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Baker Mayfield, who was waived by the Carolina Panthers on Monday, was claimed by the Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday. Joshua A Bickel/Associated Press

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams claimed quarterback Baker Mayfield off waivers.

The Rams made the move Tuesday to add Mayfield, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft by Cleveland. Mayfield was released by the Panthers on Monday at his request after seven disappointing games with Carolina.

After league-wide speculation about Mayfield joining the contending San Francisco 49ers or Baltimore Ravens, Mayfield instead will join the injury-plagued Rams (3-9). Los Angeles has lost six straight games during what’s shaping up as the worst season in NFL history for a defending Super Bowl champion.

The Rams also need help at quarterback: Matthew Stafford is almost certainly out for the season with a bruised spinal cord, and backups John Wolford and Bryce Perkins have been fairly ineffective while playing three of the past four games. Wolford passed for 178 yards with no touchdowns in last Sunday’s loss to Seattle.

The Rams host the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night, and it’s unclear whether Mayfield could be ready to participate.

BUCCANEERS: Tom Brady still has a knack for pulling off the improbable.

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The seven-time Super Bowl champion’s NFL-record 44th fourth-quarter comeback enabled the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to avoid falling two games under .500 and create a little breathing room for themselves atop the NFC South.

That could wind up being crucial with the Bucs (6-6) heading into a tough two-game stretch that has them traveling to NFC West-leading San Francisco this weekend before hosting defending AFC champion Cincinnati the following Sunday.

Brady was on the verge of being held without a touchdown pass at home by the Saints for the third straight year when he threw for a pair of TDs in the final three minutes to beat New Orleans 17-16 on Monday night.

It was the second time in a month the 45-year-old quarterback shrugged off an ugly 3½ quarters to leading a game-winning drive in the closing seconds. The Bucs beat the Los Angeles Rams 16-13 on Nov. 6.

“In the NFL you’re not going to blow a lot of people out. We won a lot of close games when we won the Super Bowl (two years ago) as well,” Coach Todd Bowles said Tuesday.

“Every year it’s going to come down to a score or two. … If you win enough of them consistently, they’ll start turning into larger (margins) and the confidence grows,” Bowles added. “It’s going to be a dogfight every week from here on out.”

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Brady broke a tie with Peyton Manning for the most fourth-quarter comebacks in NFL history. It was the 56th time he’s led a winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime – another league record – as well as the 40th time he’s overcome a deficit of 10 or more points to win.

TITANS: Tennessee owner Amy Adams Strunk fired general manager Jon Robinson in the midst of his seventh season with the Titans off to a 7-5 start.

The Titans announced Strunk’s decision in a statement. Ryan Cowden, the vice president of player personnel, will handle player personnel for the rest of this season. The Titans plan to start searching for a new general manager soon with a full search at the end of the season.

Strunk said her goal since becoming controlling owner in March 2015 has been to raise the standard for every part of the NFL franchise founded by her late father, Bud. Strunk said she believes the Titans have made “significant progress” on and off the field.

A native of Union City, Tennessee, Robinson was hired as general manager in January 2016 after this franchise had a combined 5-27 record in 2014 and 2015.

The Titans never went worse than 9-7 in Robinson’s tenure. That includes earning the AFC’s No. 1 seed in 2021 with a 12-5 record despite setting an NFL record using 91 players in a non-strike season. Both he and coach Mike Vrabel, whom Robinson helped hire in January 2018, had their contracts extended in February.

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The Titans currently sit atop the AFC South with a chance to win the division for a third straight year, something that this franchise hasn’t done since its beginning in the original AFL.

RAVENS: Baltimore signed receiver DeSean Jackson from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.

Baltimore signed Jackson to the practice squad in October. He was promoted to play in three games so far, catching five passes for 100 yards, including a 62-yarder in a loss at Jacksonville two weekends ago.

Jackson turned 36 on Dec. 1, but the Ravens need all the help they can get at receiver with Rashod Bateman out because of foot problems.


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