Detroit Lions

Alvin Kamara is doing his part to brighten up an NFL official's week after the Saints star accidentally broke the guy's leg during a game on Sunday ... sending a signed ball and jersey his way -- with a well wishes note too.

The man -- Nick Piazza -- received the gifts on Wednesday, according to NOLA.com's Jeff Duncan ... just three days after Kamara barreled into him in New Orleans' tilt against the Lions, seriously hurting him in the process.

Piazza seemed to be super appreciative of the gifts -- posing for a photo with them all -- while also revealing to Duncan that Saints owner Gayle Benson personally reached out as well.

While grateful for the support ... Piazza is still far from a healthy man -- as he's got a super long road to recovery ahead of him.

Piazza said doctors told him he tore ligaments in his knee and fractured his fibula as well -- and all of the ailments will require major surgery on Friday.

Piazza is expected to miss work for the next couple months as he recovers -- and his role this season as an NFL sideline official is over as well.

Ricky Williams would almost certainly have a bust in Canton today if the NFL had eased its weed policies during the running back's heyday -- at least, that's according to Calvin Johnson.

The Lions legend told TMZ Sports he not only thinks Ricky was just that good ... but he truly believes the benefits that marijuana provided the tailback could've helped Williams extend his career too.

"Ricky would probably be a first-ballot Hall of Famer if he didn't have the issues with that," Johnson told us.

And, get this, the 38-year-old said his own career "possibly" would've lasted longer if the league had adjusted its ganja laws during his playing days as well.

The NFL, however, has finally laxed its tight policies recently ... and Johnson is hoping the changes will help open the door for some of the league's athletes -- and ones in college too -- to use his new line of CBD products.

If you're unfamiliar, in retirement, Johnson has teamed up with his former Detroit teammate, Rob Sims, to create a cannabis company called Primitiv ... and just recently, the duo added a line of products called Primitiv Performance to help sports competitors with recovery.

Johnson says they're working on obtaining their NSF certification for sport ... and he wants athletes to dive into it all if and when that comes through.

"We truly believe in it," he said of the new products. "I use it!"

Johnson even joked with us that Primitiv Performance is something that could help injured quarterback Aaron Rodgers return to the field quicker this season.

John Madden sadly isn't around to enjoy Thanksgiving games anymore ... but the NFL is still making sure his presence is felt on the holiday nonetheless, revealing this week teams will wear patches honoring the football legend throughout the day.

The Detroit Lions showed what their jersey adornments will look like in a post on X on Wednesday morning ... and they're pretty awesome.

The black-and-gold emblems feature a silhouette of Madden from his coaching days ... and they'll be displayed prominently on the front of teams' uniforms.

In addition to the Lions, the Packers, Cowboys, Commanders, 49ers and Seahawks are all expected to rock Madden patches as well.

The holiday, of course, was one of Madden's all-time favorites ... as he loved eating turduckens in the broadcast booth as well as handing out pieces of the chicken/duck/turkey combo to star players on the field.

The NFL began honoring Madden on the holiday last year with several cool tributes on gameday ... and it announced this month it will expand on those with the jersey patches as well as a special Madden-themed coin for the games' opening tosses.

Not everyone is a fan of Barry Sanders' new documentary -- his former quarterback, Scott Mitchell, just shared his negative review in a lengthy rant on social media ... revealing he's super pissed at how he was depicted in the project.

Sanders' "Bye, Bye, Barry" just hit Prime Video this week ... and Mitchell's big takeaway was that many guests featured in the doc blamed him for the running back never winning a Super Bowl.

Mitchell went to Facebook to vent about it all ... initially praising Sanders' abilities on the field, before ripping into his critics -- name-dropping Detroit superfans Eminem and Jeff Daniels in the process.

"However, I am so tired of hearing how I was the reason that Barry Sanders never won a Super Bowl," Mitchell said, according to the Detroit News. "I'm so tired of hearing how I was not a good QB. My only response is F*** YOU ALL!!!!! That includes Eminem (and) Jeff Daniels."

Mitchell -- who played for the Lions from 1994-98 -- added he was disappointed to hear his former coach, Wayne Fontes, openly talk about wishing he had Joe Montana or Warren Moon under center instead ... and how a proper QB was what kept Barry from being a champion.

"A little support from the coach might have gone a long way," Mitchell added. "Wayne never had my back!"

Mitchell then turned his focus to Sanders ... saying he, too, deserved blame for their empty trophy cases.

