Las Vegas Raiders

Former Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Damon Arnette claims reports of his recent arrest for meth and gun possession are straight-up wrong ... insisting the whole thing is a giant misunderstanding.

Arnette's most recent legal trouble made waves on Monday ... with multiple outlets stating the former first-round pick was busted in Richardson, Texas on Jan. 6 and charged with possession of less than a gram of meth and unlawful carrying of a firearm.

The 27-year-old's attorneys released a statement to TMZ Sports shortly after the news broke ... and they are adamant Arnette's name will be cleared.

"Our client, at the time of the stop, was unable to provide law enforcement with his prescription for a lawful medication," Jason Lampert and Thomas Wynne said. "The arrest was predicated on Mr. Arnette being unable to prove the medication was prescribed, had he been able to do so at the time of the stop, there would have been no arrest for either the controlled substance or the firearms."

"Our offices are working with the local law enforcement to rectify this matter before any charges are brought by the District Attorney’s Office."

In other words, Arnette's team believes once the methamphetamine charge is sorted out, the gun charge will be handled as well ... as it's legal in Texas to carry a weapon without a license.

It's not the first time the former Ohio State star made headlines for the wrong reasons -- he was released from the Raiders after making threats and flashing firearms on video in 2021 ... and has had multiple off-field incidents.

Maxx Crosby might be bummed he didn't win NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors this season ... but the Raiders star tells TMZ Sports he's planning on using the snub as motivation to whoop some ass next season.

ICYMI, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett edged out Crosby -- and other finalists T.J. Watt, Micah Parsons and DaRon Bland -- for the big award at the NFL Honors ceremony on Feb. 8 ... which many felt Crosby deserved.

After all, Myles had 14 sacks and four forced fumbles on the year ... while Crosby totaled 14.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

So, when we got the Las Vegas pass rusher out at Super Bowl week, we had to ask the three-time Pro Bowler how he was taking it ... and it's clear, he's using it as fuel for this offseason's workouts.

"I mean, it's exactly what I needed," he said. "I know I'm going in the right direction. I know what I'm capable of. It's just the beginning."

"People haven't seen anything yet," he added.

Before he embarks on the road to dominance in '24, though, Crosby had a little fun in Vegas ahead of Super Bowl LVIII ... horsin' around on a red carpet with none other than Tom Brady.

Bad news for Jimmy Garoppolo ... the quarterback is going to have to sit out two games next season after the NFL said he violated its Performance Enhancing Substances Policy.

The league handed down the suspension on Friday morning, according to Adam Schefter, and Garoppolo is not expected to appeal ... meaning he now won't be allowed to suit up for game action until Week 3 of the 2024 season.

Schefter reported the punishment stems from Garoppolo "using a prescribed medication without having a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption."

In even worse news for the 32-year-old signal-caller, Schefter also reported Garoppolo is likely to be cut by the Las Vegas Raiders next month following the league's ban.

If it is ultimately the end of the road for Jimmy G in Sin City -- it wasn't exactly the prettiest journey. He signed a big deal in free agency with the team in March -- but he only went on to play in seven games.

And, in those contests, he wasn't exactly effective ... throwing for just 1,205 yards, seven touchdowns and nine interceptions.

The Raiders took time to thank the men and women keeping Vegas safe this Super Bowl week, swinging by LVMPD HQ to chill, and they even hooked up a volunteer worker with tix to the big game!

LB Divine Deablo and DT Matthew Butler pulled up to the Las Vegas Metro Police Department station, along with team president Sandra Douglass Morgan, a gang of cheerleaders, and even the Raiders mascot ... to take photos and speak to the staff. They also brought some grub!

TMZ Sports is told everyone had an awesome time ... but none better than a volunteer named Renee Sorensen, who has given up thousands of hours of her time without pay, simply to help her community.

The Raiders contingency wanted to say thank you, so they hooked Renee up with SB 58 tix, one of the hottest tix in the world.

Of course, tix to the Super Bowl are going for thousands of dollars each ... but Sorensen won't have to pay a dime.

It was a nice break for police officers ... who are now in the midst of one of the busiest times of the year, as hundreds of thousands of fans descend on Sin City for the game and all the festivities.

Raiders pass rusher Janarius Robinson was arrested in Las Vegas on Tuesday morning -- right in the middle of the NFL's Super Bowl week.

Cops said in a statement the 25-year-old was booked on a charge of driving under the influence after he was stopped on The Strip at around 5:59 AM.

Further details surrounding the matter were not made immediately available.

Robinson initially began his career with the Vikings in 2021 after they selected him with a fourth-round pick ... but he was placed on injured reserve just before his rookie season began.

He spent time on Minnesota's and Philadelphia's practice squads in 2022 ... but he didn't see any regular-season action.

In 2023, he signed onto the Raiders' practice squad ... and in December, he was finally promoted to the active roster -- and he was able to flash some big potential in his limited snaps.

