name in the backfield for the second half of the season. The Dolphins traded running back Chase Edmonds to the Broncos, before sending a fifth-round pick to the 49ers for Jeff Wilson Jr, who reunites with former team-mate Raheem Mostert in Miami.

Wilson's departure was always a possibility after the 49ers struck their blockbuster trade for McCaffrey, but he should prove an excellent complement to Mostert.

He can excel at both zone and gap-scheme runs and has proven effective at picking up yards with less than ideal blocking. Among backs with at least 50 carries, Wilson is 11th with 3.37 yards per rush on runs where there is a disruption by a defender.

With a strengthened pass rush and an apparent upgrade in the backfield, Tagovailoa's support system looks to be improved following the trade deadline, but that will only heighten the scrutiny on him if he cannot turn a 5-3 start into a playoff berth.
 

Lions have long way to go

If their 1-6 record didn't already make it obvious, Detroit's decision to trade tight end T.J. Hockenson to NFC North rivals the Minnesota Vikings hammered home the point that the Lions still have a lot of rebuilding to do.

Detroit received a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 third-rounder in exchange for Hockenson, a 2023 fourth-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-rounder.

It is a move that sees them part with a tight end that was a Pro Bowler as recently as 2020 and who has been an efficient receiver in 2022.

Hockenson is averaging 15.2 yards per reception, the most among tight ends, with Detroit's willingness to part with him reflective of how much they value acquiring draft capital for a team that appears further away from competing than many thought heading into the season.

While the struggles on the field may put them in position to land their quarterback of the future, the Lions are clearly in need of more resources to improve a defense that has allowed a play success rate of 46.1 per cent, the second worst in the NFL, and continues to struggle to create pressure or cover in the secondary.

The beneficiaries of the Lions' need to amass picks are the 6-1 Vikings, who can work in Hockenson as a replacement for Irv Smith Jr. after he was lost for eight to 10 weeks with an ankle injury.

It was not clear in which direction the Vikings were headed after a sea change in the front office and at head coach after missing the playoffs last season, but the Lions were thought to be on an upward trajectory following an impressive offseason.

That assessment has proven misguided, with these two teams' divergent paths enabling the Vikings to enjoy the advantages of having another offensive weapon as the Lions are left wondering how long it will take for them to be in a position to be buyers at the deadline.
 

Chicago has faith in Fields

The Chicago Bears were also a seller, sending linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday having also dealt pass rusher Robert Quinn to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Unlike the Lions, however, the Bears were in the business of adding to their roster, striking a deal that serves as an illustration of their belief in second-year quarterback Justin Fields.

After receiving a second and a fifth-round pick for Smith, the Bears parted with a second to acquire wide receiver Chase Claypool from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Claypool's worth was clearly not depreciated by a downturn in his production in terms of scoring from his rookie year. He scored 11 touchdowns (nine receiving, two rushing) in 2020 but has just three from scrimmage since.

Yet Claypool has excelled at winning his matchups with covering defenders this season, with his open percentage against man coverage of 42.42 prior well above the average for wide receivers of 36.32.

That points to the problem in recent years being the Steelers' offense, which has struggled to target him downfield amid its deficiencies at the quarterback position. Claypool's average depth of target of 9.8 yards this season is below the league average of 10.4.

But a partnership with Fields, who has been starved of receiving talent in Chicago, could be one that gets Claypool back on his previous trajectory.

Last week against the Dallas Cowboys, Fields was accurate on 90.9 per cent of his throws while averaging 9.5 air yards per attempt. His season-long average of 9.64 is fourth among quarterbacks with at least 100 passes this season.

If Fields sustains that downfield accuracy, it could see Claypool re-emerge as the deep ball-winner he was in his rookie season.

Though they have traded other assets for picks, the Bears feel Fields has shown enough to be worthy of their faith he can blossom into Chicago's franchise quarterback and are backing him to revitalise Claypool while inspiring further strides for an offense that has made definitive progress in recent games.

After a busy NFL trade deadline, the focus is back on the field this weekend.

Josh Allen faces Zach Wilson as the New York Jets confront a major test of their defense against the soaraway Buffalo Bills, while the Los Angeles Rams will look to keep up their remarkable record against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Could Derrick Henry have another monumental game in him after last week's big effort, and after he dispelled worries about a foot problem?