"Bottom line, Barry Sanders had everything in Detroit," Mitchell continued. "Everyone loved him. Everything was built for Barry to succeed. In his 10 year career, he won one playoff game and the only reason he didn't win more was everyone else was the problem?"

"How many yards did Barry have in the playoffs in '94, '95, '97? I'll give you a hint not very many. We all are to blame for not winning a (Super Bowl) in Detroit even Barry Sanders."

Mitchell ended his rant by saying he truly feels the Lions could have gone the distance if the team had just been a bit more patient ... but that's not how it played out.

Forget ketchup and mustard ... Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams topped his McDonald's burger with some McFlurry this week -- and, unsurprisingly, it had a ton of his fans grossed out.

Williams proudly presented the concoction on his Instagram page Tuesday ... showing that he put some Oreo-infused ice cream right on top of his McDouble in order to enhance the flavor of his lunch at the Golden Arches.

While some (very few) were in favor of putting the medley of wide-ranging flavors in between two buns ... most were in shock.

"Up until this point I've enjoyed his hard work getting back into the fold. With that said, trade him now," one wrote on X.

"Aight man lock him up now," another said.

Williams, one of the Lions' first-round picks in 2022, has yet to defend the way he eats his fast food -- though given the backlash, we wouldn't be surprised if a comment is coming shortly.

The Detroit Lions just released Marvin Jones Jr. ... shortly after the receiver announced he was stepping away from the team to focus on "personal family matters."

The 33-year-old posted a statement on Instagram Tuesday afternoon ... days after Jones Jr. failed to travel with the Lions to the Ravens game in Baltimore.

"To be brief, I am stepping away from the team to take care of personal family matters," Jones Jr. said. "Although this was no easy decision, I cannot be the person/player that I need to be for this team as well as tend to my family from afar."

"This organization has been amazing showing love and support for myself and my family over the years and this time is no different."

Shortly after, the Lions released their own statement announcing the roster move online, stating Jones Jr. was released.

Despite being thoroughly dominated by the Ravens on Sunday, the 5-2 Lions are currently leading the NFC North ... and although Jones Jr. will no longer be on the field, he's vowed to continue supporting his squad.

No, Amon-Ra St. Brown isn't quitting football to hide a pot of gold ... he just looked like it on Thursday -- and it's all 'cause he lost a bet to his teammate!

The Detroit Lions star showed up to media availability dressed as if he were a new Lucky Charms spokesperson ... and when reporters asked why he was in the all-green garb, he told them it's because USC fell to Notre Dame in their rivalry game on Saturday.

"We made an agreement," the 23-year-old former Trojans star said of he and his teammate, ex-Notre Dame defensive lineman Julian Okwara. "I called J.O. -- FaceTimed him -- and he said if SC wins, he has to be Tommy Trojan. I said, 'OK.' And he said if Notre Dame wins, I gotta be -- I don't know what this is called."

Of course, the Trojans put up a decent fight for a while against the Irish in South Bend ... but they crumbled late, giving Okwara the win over St. Brown.

What's hilarious ... the Lions star told media members not to call it all a "bet" -- as the NFL has been recently cracking down on gambling inside locker rooms, although we're pretty sure Roger Goodell would've let this one slide.

A Green Bay Packers fan was so annoyed with Amon-Ra St. Brown following his touchdown on Thursday night, he dumped his beer all over the Lions star's head.

The incident happened in the first quarter of Detroit's "Thursday Night Football" game against Green Bay ... when St. Brown hauled in a 24-yard TD -- and then headed for some front-row seats to celebrate with Lions fans.

The 23-year-old did his version of the Lambeau Leap -- jumping over a wall behind the end zone into the waiting arms of several people decked out in blue and silver -- and while he initially was having a good time, a Green Bay fan decided to ruin the moment.

You can see in a replay of the celly, the Packers fan reached out with his drink and poured it on St. Brown's helmet. Just seconds later, the wide receiver hopped down and rejoined his team.

It's unclear if the fan was punished for the act ... or if St. Brown even noticed amid all the chaos in the stands. After the game, though, he did joke about the celebration to reporters, saying, "I lost my Lambeau Leap virginity."

In the past, cops have investigated similar incidents at NFL stadiums -- you'll recall, in 2018, the Foxborough Police Dept. launched a probe into a fan after he was seen throwing beer on Tyreek Hill following a touchdown at Gillette Stadium.

No word yet if the Green Bay Police Dept. is involved in Thursday night's incident ... we've reached out to cops for comment, but haven't heard back.

Even with a loss or a draw on Thursday evening, Lions defensive tackle Benito Jones is still leaving Lambeau Field a winner regardless ... 'cause he just earned the honor of best pregame 'fit by far!!!