In six games -- two of which he started -- Robinson logged eight combined tackles and one sack ... leading many in Vegas' org to believe he could be a key player for the team next season.

One of the most famous casino resorts in Las Vegas is closing, and one of its longtime headliners says it spells trouble for Sin City entertainers.

The Tropicana announced this week it's shuttering in April, and will ultimately be demolished to make way for a new baseball stadium being built for the Las Vegas Athletics, the MLB team relocating from Oakland.

Murray The Magician, who has a residency at the Tropicana, tells TMZ ... the impending closure could create major problems for performers who've been doing their thing at the property.

As the 'AGT' alum explains, the Las Vegas Strip is hypercompetitive for entertainers -- there are more than 70 shows a night on the 2.5-mile stretch, with only so much wealth to go around ... and the Tropicana closing eliminates 2 venues.

So, some acts are going to be left out in the cold.

There's a historical layer to this too ... the Tropicana's been a launching pad for so many Vegas performers, and Murray says the property changed the way folks are entertained in Sin City.

Siegfried and Roy got their start at the Tropicana, and Murray says without them there would be no Cirque du Soleil. The Tropicana also hosted the Folies Bergere for nearly half a century, and it's where Gladys Knight and Wayne Newton once had residencies.

Murray does his show at the Laugh Factory at the Tropicana, and the property also hosts tribute shows for Michael Jackson and Prince.

For what it's worth, there are reports the "MJ Live" and "Purple Reign" tribute shows are relocating to new spots in Vegas -- and, likewise, Murray says he's sticking with the Laugh Factory, which is finishing a deal to move on the Strip.

Chandler Jones' jewelry cabinet just got a whole lot icier ... TMZ Sports has learned the NFL star recently copped multiple Jesus pieces loaded with diamonds!!

We're told the four-time Pro Bowler hit up Rafaello and Co.'s Gabriel Jacobs to get the new bling made ... and the celeb jeweler didn't disappoint.

Jacobs -- who's done pieces in the past for Damar Hamlin and Lil Yachty -- made three separate iterations of the ice for Jones ... all in different-colored diamonds.

The first one came in all black ... and featured 55 carats of AAA black quality diamonds -- plus a chain that held 80 carats of black diamond pearls.

The second one was rose gold ... and it had 40 carats of diamonds in it. The final one came in canary -- featuring 55 carats of all-natural yellow diamonds.

The price for each is top secret ... but the former Las Vegas Raider made over $131 million in his 12-year NFL career -- so, needless to say, he can certainly afford it!

The Las Vegas Raiders didn't have to look far to fill their head coaching position -- the team is expected to take the "interim" off Antonio Pierce's title ... and make him their next head coach.

According to multiple reports, the Raiders are currently finalizing a deal with the former Washington and Giants linebacker ... this after going 5-4 as the leader of the sidelines in the 2023-24 campaign.

A ton of players on the roster made it clear they wanted Pierce in charge next season ... and it sounds like they'll get their wish Friday afternoon.

Of course, Pierce took over after Josh McDaniels was fired on Halloween night ... helping the team get back on track following a 3-5 start.

It's one less job opening in the NFL ... as the Los Angeles Chargers, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders, Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks continue their search for their next head coaches.

Chandler Jones is adding to his body ink collection -- this time, the current NFL free agent decided to have the word "Messiah" forever etched across the top of his head.

33-year-old Jones shared footage of his most recent tattoo session at a shop in Arizona on Wednesday ... showing an artist putting the needle to his dome as he calmly sat through the process.

After the job was finished, Jones said he heard his late mother, Camille, tell him to stop getting tattoos.

Jones has seemingly hit a rough patch since the Las Vegas Raiders cut him back in September ... including numerous run-ins with law enforcement and bizarre Instagram posts.

It's unclear what exactly is going on with the Super Bowl champion ... but his followers have expressed concern and support in the comment section of his uploads.

TMZ Sports is told Chandler has been staying with his brother, Arthur, recently ... and being around family has done a lot of good for his situation.

Chandler Jones was recently involved in another run-in with cops -- this time the NFL star's confrontation with police happened while he was in Arizona.

According to a video the former Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher posted to his Instagram on Monday morning, several officers from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office pulled up to a residence he was at looking to speak to him.

In the footage, you can see Jones exchanged words with the officers ... before one of them told the football player, "Mr. Jones, we've got to talk about why we're here now."

Suddenly, the camera falls and Jones can be heard screaming.

"Wait!" Jones yells. "Wait! No!"

You can hear in the clip officers trying to explain to him they're "there to help" -- before the video cuts out.

It's unclear when the footage was captured and what officers were there for -- we've reached out to cops for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

It's hardly the first time Jones has garnered seemingly unwanted attention from cops over the last few months -- he was arrested in Las Vegas two times in the fall for violations of a domestic violence temporary protection order.

And, according to a second video Jones shared on his IG on Monday morning, cops were also apparently at his home in Arizona another time recently to talk about a fire he had seemingly made in his backyard.

