Football

Breathe easy, Bengals fans ... Chad Johnson tells TMZ Sports he's been in touch with Tee Higgins recently, and he's confident the wide receiver's gripe with Cincinnati will get smoothed over sooner rather than later.

If you've missed it, the Bengals star wideout has been upset with his contract situation in Cincy for a while now ... after he and the team have repeatedly disagreed on the figures of his annual salary.

Reportedly, Higgins wants a deal near $25 mil a year, but the Bengals haven't been willing to pay him that. In fact, they've been so far apart, the Cincinnati franchise tagged him earlier this year -- meaning if the two sides don't reach an agreement soon, the wideout will have to play on a one-year pact worth roughly $21 million.

Travis Kelce's officially at the Kentucky Derby ... arriving in a suit fit for a classic movie gangster -- but, he's without his very special someone.

The Chiefs tight end embodied every little bit of his nickname at the race Saturday ... cutting up the fashion game as only Killa Trav can. Just check out the pics flooding in from the KD -- a spectacular white suit and fedora Don Corleone could appreciate.

Despite his killa looks, Trav showed off his 'fit alone ... no Taylor Swift in sight -- and, we can only speculate as to the reasons why.

Travis Kelce está oficialmente en el Derby de Kentucky y llegó con un traje digno de un gánster de una película clásica, aunque anda sin su persona favorita.

El ala cerrada de los Chiefs encarnó cada pedacito de su apodo en la carrera del sábado, apareciendo con muchísimo estilo, solo como Trav puede hacerlo. No hay más que ver las fotos: el jugador usó un espectacular traje blanco y un sombrero de fieltro al más puro estilo de Don Corleone.

A pesar de lo guapo que se ve, Trav mostró su atuendo solo, sin Taylor Swift a la vista y solo podemos especular en cuanto a los motivos.

Taylor Swift might have to get back to work, but her BF Travis Kelce is still in vacay mode, and his personal party train's pulled into Louisville for the Kentucky Derby.

The NFL's newly minted highest-paid tight end was in KY Friday night chilling for The Chainsmokers gig at the Sports Illustrated Revel and the Races ... part of the festivities leading up to Saturday afternoon's Derby.

Trav looked to be in a backstage area, goofing around with a guy who's believed to be former Houston Rocket Chandler Parsons. Some outlets think he's posing with Alex Pall -- one-half of The Chainsmokers, who posted the snap ... but we're leaning more toward it being Chandler.

He and Chandler are pretty tight ... you might recall they were golfing together back in March, when CP tried to get in Trav's head with a Swift move, playing Taylor's music.

Speaking of whom ... all eyes are on Travis this weekend, as fans are wondering if Taylor's going to show up at Churchill Downs for the Derby. Clearly, her man will be there, but she's getting back on the road next week with 'Eras' tour shows in Paris.

So, it's unclear if she's already in Europe prepping for that ... or if she'll squeeze in one more event with Trav before jetting off to France.

Not that TK can't handle the partying on his own! He and The Chainsmokers have history ... as the duo performed at one of the Chiefs' post-Super Bowl celebrations in Las Vegas back in February.

He and Patrick Mahomes seemed right at home on stage as the duo was spinning ... and the Chiefs stars showed off the Lombardi Trophy.

The Detroit Tigers will now be using one of Calvin Johnson's CBD products to help them get over their injuries ... and the Hall of Famer couldn't be more stoked for the partnership -- telling TMZ Sports he hopes it leads to a bunch more teams following suit.

The MLB squad and Johnson's Primitiv company -- which Megatron cofounded with his former teammate, Rob Sims -- made the union official on Friday ... revealing in a statement that the CBD co.'s topical cream will be available to the Tigers throughout the rest of the 2024 season.

And, when we talked to Johnson just minutes after the pact became official ... he was fired up -- telling us he really believes the cannabinoid-infused stuff could make a real difference in Detroit's run to the playoffs this year.

Aaron Rodgers' awesome offseason kept right on rolling on Friday ... as he seemed to have a helluva time at Churchill Downs, smokin' stogies and hanging out with his good pal, Davante Adams!

The New York Jets superstar hit up the venerable race track in Louisville for the Kentucky Oaks one day before the Kentucky Derby went down ... and he looked like he was having a blast.

He was spotted enjoying a cigar -- and chatting it up with a bunch of famous people ... including Adams, who he was teammates with in Green Bay for nearly a decade.

Saquon Barkley's goin' in on New York fans who were irked at his presence at the 76ers vs. Knicks game in Philadelphia Thursday night, with the NFL star telling the supporters of his former team to get over him jumping ship!

"It’s been two months… lol no way ya can still be this mad! Mf can’t even go to a basketball game 😂😂😂," 27-year-old Barkley tweeted on X after he was heckled for attending the game at the Wells Fargo Center in the City of Brotherly Love, where he sat courtside with Eagles WR A.J. Brown.

Of course, Barkley -- drafted by the G-Men in 2018 -- signed with the Eagles ... the Giants hated rivals, this offseason.

Dak Prescott will not face criminal charges over allegations he sexually assaulted a woman seven years ago ... cops revealed Thursday they found insufficient evidence to pursue the case any further.

