Saints quarterback Drew Brees is being honored as Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year for his championship on the field and his charity off it. Brees became the award's 57th recipient when the magazine made the announcement Tuesday on the "Today" show. The quarterback led the long-suffering New Orleans Saints to their first Super Bowl title in February, lifting the spirits of the hurricane-battered city.

Saints defensive end Will Smith was arrested Saturday in Louisiana after he was accused of grabbing his wife's hair and pulling her down the street. Police in Lafayette said Smith and his wife had gotten into an argument just after 2 a.m. while leaving a nightclub. Smith was released on $1,000 bond Saturday.

Saints running back Reggie Bush was a late scratch in Sunday's game against the Seahawks. Bush, who is coming off a broken leg suffered in Week 2, missed his eighth consecutive game. He practiced extensively this week and said he expected to play on Friday.

Saints running back Reggie Bush expects to face the Seahawks on Sunday in New Orleans. Bush hasn't played since Week 2, when he suffered a broken left.

Saints running back Reggie Bush plans to face the Seahawks on Sunday, according to a source. Bush hasn't played since Week 2 when he broke his fibula. New Orleans was 2-0 with Bush, but they are just 4-3 in his absence.

Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey has left the stadium in an ambulance with injured ribs after scoring a touchdown on his 500th career catch. Shockey caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees late in the first quarter Sunday before he was hit hard by Carolina's Charles Godfrey.

The Saints were reportedly close to trading running back Pierre Thomas to the Patriots. The teams discussed a deal on the eve of the trading deadline on Oct. 19 with the framework involving Thomas for a cornerback. Talks, according to a source, ended when the Patriots wanted the Saints to throw in a draft pick.

Saints running back Reggie Bush isn't likely to return to the field until after the team's bye in Week 10. Bush is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Panthers, which is the team's final contest before their week off. He is coming off a broken bone in his left leg.

Sunday night's regular season game between the Steelers and Saints scored a higher television rating than Game 4 of the World Series. The "Sunday Night Football" matchup between the past two Super Bowl champions was watched by 18.1 million people, compared with 15.5 million for Game 4 of the World Series. NBC said it was the first time an NFL game earned a higher rating than the World Series.