Stats Perform has taken a look at the numbers ahead of Sunday's games, beginning with the travails of the Brady bunch.

Los Angeles Rams (3-4) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5)

The Buccaneers are on the slide, and the Rams are just about the nightmare opponents this weekend, judging by recent games between the teams.

Including Los Angeles' win in last season's Divisional Round, the Rams are 9-1 in their last 10 games against the Bucs, and that includes a 5-0 streak in Tampa.

This game is big for both, and for the Bucs it offers a chance to halt a losing sequence of three. They were beaten 27-22 by the Baltimore last week and are on their longest single-season losing run since a dismal four-game run in the 2019 season.

It remains to be seen whether Tom Brady can get them out of this mess. Brady threw for 325 yards and zero interceptions in last week's loss to Baltimore. Across his stellar career, he is 54-7 when throwing 300 yards and no interceptions, but this season he is 1-2 in such games.

Brady might fancy the job against a Rams team who have scored 14 or fewer points and lost by double-digits four times already this season, including last time out in a 31-14 home loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Rival quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 187 yards last week on 33 attempts. His team are 2-9 in games where Stafford has thrown the ball at least 30 times and finished with fewer than 200 passing yards.

Buffalo Bills (6-1) at New York Jets (5-3)

The Buffalo Bills are 6-1 for the first time since 1993, the season they last made it through to the Super Bowl. This weekend they go after a fifth win in a row after getting the better of the Green Bay Packers last time out.

What's more, they have strung together a four-game winning streak in road games against the Jets, second only in franchise history to a seven-game streak from 1987 to 1993.

The Bills have outscored this season's opponents by 105 points (203-98) so far, the widest differential in the NFL.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen has urged the Jets to show patience with his struggling counterpart Zach Wilson, who has completed just 54.9 per cent of passes this season, the second-worst rate in the NFL heading into Week 9. Wilson has thrown for 1,048 yards across five games, with three touchdowns and five interceptions, compared to Allen's 2,198 yards for 19 TDs and six interceptions from seven games.

Stefon Diggs has at least 100 yards and a receiving touchdown in three straight games, the longest streak of the Bills wide receiver's career and tied for the longest streak in team history with Elbert Dubenion (1964). The last NFL player with a longer streak was Adam Thielen in 2018 (five). How Diggs fares against Jets rookie cornerback Sauce Gardner will be a factor.

The Jets have already topped last season's four wins, but they are 8-30 against divisional opponents since 2016, the worst record in the NFL.

Tennessee Titans (5-2) at Kansas City Chiefs (5-2)

What does Titans running back Henry have in store for an encore? Henry last week recorded his sixth career 200-yard rushing game, with 219 yards and two touchdowns against the Texans, tying Adrian Peterson and O.J. Simpson for the most all-time. All other active players have combined for just four such games.

The Chiefs will be wary of that threat, and will look to their own WR, JuJu Smith-Schuster, to make his own impact. After failing to reach 90 yards or find the endzone in his first five games this season, Smith-Schuster now has back-to-back games with at least 100 yards and a touchdown. He had not had such a game since Week 8, 2019 and now has eight such games in his career.

The Titans have won four straight regular season matchups with the Chiefs but lost in the 2020 AFC Championship Game in Kansas City.

Their respective 5-2 records this season disguise the fact each of those wins has been relatively close. The Titans and Vikings have only won by single digits this season. Only five teams in NFL history have seen such a streak reach six games – the 2020 Chiefs, 1997 Vikings, 1994 Giants, 1988 Saints and 1986 Giants. Of those, only the Chiefs' streak reached seven.

Elsewhere...

The Miami Dolphins (5-3) will be looking for a fourth consecutive road win against the Chicago Bears (3-5), which would make the Dolphins the first AFC team since the conference came into being in 1970 to have such a streak in Chicago. Miami's Tyreek Hill has gone 52 consecutive receptions without a receiving touchdown. That accounts for the longest streak of his career, nearly doubling his previous career-long streak (27, twice).

Memories of a record-setting 2014 game between the Carolina Panthers and the Bengals will be stoked when the teams meet in Cincinnati on Sunday. The last time these teams met at the home of the Bengals it finished in a 37-37 tie, and entering Week 9 in 2022 that remains the highest-scoring tie in an NFL game since the NFL and AFL merged in 1970.

