New Orleans Saints

Mike Evans was just hit with a one-game suspension by the NFL after fighting Saints' defensive back Marshon Lattimore on the field during the Bucs-Saints game, the league announced Monday.

The Tampa Bay Bucs star wide receiver will be suspended without pay ... after the league deemed his behavior violated unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct rules in Sunday's game.

NFL exec (and former star lineman) Jon Runyan said Evans -- who saw Tom Brady engaged in a war of words with Lattimore -- and ran towards the men and violently threw his body at Marshon.

"You knocked your opponent to the ground, and a melee ensued involving players from both teams," Runyan wrote in a letter to Evans. "Your aggressive conduct could have caused serious injury to your opponent."

"And clearly does not reflect the high standards of sportsmanship expected of a professional," he continued.

The beef between Evans and Lattimore is well-documented -- the two had a dustup in 2017 after Lattimore and then-Bucs QB Jameis Winston exchanged words on the field.

Evans can appeal the suspension, but he'll likely miss the Bucs' highly anticipated matchup against Green Bay next week.

New Orleans Saints starting safety Marcus Maye was arrested on Thursday and booked on a charge of aggravated assault with a firearm, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to jail records, Maye was booked into Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Louisiana at 12 AM ... and is still in custody.

The allegations against the 29-year-old are unclear, we're working on it.

Maye just signed a huge contract with the Saints back in March, inking a three-year, $28.5 million deal. He spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the New York Jets, starting 60 games and recording 6 interceptions.

New Orleans had listed Maye as its starting strong safety in its pre-Week 1 depth chart.

Story developing ...

Jarvis Landry may have grown up close to downtown New Orleans, but the NFL star is still getting used to practicing in the Louisiana heat -- needing a wild, full-body cupping session after his first day in full pads.

Landry -- who spent 3 seasons playing for the LSU Tigers -- posted a shot of his cupping sesh after Monday's practice ... and it looks pretty intense.

In the pic, Landry is laying flat on his stomach, and you can see dozens of cups all over his body -- from his back down to his ankles.

"My First Full Padded Practice Back In This Louisiana Heat," Landry wrote on Instagram. "Nola:1 Juice:0."

FYI, cupping is an ancient practice that is still widely used today ... where a therapist applies special cups to someone's body to create a suction effect.

Cupping can be used for various reasons ... but it's known to help with pain, inflammation, and blood flow.

Juice's full body cupping sesh garnered reactions from some of the guys he used to share a huddle with ... like NFL tight end David Njoku, who wrote, "MY GOD😭😭 MEDIC!!!!!" in the comment section.

Another one of Landry's former teammates, wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, also hit up the comment section, writing, "Ayoooo😂😂😂."

Zion Williamson's new contract is coming with some hefty demands -- the NBA star will reportedly have to maintain a certain weight and body fat percentage, or will risk losing some of his guaranteed money.

Williamson inked a 5-year extension worth up to $231 million to stay with the New Orleans Pelicans this off-season ... but there's a big catch.

Christian Clark of NOLA.com says some of that money could be yanked from his pockets if certain health stipulations aren't met.

The report states the 22-year-old will submit to weigh-ins throughout his contract to ensure the sum of his weight and body fat percentage stays below 295 ... and if he doesn't, he'll literally pay for it.

Williamson's weight has become an issue since going #1 overall to the Pels in 2019 ... and the former Duke star has only been able to play in 85 career games due to injury.

Williamson is currently training like a madman to get back to 100% in 2022-23 ... which also includes switching up his diet, according to reports.

"Happy Birthday to MY MAN MY MAN MY MAN MY MAN 🖤🖤🖤"

WNBA star Te'a Cooper showered Alvin Kamara with all kinds of sweet compliments for his 27th birthday on Monday ... penning an adorable love note to the New Orleans Saints halfback on her social media page.

The former L.A. Sparks guard shared the message with a bunch of photos of the NFL star -- and included a video of their romance as well.

"@alvinkamara today Is all about you 🥺🖤," Cooper said on Monday.

"What I love most about you is your selfless heart, courageous spirit, & loyalty. I don’t just love you I respect you."

FYI, Cooper -- who previously dated NBA star Dwight Howard -- went IG official with Kamara in 2021 ... and they've been inseparable since, taking a Paris vacation together while also getting in workouts together in the gym.

"Every day we celebrate each other," the 25-year-old hooper said. "BUT TODAY IS THE DAY THE REALEST WAS BORN AND IT IS ALL ABOUT YOU! Alexa play: CATER TO YOU AND DIM THE LIGHTS."

Kamara enjoyed the bday post ... writing in the comment section, "Thank you mama. Love you ♥️"

The couple will only have a few days to celebrate -- Kamara, a five-time Pro Bowler, is heading off to Saints' training camp on July 30.

Drew Brees has found himself a job ... the retired superstar QB and former football broadcaster just bought a pickleball team, the Mad Drops, and now joins an ownership group that includes L.A. Lakers co-owner Jim Buss.

