NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers

Buccaneers

• The Buccaneers added OLB Shaquil Barrett to the injury list due to an illness. (Rick Stroud)
• Falcons DT Grady Jarrett wasn’t fined for his hit on Buccaneers QB Tom Brady last week, with Brady being fined $11,139 for kicking at Jarrett after the hit. (Tom Pelissero)

• Adam Schefter reports that the NFL fined Buccaneers QB Tom Brady $11,139 for kicking Falcons DT Grady Jarrett in Week 5 following the unnecessary roughness call against the defensive tackle.

Falcons

Falcons CB A.J. Terrell said he enjoys the challenge of going up against opposing teams’ top receivers each week. 

“It’s a great challenge for me and for the team, just building for them and for the organization,” Terrell said, via Trevyn Gray of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Going up against the best each week, and I accept the challenge.”

Terrell is pleased to have the faith of Atlanta’s coaching staff to line him up against top receivers. 

“Just having the coaches and everybody believe in me, that helps me believe in myself and get the job done,” Terrell said.

As for fans calling Terrell a lock-down cornerback, he responded that he’s just focusing on doing his job at a high level. 

“My head is really just focused on getting the job done each week,” Terrell said. “(The rest) will take care of itself. I just want to dominate.”

• Jordan Schultz reports that TE Kyle Pitts will play in Week 6 against the 49ers  despite being listed as a “game-time decision.”
• Falcons DT Grady Jarrett wasn’t fined for his hit on Buccaneers QB Tom Brady last week, with Brady being fined $11,139 for kicking at Jarrett after the hit. (Tom Pelissero)

Panthers

Former Saints HC Sean Payton will be the white whale of the next coaching cycle, and he’s already been linked to the first opening with the Panthers. Common sense suggests it won’t be a fit for a multitude of reasons, including better options being available, but Payton didn’t dismiss the job out of hand when asked about it. 

“I think it’s attractive,” he said on FOX Sports’ The Herd With Colin Cowherd, via USA Today’s Anthony Rizzuti. “First off — the jump, sometimes, from a successful college head coach to an NFL head coach is larger than you think. It just is. Schematically, red zone, third down. And I say that respectfully because, in college, it’s a different job. You’ve got a certain amount of hours per week, you got spring ball, and you’re recruiting. You’ve got a lot of things that are happening.” 

“Look, it’s almost a unicorn — the open job with a great quarterback, waiting for you to come in and be the foster parent,” he added later. “Usually, generally speaking, it’s somewhat broken.”