EMMANUEL SANDERS

General manager John Lynch still views his San Francisco 49ers as a Super Bowl contender despite a string of injuries, lackluster performances and a 3-3 start to the season.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — (AP) — Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders announced his retirement Wednesday after a 12-year NFL career that included six season in Denver, where he helped the Broncos win Super Bowl 50. Sanders started his career in Pittsburgh in 2010 and joined the Broncos as a free agent in 2014. He posted three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in Denver, where he caught 101 passes and nine TD receptions in 2014. Sanders played in three Super Bowls, with the Steelers, Broncos and 49ers, who acquired him from Denver in 2019. ___More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFLCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.

Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday after a 12-year career that included three Super Bowl appearances and a win in Super Bowl 50 with the Denver Broncos.

Receiver Robert Woods missed playing in the Rams' Super Bowl victory while recovering from a torn left ACL.

Another 21 NFL players were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday, including Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill, cornerback Rashad Fenton and tight end Blake Bell.

Tom Brady became the NFL’s all-time completions leader and threw his 700th touchdown pass for the winning score as the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers got a 33-27 overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

Tom Brady became the NFL’s all-time completions leader and threw his 700th touchdown pass for the winning score as the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers got a 33-27 overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

The Buffalo Bills appear to be in denial identifying their shortcomings and the challenges ahead in staying afloat in the AFC playoff picture. There was coach Sean McDermott suggesting not to give Patriots coach Bill Belichick too much credit in dismissing a question over New England’s run-heavy plan.

Josh Allen threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score as the Buffalo Bills beat the Kansas City Chiefs 38-20 on Sunday night.

Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers’ new-look offense overcame a slow start, Ulysees Gilbert returned a blocked punt 9 yards for a touchdown and Pittsburgh rallied to a season-opening 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills.

(AP Photo/Jennifer Stewart, File)As the NFL opened its business year Wednesday, veterans Trent Williams, A.J. Williams also will get the biggest signing bonus ever for an offensive lineman at $30.1 million, as well as $55.1 million guaranteed. — Kansas City agreed to a $5 million contract for next season with three-time Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long, who will come out of retirement. — New England brought back center Ted Karras on a one-year, $4 million contract. Karras previously spent four seasons in New England, winning two Super Bowl rings as a utility offensive lineman and backup center to David Andrews.

The Saints (12-4) will host the seventh-seeded Chicago Bears in the wild-card round next Sunday at 4:40 p.m. EST. He also ran for five TDs, but the Panthers struggled to make winning plays late in games all season with Bridgewater at the helm. That leaves questions about his future as the Panthers starting QB, especially with the team having a top 10 draft pick in 2021. UP NEXTSaints: The four-time defending NFC South champions host the Bears next Sunday in the playoffs. Panthers: After failing to make the playoffs for the third straight season, Carolina will look to the NFL draft to upgrade a number of pressing needs.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) breaks free past Minnesota Vikings cornerback Cameron Dantzler (27), outside linebacker Eric Wilson (50) and defensive end D.J. He finished with a career-high 155 yards rushing to help New Orleans beat the Minnesota Vikings 52-33 on Friday and clinch a fourth straight NFC South title. He has since set Saints records for rushing TDs in a season with 16 and total TDs with 21 (he has five receiving). It would be 8-yard gain, 7-yard gain.”The Saints (11-4) never punted, and set a record of yards gained in a game by a Vikings opponent with 583. New Orleans' 264 yards rushing were the most by a Vikings opponent in Zimmer's seven seasons.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) passes in the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. The victory kept the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs (13-1) in pole position to capture the AFC's lone playoff bye as a No. Mahomes' second TD toss looked more like a basketball assist, a chest-pass to tight end Travis Kelce cutting behind blockers for a 1-yard score. With two timeouts remaining, the Saints kicked deep, but could not prevent Mahomes and Co. from running out the clock. Saints: Receiver Tre'Quan Smith and safety Marcus Williams each left with ankle injuries in the second half.

Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts scrambles during the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)PHILADELPHIA – Jalen Hurts provided the Philadelphia Eagles a spark with his legs and his teammates came up with their best all-around effort of the season. They needed everyone to deliver to beat the New Orleans Saints. Sanders brook loose for an 82-yard TD run in the second quarter, giving the Eagles a 17-0 lead. He had a 74-yard TD run against Pittsburgh and a 74-yard run against Baltimore.

Brees threw for 222 yards and four touchdowns, regaining the NFL career TD pass lead and lifting the New Orleans Saints into first place with a 38-3 rout of Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night. The Saints intercepted Brady twice in a 34-23 season-opening win, with Janoris Jenkins returning one for a TD. “We didn't play well in any phase of the game,” Brady said. But with Tampa Bay’s offense sputtering and one of the league’s stingiest defenses unable to slow down Brees, New Orleans pressed on. Buccaneers: WR Chris Godwin (three catches, 41 yards) returned after missing one game with a broken right index finger.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) drops back to pass under pressure from New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Malcom Roach in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)NEW ORLEANS – Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers sounds increasingly enamored with the scheme and play-calling philosophy of second-year head coach Matt LaFleur. The Packers are unbeaten and putting up some of the best offensive numbers in the NFL. Rodgers passed for 283 yards and three touchdowns, and the Packers scored 10 points in the final nine minutes to pull out a 37-30 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday night. Emmanuel Sanders caught a 10-yard scoring pass at the end of the first half that gave the Saints a 17-13 lead.

NEW ORLEANS – Tom Brady was intercepted twice in his Tampa Bay debut, Alvin Kamara scored touchdowns running and receiving, and the New Orleans Saints beat the Buccaneers 34-23 on Sunday. In the fourth quarter he hit free-agent signing Emmanuel Sanders for a 5-yard score. Defensive end Margus Hunt blocked a 54-yard field goal attempt in the first half and had a sack in the fourth quarter. Receiver Bennie Fowler recovered a muffed kickoff at the Tampa Bay 18 in the fourth quarter. The Saints were flagged four times for 101 yards, with all of those calls occurring during the Bucs' first three scoring drives.

(AP Photo/Brett Duke)NEW ORLEANS – Tom Brady was intercepted twice in his Tampa Bay debut, Alvin Kamara scored touchdowns running and receiving, and the New Orleans Saints beat the Buccaneers 34-23 on Sunday. Neither quarterback was statistically exceptional in this first-ever NFL game featuring two quarterbacks in their 40s. One exception was Saints safety and Players Coalition co-founder Malcolm Jenkins, who trotted to the Saints bench area after the anthem had finished. The Saints were flagged four times for 101 yards, with all of those calls occurring during the Bucs' first three scoring drives. Saints: Take part in the first NFL game played in Las Vegas, the Raiders' home opener on Monday night, Sept. 21.

Bucs’ Tom Brady is 43 and Saints’ Drew Brees 41. Brees leads both categories with 77,416 yards and 547 TDs, followed by Brady with 74,571 yards, 541 TDs. In five career starts vs. Saints, Brady has thrown for 286.6 yards per game, 11 total TDs and three INTs. ... Brees passed for 2,979 yards with 27 TDs vs. career-low four INTs for career-high 116.3 rating last season. ... All-Pro WR Michael Thomas led Saints last season with NFL single-season record 149 catches for 1,725 yards, nine TDs.