"I’m stoked to be the newest team co-owner for Mad Drops Pickleball Club in Major League Pickleball! Our 12-team co-ed league represents an incredibly competitive & exciting brand of Pickleball," Brees said when announcing the purchase.

The Mad Drops play in the Major League Pickleball league. Gary Vaynerchuk (Vee) also owns a team in the league.

Pickleball, if you aren't familiar, is essentially a mix between tennis, badminton and ping pong. Players use a paddle to hit a plastic ball over a net, onto a court.

Brees -- who played 20 seasons in the NFL -- retired after his 2021 campaign, trading the huddle for the NBC broadcast booth.

In May, the Super Bowl-winning QB had some fun with fans speculating what his future held ... and he actually mentioned Pickleball.

"Despite speculation from media about my future this fall, I’m currently undecided," Brees wrote on Twitter. "I may work for NBC, I may play football again, I may focus on business and philanthropy."

"I may train for the pickleball tour, senior golf tour, coach my kids or all of the above. I’ll let you know," he continued.

Brees' Mad Drops will begin their quest to win a championship in Newport Beach, CA on Aug. 5-7 ... and Drew's pumped!

Saints star Marcus Davenport will now only have about 9.5 fingers available to take down opposing ball carriers this year ... he just revealed he had to have the tip of his pinky amputated this offseason.

The New Orleans pass rusher told a throng of reporters on Wednesday following a Saints workout that he had to lose part of the digit after his finger developed an infection from a surgery he had back in 2021.

Davenport had to have a plate placed into the finger that year after injuring it previously ... but the 25-year-old said when the plate broke this offseason, it caused an infection that he got rid of by simply amputating the top of his left pinky.

Davenport said he expects the amputation to have no impact on his ability to play football going forward.

The bad news for Davenport about it all? Losing the body part wasn't even the worst part of his offseason -- the former first-round pick said he also had to have shoulder surgery from an unrelated injury too.

NFL star Cameron Jordan tells TMZ Sports he's got a bone to pick with Hall of Fame voters ... saying, in his mind, both DeMarcus Ware and Jared Allen belonged in the 2022 class.

The Saints defensive end -- who knows a thing or two about getting to the quarterback -- made the proclamation outside of Academy Nightclub in L.A. this week ... saying he believes both Ware and Allen were snubbed when the class was announced on Thursday night.

Jordan, though, didn't seem too concerned about the guys' future Canton prospects ... telling us he believes they'll both get in eventually.

Jordan also seemed to think Devin Hester got slighted too.

New Orleans Saints legend Willie Roaf is clearly disappointed with Alvin Kamara's arrest ... telling TMZ Sports the star running back just "can't do that, man."

The Hall of Famer said outside of a Super Bowl party at Academy in L.A. on Wednesday that even though the facts might not all be out surrounding the case at the moment, he's still pretty sure Kamara could've handled himself differently in Las Vegas last weekend.

"Whatever the situation was at the elevator -- you can't do that," Roaf said. "You can't do that, man."

"You just have to watch your environment. Probably some drinks involved, but, you know, you just can't do that."

As we reported, Kamara was arrested on Sunday after he allegedly beat up a man outside of an elevator at a Vegas hotel on Saturday.

In the police report, cops say Kamara was seen on video punching the man several times.

Roaf explained he doesn't necessarily think Kamara should be suspended over the alleged incident ... but he did add, "I know he needs to learn from this."

NFL officials were informed Alvin Kamara was a suspect in a felony battery case by Las Vegas Metro PD prior to the Pro Bowl, but cops and the league allowed the Saints star to still play in the game ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports.

We're told NFL security was notified several hours before kickoff that police were looking for the 26-year-old running back, but the parties essentially came to an agreement that Kamara would be allowed to play in the game, and cooperate with authorities afterward.

"We got in touch with NFL security about 10 o'clock in the morning and let them know that [Kamara] was a suspect in the case and they located him and he was already on the field," Assistant Sheriff John McGrath told the Nevada Current.

He continued ... "So they contacted him and he agreed to meet with us after the game. And so that's just the way we did it since he was cooperating."

Kamara played ... catching 4 passes for 23 yards.

Waiting to make the arrest seemed to payoff for the police.

After the game, police Mirandized the Saints star at Allegiant Stadium ... where he then spoke with investigators, and gave his side of the story.

Kamara admitted he punched the alleged victim at least 1 time early Saturday morning inside a Vegas hotel after he claims a man made a disrespectful comment to someone in his group.

However, the alleged victim tells a different story. He claims Kamara pushed him for an unknown reason, before Alvin and his 3 friends beat the man down.

Cops say they reviewed surveillance video and the footage showed Kamara punching the man at least 8 times.

Kamara was arrested on 1 count of battery w/ serious bodily injury, a felony.

Shocking news in New Orleans ... Sean Payton has retired as head coach of the Saints.

New Orleans journalist Nick Underhill first reported the news Tuesday morning.

Payton has been the head man for the Saints since 2006 ... and won a Super Bowl with the team in 2009.

He's widely considered one of the three or four best coaches in the league, and piled up a 152-89 record in his 15 years with the team.

In fact, Payton had been so good in New Orleans, he won more than 10 games in a season NINE separate times.