The New England Patriots are 4-4 for the fifth time in the Bill Belichick era (since 2000) as they approach a home game against the Indianapolis Colts (3-4-1). The other four times the Patriots started 4-4 under Belichick, they made the playoffs three times (2001, 2005, 2021) and missed the playoffs once (2002). Between the regular season and playoffs, Belichick owns an 18-9 career record against the Colts, with only Don Shula (36 wins as coach of the Dolphins from 1970 to 1995) having achieved more such wins.

Jalen Hurts warned the Philadelphia Eagles "haven't accomplished anything yet" after moving to a franchise-best 8-0 start to the NFL season.

The quarterback threw two touchdowns in his hometown of Houston for the visitors against the Texans to seal a 29-17 win at NRG Stadium.

Hurts has helped guide the team to their best season start in the franchise's 90-year history, silencing doubters who wondered if he would be their long-term starter.

But he said there is still work to be done, pointing to his own days playing college football with Alabama as proof that a superb start can come to nothing in the end.

"I know it's special for the city of Philadelphia," Hurts stated "[But], I mean, I've been 8-0 before and lost the national championship. [We've got to] just take it day by day.

"We haven't accomplished anything yet. It's a day-by-day thing of us controlling things we can, playing to our standard and trying to grow every day. I think that's truly what it's about."

Hurts dashed hopes for his hometown team with his impressive performance, but acknowledged it was a "special moment" to play in the city, while adding the Eagles still have room to grow.

"There's a lot to be grateful about," he added. "There's a lot to reflect on and look at the things that we did well. There's also a lot of things that we can improve on.

"Personally, playing in the city of Houston, being the first time playing back home, that's a special moment for me personally. I think the job is still not done."

Tom Brady says he is out to "do the best you can do" following a trying season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, ahead of this weekend's clash with the Los Angeles Rams.

The veteran seven-time Super Bowl winner, who originally called time on his career at the end of last season before reversing his decision, has endured a tough time on and off the field in recent months.

Brady has seen the Bucs fall to 3-5 following defeat to the Baltimore Ravens, while the 45-year-old has also been finalising his divorce from Gisele Bundchen over the past week.

But speaking ahead of Sunday's encounter with incumbent Super Bowl champions the Rams at Raymond James Stadium, he says he is focused on ensuring he is the strongest possible version of himself in all walks of life.

"I've always tried to do the best I could do here [at the Bucs' facility], and then when I leave here, I try to do the best I can do," he stated. "That's what we all try to do.

"I'm sure everyone sitting in this room, everyone sitting at home, is trying to wake up every day doing the best they could do for their families and their career.

"I'm no different. So just do the best you can do every day. We certainly try to do."

Brady is hoping the Bucs can gain revenge against the Rams, with the quarterback having gone 0-3 against them over the last two years, including an NFC divisional round exit last campaign.

He does not expect an easy campaign over the coming weeks, but insists the team do not want sympathy, adding: "It's not like it gets easier; it's not like it gets any less competitive.

"No one feels sorry for us, nor should they. They're trying to win those games. We're trying to win, and we just haven't done a good job the last six weeks doing that."

The Philadelphia Eagles reached 8-0 for the first time in franchise history with a 29-17 victory on the road over the under-manned Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on Thursday.

Jalen Hurts claimed his 11th straight regular-season win, which is the longest streak in franchise history, completing 21 of 27 passes for two touchdowns and 243 yards with no interceptions.

Hurts has multiple touchdowns in three consecutive games for the first time in his career, but the Eagles also did damage with their rushing game.

Running backs Miles Sanders, 17 carries for 93 yards, and Kenneth Gainwell both scored touchdowns. The latter's TD was the Eagles' 16th rushing TD of the season, which is the franchise's most through eight games since 1949.

The Texans pushed the Eagles in the first half, with quarterback Davis Mills finding Teagan Quitoriano for their first opening drive score of the season, but the visitors hit back, with Sanders scoring after Hurts and tight end Dallas Goedert had combined for a 16-yard gain.

