The Philadelphia Eagles agreed to terms with wide receiver DeVonta Smith on a three-year contract extension through the 2028 season.

Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.

Another Cocoa High School football alum has made it to the Super Bowl.

Mason Crosby made a 31-yard field goal as time expired in overtime, and the Green Bay Packers topped New England 27-24 to spoil Patriots rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe’s NFL debut.

Three key takeaways from the state’s football scene -- and a glimpse at what’s to come next week.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the NFL Playoffs at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

NFL coaches are taking precautions beyond the league’s COVID-19 protocols to help ensure players are available for games.

New Orleans’ defense gave Tom Brady fits again, shutting down Tampa Bay’s high-powered offense as the Saints put the Buccaneers’ division title celebration plans on hold with a 9-0 victory over the reigning Super Bowl champions.

New Orleans’ defense gave Tom Brady fits again, shutting down Tampa Bay’s high-powered offense as the Saints put the Buccaneers’ division title celebration plans on hold with a 9-0 victory over the reigning Super Bowl champions.

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.

Tom Brady threw for 368 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the brink of an NFC South title with a 30-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

Tom Brady threw for 368 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the brink of an NFC South title with a 30-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

Leonard Fournette capped a four-touchdown game with a 28-yard scoring run with 20 seconds left to give Tampa Bay a 38-31 come-from-behind victory at Indianapolis.

Leonard Fournette capped a four-touchdown game with a 28-yard scoring run with 20 seconds left to give Tampa Bay a 38-31 come-from-behind victory at Indianapolis.

About a third of the starting quarterbacks have missed time because of injuries, and Richard Sherman’s return to the NFL was hastened by Tampa Bay’s need at cornerback.

Tom Brady threw for 411 yards and five touchdowns as Antonio Brown became the fastest NFL player to 900 receptions and the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers rolled to a 45-17 rout of the Miami Dolphins.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed Richard Sherman, a three-time All-Pro cornerback and Super Bowl champion who has been dealing with legal issues in the offseason.

Matthew Stafford passed for 343 yards and four touchdowns as he outdueled Tom Brady and led the Los Angeles Rams to a 34-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

COCOA, Fla. – It was a really a big deal for the city of Cocoa, Cocoa High School and the family of Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back Jamel Dean on Saturday. A former player at Cocoa High School and Auburn, Dean received arguably the highest recognition the city of Cocoa can give anyone, a key to the city. The city also declared Feb. 7 as Jamel Dean Day, and his family is still so happy about it. “He’s the best thing that ever come from the Dean family,” said Johnny Dean, Jamel’s cousin. Don’t ever let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do,” Jamel Dean said.

COCOA, Fla. – From his high school to the police department, Cocoa is celebrating 24-year-old Jamel Dean, its first student athlete to play in and win the Super Bowl. AdTo further recognize the cornerback, Tuesday night Goins will ask the city council to award Dean a key to the city. And since it’s officially “Jamel Dean Week” at Cocoa High, Goins will also ask the council to proclaim a “Jamel Dean Day” at a future date across the entire city. “Also, that will be good for the kids to see somebody that’s 23, 24-years-old getting a key to the city. The discussion starts Tuesday night at city hall at 6 p.m.News 6 will update you how the city continues to honor its hometown Super Bowl champion.

TAMPA, Fla. – The celebration is underway for one of two Central Florida football players who took part in Super Bowl LV. With a convincing championship performance by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jamel Dean’s family cheered all Sunday night. [TRENDING: Speedway worker dies following altercation | Teacher accused of sex with student | Tom Brady wins Super Bowl No. 7]At 24 years old and in his second NFL season, the former Cocoa High School and Auburn cornerback is now a Super Bowl champion after the Bucs beat the Chiefs 31-9. “I just love him.”Cousin Shequanda Kimbrough described seeing the Bucs win the Super Bowl as an unbelievable feeling.

TAMPA, Fla. – Two weeks ago, Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean walked of the field as an NFC champion. This Sunday, Jamel’s cousin, Shequanda Kimbrough, and her son Casen are rooting for a Super Bowl championship. The family says Dean is very excited for Super Bowl LV. Dean, one of the fastest players in football, was a player for the Auburn Tigers and the Cocoa Tigers. Ad“He’s got a little nerves, but he’s ready to go out there and win,” Kimbrough said.

(AP Photo/Mike Roemer)TAMPA, Fla. – Like most NFL cornerbacks, Carlton Davis plays with a short-term memory but never forgets a bad performance. The third-year pro and the rest of Tampa Bay’s young secondary was dominated by Tyreek Hill during the regular season and are eager to redeem themselves against the speedy Kansas City Chiefs receiver in the Super Bowl. Hill had 13 receptions for 269 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-24 victory over the Bucs on Nov. 29. “I play defensive back in the NFL, so you’re going to have your share of losses. I’m going to continue to be a dog and go out there and give it my all,” Davis said.

(Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)COCOA, Fla. – Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback and Cocoa High School alum Jamel Dean will be playing in the Super Bowl in just his second year in the NFL. Before the Bucs, one of the fastest players in football was a player for the Auburn Tigers and the Cocoa Tigers. “He really epitomizes Tiger Pride and he’s going to represent Cocoa High School in the best ways possible. Along with Cocoa High, Dean is also an alum of Rockledge youth football and he’s one of three Cocoa Tigers currently in the NFL. The Bucs vs. Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl will air on WKMG-TV at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay.