The 25-year-old rolled up to the big "Thursday Night Football" matchup against the Packers in nothing but orange overalls, boots, and a cowboy hat.

The guy absolutely crushed the look ... and it was so great -- the Lions just had to make it the final picture of their pregame Instagram carousel.

"All I can say is...," the team wrote on its social media page, "swipe until the end 😂."

The rest of the Lions opted for more muted outfits ahead of their NFC North clash ... with star quarterback Jared Goff sportin' simply jeans and a flannel.

No matter which look you prefer -- ya gotta give Jones credit for putting it all out there.

Jared Goff was gettin' all types of Ws on Thursday night ... 'cause after upsetting the Chiefs in the NFL's kickoff game, he got a celebratory kiss from his swimsuit model fiancée!

The PDA happened after the quarterback and his Detroit Lions shocked the defending Super Bowl champions, 21-20, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Goff's partner, Christen Harper -- who just got engaged to the signal-caller back in June -- shared footage of the postgame smooch on her Instagram page ... showing her getting some lip-on-lip action with the QB after the game from the stands.

"Biiiiig fan of 16," Harper captioned the clip.

Of course, Goff deserved every bit of the love from Harper ... he threw for 253 yards and a touchdown in the victory, taking care of the ball throughout all four quarters of the close game.

Seems the quarterback should be getting used to the PDA from Harper going forward ... because the Lions appear to be the real deal, playing well in all three phases of the game.

Matthew Stafford's wife is admitting she made a mistake by going public with the quarterback's communication struggles in the locker room ... calling it, "probably the worst thing I've done when it comes to him."

Kelly made headlines after revealing the 35-year-old Rams star wasn't connecting with his younger teammates on her "Morning After" podcast last week ... when she said the Super Bowl champ has found difficulty vibing with guys compared to years past.

Now, Kelly is regretting her decision to share that info ... telling Local 4 in Detroit, "That was tough. I say all the time, probably not the best if your wife’s name is in the media, if it’s talking about sports."

"I felt pretty bad last week," she added. "I put my foot in my mouth pretty good last week."

The mother of four explained she thought the topic was relatable ... and she still believes it to be a true statement.

"But I'm not in an NFL locker room, I'm not spending every day with these teammates."

Rams coach Sean McVay commented on Kelly's statements earlier this week ... saying he took it like more of a joke at Matthew's age instead of a real issue within the team.

Detroit Lions star Jameson Williams -- the 12th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft -- has just been suspended six games ... after the NFL says he violated its gambling policy.

The exact allegations against the former Univ. of Alabama receiver are unclear -- though according to the Lions, one of Williams' violations included betting from an NFL facility on non-NFL games.

Several other players were hit with punishments for gambling policy violations on Friday as well, including receiver Quintez Cephus, defensive back C.J. Moore and wideout Stanley Berryhill, who were all teammates with Williams in 2022.

Cephus and Moore received indefinite bans and were cut by the Lions immediately afterward. Berryhill received a six-game suspension -- though he and Williams are still slated to remain on Detroit's roster.

"As a result of an NFL investigation, it came to our attention that a few of our players had violated the league's gambling policy," Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes said in a statement Friday. "These players exhibited decision making that is not consistent with our organizational values and violates league rules."

"We have made the decision to part ways with Quintez and C.J. immediately. We are disappointed by the decision making demonstrated by Stanley and Jameson and will work with both players to ensure they understand the severity of these violations and have clarity on the league rules moving forward."

Washington Commanders defensive lineman Shaka Toney was also suspended indefinitely on Friday for violating the NFL's gambling policy, the league announced.

When the NFL revealed its rulings ... officials added their probe "uncovered no evidence indicating any inside information was used or that any game was compromised in any way."

Stanley Wilson Jr.'s family claims the ex-NFL player didn't simply collapse and die while in police custody last month ... they believe he was actually beaten by law enforcement officials before he passed away.

The attorney representing Wilson Jr.'s family, John Carpenter, said at a news conference on Tuesday photos of Wilson Jr.'s body show the Detroit Lions cornerback was a victim of excessive force before he died suddenly at a Los Angeles County mental hospital on Feb. 1.

Carpenter said pictures of abrasions on Wilson Jr.'s head appear to show he was kicked or stomped. Images of markings on his wrist, meanwhile, seem to reveal he was cuffed at the time of the attack, Carpenter said.