Sanders' 25-yard gain led to Gainwell's touchdown  in the second quarter, with a huge run by impressive Texans rookie running back Dameon Pierce, who made a career-high 139 yards on 27 carries, leading to Chris Moore squaring the game up at half-time with a TD.

Mills, who made 13 of 22 passes for 154 yards, threw one of two interceptions to C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the third quarter, leading to A.J. Brown's TD when wide open from Hurts' 17-yard pass.

Hurts and Goedert combined twice in the same drive leading to the latter's fourth-quarter TD. Goedert finished the game with 100 yards on eight receptions.

While the rest of his teammates should come back from a bye week refreshed, Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen is feeling anything but. 

Allen, who has only suited up for two of his team's seven games this season, experienced a setback with his injured left hamstring during a training session and may not be healthy enough to play on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. 

''I don't think it was a re-strain or anything. Just some more scar tissue is trying to break off,'' Allen said. ''Whenever it's ready to heal, just let it do its own thing.'' 

Allen injured his hamstring in the season opener and missed the next five games before returning for a Week 7 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. He played 23 first-half snaps against the Seahawks and finished with two catches for 11 yards. 

''I felt great. It wasn't like training camp,'' said Allen on how he felt during the game. ''I definitely felt ready to play.'' 

After missing practice on Monday and Wednesday, Allen is questionable for Sunday. He wouldn’t put a timetable on his return but said that he did not want to come back until there was absolute certainty in his health. 

"I definitely don’t want to do the halfway thing again," he said. "Just want to come back 100 percent and not be worried about it."

Allen’s absence Sunday would loom even larger because the Chargers could be without receivers Mike Williams (ankle) and Joshua Palmer (concussion protocol).  

With all the injuries to receivers, Austin Ekeler leads NFL running backs with 53 receptions. It is only the third time a running back has at least 50 catches through his team's first seven games.

Aaron Rodgers knows the Green Bay Packers need to win with what they have got following an unsuccessful push to strengthen their struggling offense.

The Packers were reportedly in the hunt for at least two offensive recruits before Tuesday's trade deadline – receiver Chase Claypool, who moved from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Chicago Bears and another unnamed player.

That left the Packers' offense without a fresh spark, but quarterback Rodgers has issued a rallying cry, highlighting how the returns of Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb can make a difference as Green Bay aim to snap a four-game losing streak when they face the Detroit Lions (1-6) on Sunday.

"That just sent the message to us that we've got to play with the guys we've got and win with the guys we've got," he said on Wednesday when asked in a press conference about the Packers' inability to conclude a trade deal.

"I think there's still a lot of confidence in the guys in the locker room. I do feel like we need to get healthy.

"We've got to hopefully get Sammy and Allen back this week, Cobb in a couple more weeks. We're hopeful that both Elgton [Jenkins] and David [Bakhtiari] will be able to go, and [that] there's no surprises on game day.

"I think that squad, when you put that together, I think we can win some football games with those guys.

"That's what we're all hoping for, is just to get a little bit healthier and then everybody play a little bit better."

The Packers (3-5) are second in the NFC North, though after taking on Detroit, Green Bay face three successive games against teams with a winning record.

The Buffalo Bills would be "crazy" to rule out a move for free agent Odell Beckham Jr., says general manager Brandon Beane.

Beckham Jr.'s future has been the subject of speculation, with the wide receiver still without a franchise after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the Los Angeles Rams' victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.

The 29-year-old looks unlikely to sign for the Rams after he hit out at the franchise for offering him the "lowest of low" contracts last month, and Buffalo has been touted as an alternative destination.

Beane believes the opportunity to sign the three-time Pro Bowler upon his return to fitness would certainly be worthy of closer examination.

"OBJ's a heck of a talent," Beane told reporters on Wednesday. "You know where he was drafted, obviously he had the great catch and he might have been the MVP of that Super Bowl, does he not tear the ACL. 

"He's a heck of a player, everyone in this room knows who OBJ is. You know me, if we think he can help this team, we'd be crazy not to at least look into it."

The Bills moved to 6-1 for the season with an impressive 27-17 win against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

Beckham Jr. was clearly impressed by Buffalo's performance in that game, tweeting "damn Buffalo" alongside a saluting emoji after they raced to a 24-7 half-time advantage, adding further fuel to speculation he could join the AFC East leaders.