The woman, Victoria Shores, had made the claims against the Cowboys superstar in a report with the Dallas Police Department earlier this year ... alleging Dak had been inappropriate with her in the parking lot of the XTC Cabaret strip club in Texas on Feb. 2, 2017.

The quarterback, though, was adamant he committed no wrongdoing ... filing a lawsuit against the woman after alleging she was attempting to shake him down for $100 million with the claims. He also filed a police report of his own in the case over the alleged extortion plot.

Kirby Smart is college football's first-ever $13 million man -- the Georgia Bulldogs coach just inked a massive, 10-year, $130 million deal ... making him the highest-paid staffer in college football.

The University of Georgia's board of directors approved the huge chunk of change during a meeting on Thursday ... improving Smart's already impressive salary from the $10.75 million he was slated to get under his old contract.

The deal is guaranteed through five years ... and will run through the 2033 season.

Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are reportedly expecting to be without Rashee Rice for "at least" half of the 2024 NFL season ... due to his role in that wild March 30 car crash in Dallas.

James Palmer, a former NFL Network on-air talent, made the report while chatting about the Chiefs' wide receiver room with Steve Smith on the ex-Carolina Panthers star's podcast on Wednesday.

Palmer said he knows for a fact Rice will receive a punishment from Roger Goodell after admitting to being behind the wheel of one of the cars that caused the accident. He then added that Reid, Mahomes and K.C. are bracing for, at minimum, an eight-game ban for the second-year wide receiver.

Travis Kelce puede ser el tight end mejor pagado de la NFL, pero es un poco simplón en comparación a lo que gana su novia Taylor Swift, algo que Jimmy Kimmel advirtió.

Jimmy Kimmel se burló de la extensión del contrato de 2 años del jugador de los Kansas City Chiefs durante el monólogo de apertura de su show esta semana. Aunque Travis va a recibir $34 millones con su nuevo acuerdo, Jimmy señala, y con razón, que es "dinero de goma" para Taylor y su patrimonio neto de mil millones de dólares.

Jimmy bromeó: "¿Te imaginas estar en una relación en la que ganas 34 millones de dólares y sigues siendo el novio arruinado?".

Travis Kelce may be the highest paid NFL tight end, but it's chump change compared to what his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, makes ... something Jimmy Kimmel pointed out.

JK poked fun at the Kansas City Chiefs player's 2-year contract extension during the opening monologue for his show this week. While Travis is raking in $34 mil with his new deal, Jimmy rightly notes ... it's "gum money" to Taylor and her billion-dollar net worth.

Jimmy quipped ... "Can you imagine being in a relationship where you make $34 million and you’re still the broke boyfriend?"

O.J. Simpson's executor is ready to talk money with the people to whom Simpson died owing tens of millions of dollars -- but he's not making any promises about what the estate will pay them ... TMZ has learned.

Malcolm LaVergne -- O.J.'s longtime lawyer and now executor of his estate -- sent a letter, dated April 25, to lawyers for the Brown and Goldman families regarding their civil judgments against O.J. ... and inviting them to a meeting this month to discuss their probate claims against the estate.

Among the topics LaVergne says he wants to share with Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman's families -- O.J.'s living revocable trust, his last 2 years of federal tax returns, federal tax liens, cash and jewelry LaVergne took from O.J.'s house after he died and videos he shot of Simpson's residence.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are out of the honeymoon phase, and into the much more real "you're so annoying" phase of their relationship ... as she's seemingly cringing at one of her BF's frequent antics.

As we reported, Taylor and Travis stepped out in Las Vegas for Patrick Mahomes' charity event over the weekend -- and put on a loved-up display. However, one moment from the event is making the rounds online ... highlighting how the Grammy winner was seemingly less than impressed during one cringe moment for Trav.

When the tight end took the event stage and yelled/sang "Viva Las Vegas" into a microphone, Taylor appeared to say "That again. I can't do it" ... this according to expert lip reader Jackie Gonzalez.

Travis Kelce está reflexionando sobre haberse convertido en el tight end mejor pagado de la NFL, diciendo que está realmente agradecido por el histórico contrato, no solo porque allana el camino para su posición en los próximos años, sino que porque lo mantendrá "en casa".

Kelce llegó a un acuerdo por 34,25 millones de dólares por otros 2 años con los Kansas City el lunes, y en su podcast "New Heights" con su hermano Jason, no contuvo su emoción por quienes lo han llevado a este punto de su carrera, incluyendo los propietarios del equipo.

"La familia Hunt ha sido absolutamente increíble no solo conmigo y con la comunidad de Kansas City, sino que han sido muy generosos desde que estoy aquí y me han hecho sentir como en casa", dijo Kelce en el episodio.

Travis Kelce is weighing in on becoming the highest-paid tight end in the NFL ... saying he's truly grateful for the historic contract, not only because it'll pave the way for his position for years to come -- but also since it'll keep him "home."

Kelce agreed to a $34.25 million, 2-year extension with Kansas City on Monday ... and on his "New Heights" podcast with brother, Jason, this week, he poured his heart out for those who got him to this point in his career -- including team ownership.

"The Hunt family's been absolutely unbelievable to not only myself and this Kansas City community, but they've just been so generous since I've been here and making it feel like home," Kelce said on the episode.