But Gronk in particular has always been a big-play guy in big games for Brady, and Green Bay doesn't have linebackers who excel in coverage. Green Bay will do some blitzing, though not as much as Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles figures to do. Unlike Brady, Rodgers can create outside the pocket, and he's especially dangerous when doing so. Veteran placekicker Mason Crosby is solid, making all 16 field goal attempts, but missed four PATs for Green Bay. Tampa Bay's Ryan Succop, now in his 12th pro season, made 28 of 31 field goal tries but missed five extra points.

Rodgers gets a chance to make amends for that performance Sunday when the top-seeded Packers host the Bucs in the NFC championship game. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken, File)Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers teammates understand what this NFC championship game means to the All-Pro quarterback’s legacy. Rodgers led the Packers to a Super Bowl crown in the 2010 season, but hasn’t brought them back since. Green Bay led Tampa Bay 10-0 early in the second quarter back on Oct. 18 until Jamel Dean scored on a 32-yard interception return. There’s no one who’s been better.”This marks Rodgers’ fourth NFC championship game appearance over the past seven years.

Nearly every team still vying for the Super Bowl has an elite cornerback often capable of shutting down an opponent's top receiver all by himself. The NFC playoff bracket has three of the conference's four Pro Bowl cornerbacks: Green Bay's Jaire Alexander, Los Angeles' Jalen Ramsey and New Orleans' Marshon Lattimore. Staley's scheme has employed Ramsey in multiple roles throughout the season, and his job often changes from play to play. Oddly enough, the remaining playoff team perceived to have the least dominant cornerbacks is defending champion Kansas City, the favorite to make it back to the Super Bowl. “Some of the best cornerbacks happen to play on the best teams, that’s all I can say,” Bills safety Micah Hyde said.

The Bucs (8-5) bolstered their chances of their first postseason berth in 13 years with Sunday's 26-14 victory over Minnesota. Bailey nearly cost the Vikings the previous week, too, missing two extra points and a potential winning kick before nailing a field goal in overtime to beat Jacksonville. This time, Brady shrugged off a scoreless opening quarter with help from Bailey and a trio of costly of penalties on the Vikings' defense. Brady launched two of Tampa Bay’s three first-half scoring drives after missed field goal attempts. A pass interference call on linebacker Todd Davis gave Tampa a chance to tack on the field goal that made it 17-6 at the break.

Daniel Jones is active and is expected to start at quarterback for the New York Giants against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. After missing last week’s game with a hamstring injury, Jones practiced fully for the first time on Friday. Jaguars: QB Jake Luton, CB Luq Barcoo, LB Kamalei Correa, LB Quincy Williams, C Brandon Linder, TE Tyler Davis, DE Reggie Gilbert. Giants: WR Dante Pettis, CB Darnay Holmes (knee), ILB T.J. Brunson, OT Kyle Murphy, OT Jackson Barton, DE R.J. McIntosh. Buccaneers: DL Khalil Davis, CB Jamel Dean, RB Leonard Fournette, QB Ryan Griffin, TE Tanner Hudson, DL Jeremiah Ledbetter.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws a pass against the Green Bay Packers during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)TAMPA, Fla. – Tom Brady outplayed Aaron Rodgers in a rare meeting between the Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers erased an early double-digit deficit to rout the previously unbeaten Green Bay Packers 38-10 on Sunday. Brady also threw a 7-yard TD pass to rookie Tyler Johnson and Ronald Jones had a pair of rushing TDs for Tampa Bay, which got an even more impressive performance from its defense. Green Bay (4-1) never recovered. BRADY VS. RODGERSBrady and Rodgers split their two previous head-to-head meetings, with the Packers winning 26-21 in 2014 at Green Bay and New England winning 31-17 at home in 2018, while Brady was playing for the Patriots. INJURIESPackers: LT David Bakhtiari left in the third quarter with a chest injury, leaving Green Bay to play the remainder of the game without its best offensive lineman.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws a pass against the Chicago Bears during the first half of an NFL football game in Chicago, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)CHICAGO – Tom Brady fell to Nick Foles again and appeared to lose count of downs on his final play, and the Chicago Bears beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-19 on Thursday night after Cairo Santos kicked a 38-year field goal with 1:17 remaining. The three-time MVP was seen screaming on the sideline late in the third quarter after an ugly drive for Tampa Bay. Ryan Succop kicked four field goals, including a 25-yarder to give Tampa Bay a 19-17 lead with 4:49 remaining. Kyle Fuller then put a big hit on Ke'Shawn Vaughn as he caught a short pass, and Robert Quinn recovered the fumble, giving the Bears possession on the Tampa Bay 27.

Perhaps the biggest headlines Brady drew recently came when he defied players' union recommendations to cease informal practices with teammates as a coronavirus precaution. (Chris Urso/Tampa Bay Times via AP, File)In seven weeks, the NFL expects to kick off its 101st season with the Super Bowl champion Chiefs hosting Houston. Still set on conducting a somewhat normal training camp, though without any preseason games, and then opening the regular season on time, the NFL pushes onward. We could have a ton of social distance, more than we have with our football team, Chiefs coach Andy Reid says. Perhaps the biggest headlines Brady drew recently came when he defied players' union recommendations to cease informal practices with teammates as a coronavirus precaution.

With NFL training facilities still closed to players because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brady has been leading small voluntary workouts near downtown Tampa for much of the past month. The latest session came just three days after the Bucs confirmed an unspecified number of individuals tested positive for COVID-19 at the team's training center. The same day, NFL Players Association medial director Dr. Thom Mayer, recommended all NFL players refrain from working out in group settings until training camp begins next month. It is our consensus medical opinion that in light of the increase in COVID-19 cases in certain states that no players should be engaged in practicing together in private workouts," Mayer said. The Bucs did not release the number or names of people who tested positive at the teams headquarters.