Dan and Tanya Snyder, the co-owners of the Washington Commanders, have announced they are exploring a sale of the franchise.

Following a report by Forbes, the Commanders released a statement confirming ownership had hired BofA Securities to explore a potential sale.

The statement read: "Dan and Tanya Snyder and the Washington Commanders today announced that they have hired BofA Securities to consider potential transactions.

"The Snyders remain committed to the team, all of its employees and its countless fans to putting the best product on the field and continuing the work to set the gold standard for workplaces in the NFL."

It is unclear whether the Snyders are considering selling the entire team or a minority stake.

This decision follows comments from Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, who last month said there was "merit to removing" Dan Snyder as an owner. Forcibly removing Snyder would require 24 votes from other owners.

Snyder is the subject of an investigation by the United States congress concerning the franchise's workplace culture under his ownership. The NFL is investigating Snyder following an allegation of sexual misconduct, while he is also being investigated by attorney generals in Washington, D.C. and Virginia over alleged financial improprieties, which the franchise denies.

Irsay's remarks were met with a response from the Commanders, the team releasing a statement insisting the team would not be sold.

"The Commanders have made remarkable progress over the past two years," the statement read in part.

"We are confident that, when he has an opportunity to see the actual evidence in this case, Mr. Irsay will conclude that there is no reason for the Snyders to consider selling the franchise. And they won't.'' 

It appears the Snyders have at least softened that stance, with the announcement perhaps signalling the end of their tenure.

Dan Snyder bought the Washington franchise in 1999 from the Jack Kent Cooke's estate.

Since then, the franchise has reached the postseason just six times, winning only two playoff games.

Deshaun Watson is set to take over as the Cleveland Browns' starter from Week 13, but the team do not expect the suspended quarterback to "shoulder everything" as they make a late playoff run.

Watson was handed an 11-game suspension and a $5million fine following sexual assault and misconduct allegations.

That means the QB is yet to debut for the Browns after his March trade from the Houston Texans, which was followed by a lucrative new contract in Cleveland.

But the Browns are already putting together plans to integrate Watson into their lineup, with the 27-year-old "back in the building" and "in great shape", according to general manager Andrew Berry.

"He's done everything and more that's been asked of him," Berry added.

While Watson has been sidelined, Jacoby Brissett has deputised as the starting QB for the 3-5 Browns.

"Jacoby has been everything that we hoped when we signed him," Berry said on Wednesday, but he confirmed when asked Watson would be in line to start as soon as he was available.

That would mean a Browns debut against his former team the Texans on December 4, by which point the team will hope they are not cut adrift in the AFC North.

The Browns are third now, already two games behind leaders the Baltimore Ravens, but Berry says they are not looking for Watson to perform a one-man rescue act.

"We spent a lot of time with Deshaun in the spring in camp and banked a lot of good reps during the time," he said.

"Our approach isn't really with any quarterback but certainly with the time that Deshaun has had off to expect him to shoulder everything.

"That's not necessarily how the team is designed or put together. I don't know that would be a fair ask for any quarterback.

"In a couple of weeks, we'll be in that world where we're getting him ready to play, and we'll handle it appropriately."

Watson last played in 2020, but Berry added: "I don't think that transition will be quite as challenging as maybe some are anticipating."

John McVay, an executive with the San Francisco 49ers who played a key role in building the franchise’s dynasty four decades ago, died Tuesday at age 91.

McVay joined the 49ers in 1979 and spent 22 seasons with the franchise, holding various jobs including general manager and director of football operations.

Under his direction, the 49ers won five Super Bowl titles in a 14-season span and McVay was named The Sporting News NFL Executive of the Year in 1989 after the team’s fourth Super Bowl championship.

The 49ers inducted McVay into the team Hall of Fame in 2013 and dedicated the draft room at the team’s headquarters in his honour in 2016.

''This is a very sad day for our organization and the entire football community,'' the team said in a statement. ''John McVay was a driving force in constructing teams for our five Super Bowl titles.

"Most importantly, John was a Hall of Fame person who built genuine and sincere relationships with front office staff, coaches and players. John's commitment and contributions to the 49ers created the standard and tradition we strive to carry on today. Our thoughts and prayers are with the McVay family.''

McVay is the grandfather of current Rams coach Sean McVay.