It's unclear why Payton made the decision this week -- his contract reportedly compensated him well, and he's only 58 years old.

No word yet on where he goes in 2022 from here. There are rumors swirling that he could join a broadcasting booth somewhere -- though heading to another team to be its new head coach might not be totally out of the question either.

Ty Montgomery horrifically dislocated his finger during the Saints' game Sunday ... and, yeah, look away now if you're squeamish.

The New Orleans tailback was running a route against the Titans in the first quarter of their weekend matchup when a ball clanked off his hands, sending him crashing to the ground arms first.

At some point during the play, Montgomery's digit got hit -- and you can see in the video from the game's broadcast, it bent in a way a finger never should.

Cameras showed the finger pointing 90 degrees away from his hand ... and, in fact, a little piece of bone even appeared to be exposed.

Montgomery left the game and was initially ruled as questionable to return -- but he never made it back into action ... and seems like a good bet dude will get a few more days off this week.

If Shawne Merriman were running the New Orleans Saints ... he tells TMZ Sports he'd sign Philip Rivers ASAP -- guaranteeing the QB is ready to play in the NFL today.

"One thing I know about Philip," said Merriman, who played with the quarterback in San Diego for years, "he's been tossin' the rock. There's no rust there."

Rivers has been linked to New Orleans after Jameis Winston tore his ACL in the Saints' game against the Buccaneers ... with the ex-Chargers QB saying this week he'd consider coming out of retirement if Sean Payton called.

But, the Saints headman said his team was going to be sticking with the signal-callers already on its roster for at least the immediate future ... something that Merriman clearly thinks is a mistake.

"He's in shape, he's ready to go," Merriman said of Rivers. "If the Saints are smart, the Saints will pick him up."

Rivers hasn't played a snap in the NFL since losing a playoff game to Buffalo last January ... but he has stuck around the game -- coaching high school football in Alabama.

And, Merriman says that gig has no doubt kept him ready for an NFL return if and when the Saints or anyone else calls.

"The truth of the matter is," Merriman said, "Philip has taken really good care of his body."

The hits just keep on coming for the Saints -- 'cause just two days after the team lost quarterback Jameis Winston, it's now lost Michael Thomas too.

The star wide receiver -- who many at one point considered the best wideout in football -- announced Wednesday he's done for the season after suffering another setback with his ankle injury.

"To my displeasure," Thomas said in a statement on social media, "I will not be able to make it back in time for this season."

Thomas insinuated the injury -- which he initially suffered at the beginning of the 2020 season -- could need some kind of medical procedure, saying he and doctors "will have to address" the issue.

The 28-year-old, who signed a monster 5-year, $96 MILLION contract extension back in 2019, did vow to return as good as ever in 2022.

"I know God doesn't make mistakes so I will continue to follow in his path," Thomas said, "and I can't wait to be back on the field in front of the best fans on the planet."

Brandin Cooks appears to be VERY upset at his team for trading away Mark Ingram ... saying "this is bulls***" just minutes after the Texans agreed to jettison the running back.

Houston is sending Ingram to the New Orleans Saints for draft picks, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero ... and shortly after the news broke, Cooks took to Twitter to presumably sound off on his org.

"This is bulls***," the star wide receiver said. "Such a joke."

While it's certainly possible Cooks was referring to something completely different than the trade -- it seems safe to assume the guy is definitively mad at Houston brass for the move.

Ingram hasn't exactly been tearing it up this season ... but the Texans have now traded away or cut multiple key veterans in the past few weeks -- and Cooks is no doubt upset about it, given Houston is 1-6 this season and doesn't look to be trying to improve its roster.

Cooks, though, might not have to put up with the head-scratching, money-saving decisions much longer ... he, too, is reportedly on the trading block.

Jameis Winston and Cam Jordan are stepping up once again to help New Orleans recover ... with the stars pledging a donation for every team touchdown and sack to the Hurricane Ida relief fund.

The New Orleans Saints QB and defensive end announced the dope gesture on Friday -- Winston will shell out $1,000 per team touchdown and Jordan will hand over $1,000 per team sack to help build back the local communities.

As of Week 3, the Saints have 9 TDs and 6 sacks ... and plan to add more when they finally  return to the Superdome on Oct. 3 against the NY Giants.

"Hurricane Ida has had a devastating effect on New Orleans and the broader Southern Louisiana region," Winston said in a statement.

“We are blessed to be able to return to the city this week, but we know our return does not signify the full restoration of New Orleans and the surrounding area."

Winston says the money will go toward non-profit organizations to contribute to both short-term and long-term needs in hopes of bringing the community back and better than ever.

Winston and Jordan are also asking fans and businesses to help out as well ... by asking them to pitch in any amount to #FORNOLA.

"Nola is a city built from family and community, it has become a home for my family and teammates," Jordan says.

"We pledged as one to continue helping our city rebuild and being what it needs as we work through this time to restore.

The duo already donated a combined $90k this month after the Category 4 storm destroyed their city in late August ... and the Saints owner Gayle Benson also donated $1 million.