Wilson Jr.'s mom, Dr. D. Pulane Lucas, said county officials had told her the former football player had collapsed and fallen out of a chair while going through the intake process at Metropolitan State Hospital before he died. But, Carpenter said the photos show a "stark contrast to what we've been hearing."

Carpenter filed three claims against L.A. County on Tuesday morning over it all -- one on behalf of Wilson Jr.'s mother, one on behalf of his father, and one on behalf of his estate -- asking for damages in excess of $45 million.

"The County has grossly misrepresented the cause and circumstances of Stanley Wilson Jr.'s death," the attorney said in the court filings.

Carpenter added during the news conference that he has yet to receive Wilson Jr.'s autopsy results.

As we reported, Wilson Jr. had been in custody following his vandalism arrest back in August ... but after he was declared incompetent to stand trial -- he was transferred from county jail to the Metropolitan State Hospital, where officials say he died.

Law enforcement sources told us at the time foul play was not suspected.

Move over, Mel Kiper Jr. ... Taylor Lautner's now comin' in hot with the NFL draft advice -- telling TMZ Sports he wants his beloved Lions to go defense in the first round this year!!

We got the "Twilight" actor -- who's a MASSIVE Detroit fan -- out in L.A. on Wednesday ... and he made it clear, when Dan Campbell's guys get on the clock in April, he's hoping for some players who can scare the hell out of opposing offenses.

"Defense was lacking a little bit this year," the Grand Rapids, Mich. native said.

Lautner clearly knows his stuff (he has been, after all, a Lions supporter since he was a kid) -- Detroit had statistically one of the worst D's in the league in 2022 ... giving up the third-most points in the NFL, and the most yards.

The good news? The Lions have two first-round picks this year thanks to the Matthew Stafford trade with the Rams in 2021 -- and most mock drafts have them going with defenders at both picks.

In fact, in ESPN analyst Todd McShay's most recent mock on Wednesday, he had Detroit going with a Clemson pass rusher and a Georgia cornerback.

Stanley Wilson Jr. -- a former Detroit Lions cornerback and the son of ex-Bengals running back Stanley Wilson Sr. -- has died after collapsing at a mental hospital earlier this month ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Wilson Jr. had been in police custody following his vandalism arrest back in August ... but according to prosecutors, he was declared incompetent to stand trial and was transferred from county jail to the Metropolitan State Hospital in Los Angeles County on Feb. 1.

But, law enforcement sources tell us during intake at the medical facility -- which specializes in caring for those with mental health issues -- he collapsed and died.

Our sources say foul play is not suspected. Autopsy results are pending toxicology.

Wilson Jr. was just 40 years old.

The former defensive back was taken by the Lions in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft ... and went on to play three seasons for the team -- before suffering a career-ending Achilles injury prior to the beginning of the 2008 season.

After his NFL career had concluded, Wilson found himself in trouble with the law multiple times.

In 2016, he was charged with attempted burglary after he was shot in the abdomen after he allegedly attempted to break into a home in Portland while completely nude. Months later, in 2017, he was arrested after he was accused of walking around a Portland neighborhood while naked. He was arrested a third time in 2017 after another alleged attempted break-in.

In August, he was arrested once again for allegedly breaking into a home and then taking a bath in an outdoor fountain after ransacking the place.

Wilson Jr. played in 32 games in his pro football career, logging eight pass breakups, a forced fumble and 87 total tackles.

Pete Davidson is a captain at the Pro Bowl Games in Vegas this weekend -- which is sort of a weird sight ... but not nearly as bizarre as the ink Amon-Ra St. Brown was rocking.

The Lions WR was front and center Sunday for the off-weekend just before the Super Bowl next week, and during an interview with Robert Griffin III ... he showed off what appeared a relatively fresh tattoo he had plastered on his arm ... a tat of Pete's face, no less.

There's some writing underneath the drawing of PD's mug too ... it says, "Pete #1" -- as in Pete's #1 fan. Unclear if it's real or not, but Pete was brought over to take a closer look.

He was clearly impressed and moved by the gesture -- apparently, Amon-Ra is a big fan -- but he also said what most everyone else was thinking ... hopefully, that thing comes off!

As for why Pete's there at all ... he's just one of a handful of celebs on the field to help spice things up. Snoop Dogg and other stars are there too, and everyone's just goofing around and hamming it up for the camera -- notable during Pete's Best Catch judging.

Naturally, there were jokes made about his dating resume, which includes a lot of high-profile women he's been with over the years. Good sport that he is, Pete leaned in.

At one point, RGIII even made a little crack about Pete's "game" off the field ... and the dude was appreciative of the compliment -- noting, he's just there to have a good time.