"We got a phone call that you were burning your furniture," the officers told Jones.

Jones denied the allegation, explained the fire was contained -- and even offered to bring out firewood to prove it all. The video stops before a resolution to the situation is seen.

Losing by 42 points to the lowly Raiders was apparently the last straw for Brandon Staley in Los Angeles ... 'cause the Chargers just revealed they've fired their head coach after the embarrassing defeat.

The final decision came down on Friday morning, less than 24 hours after the Staley-led Chargers were whooped, 63-21, in Las Vegas.

Bolts honcho Dean Spanos announced in addition to giving Staley the axe, he's also booting general manager Tom Telesco following the historic L as well.

"I want to thank Tom and Brandon for their hard work, dedication and professionalism, and wish both them and their great families nothing but the best," Spanos said.

"These decisions are never easy, nor are they something I take lightly -- especially when you consider the number of people they impact. We are clearly not where we expect to be, however, and we need new vision."

Of course, many expected these moves to come down -- because, after all, Thursday Night Football loss aside, Staley's three years as head man of the Chargers have been largely disappointing.

He piled up a mere 24-24 record in two-plus seasons despite having one of the most talented teams in the league ... and some of his losses -- including a disastrous collapse to the Jaguars in last season's playoffs -- have been soul-crushing.

In fact, Staley said in the postgame press conference Thursday night even he wasn't sure his job was safe.

Just win hydrate, baby!

Mark Davis appeared to take his water consumption very seriously during his Raiders' game against the Chargers on Thursday night -- seemingly putting away SEVEN bottles of H2O in his suite seat!!!

Davis' eyebrow-raising beverage choices were brought to light at some point during Vegas' win over the Bolts ... when cameras captured him at Allegiant Stadium with an insane number of empty bottles lined up on a ledge in front of his luxury box chair.

It's, of course, unclear whether he was the one who put them all away or if it was a team effort with others nearby ... as Davis was only seen sippin' from a cup on camera. Although it's probably a safe bet to assume he at least had most of them.

Social media users had plenty of fun with the sight -- with one writing on X, "Mark Davis out here collecting water bottles like they're infinity stones."

Another user said simply, "Mark Davis f***ing loves water."

Kurupt and DJ Battlecat are currently repping for two turfs -- Los Angeles will forever be their home base, but their focus is bringing electricity to their Las Vegas residency for Raider Nation!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the West Coast legends ahead of their rowdy festivities this week ... and this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings will be no exception.

The pair specialize in riling up fans during every Raiders home game inside the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino with their "Black Hole" events.

Kurupt, Battlecat, and their Dogg Pound brother Daz Dillinger were also among the honored guests for 93.5 KDAY's 40th anniversary celebration where they performed several of their classic cuts.

Speaking of their hits, Kurupt tells us his royalty checks have been clearing without a hitch as of late!!!

Snoop Dogg, as you know, acquired Death Row in 2022 -- much to the annoyance of OG founder Suge Knight -- but, Kurupt says he was just gushing to Daz about how happy he is with their current situation. Gooses and ganders, people.

From Snoop's "Doggystyle" to 2Pac's "All Eyez On Me" to his own groundbreaking "Dogg Food" album, Kurupt has claims to many royaltie$$$ ... good thing it's panning out for him.

Travis Kelce wearing a strip club shirt might raise an eyebrow for some -- but the dude isn't batting an eyelash at all ... which says a lot about how solid his relationship is with Taylor Swift.

The KC Chiefs tight end was spotted wearing a fashionable/cozy outfit after Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders ... but folks couldn't help but notice a T-shirt he was rockin' underneath his windbreaker -- with the words "Crazy Horse Las Vegas" emblazoned across the front.

Of course, Crazy Horse 3 is a popular strip club in town, and the obvious questions people started asking is: Did he visit the place ... while also dating the biggest pop star in the world???

That question remains unanswered -- Crazy Horse 3 tells TMZ, it prioritizes the privacy of guests, and "as a policy, we do not disclose or comment on the identities of individuals who choose to enjoy their time within our club." The club's rep Lindsay Feldman did confirm Travis wearing the shirt was not a paid endorsement situation.

However, the establishment isn't shying away from his plug ... the image is on its IG.

Whether or not he went, the bigger point here is ... TK isn't skittish floating the possibility he did go to a strip club.

He's one of the most famous guys in the world right now as he and Taylor continue to see each other -- and undoubtedly also understands the PR game that comes with that.

With that said ... he's clearly gonna be himself, and not try to fit into whatever perfect Taylor Swift boyfriend image others might have in mind.

Translation: The guy's comfortable in his own skin, and in his bond with TayTay.

Like we told you ... both Travis and Taylor are back together in Kansas City now after she wrapped up her Brazil shows, and they'll likely spend the rest of the holidays side by side.

Travis Kelce vistiendo una camiseta de un club de striptease podría parecer sospechoso para algunos, pero el tipo no está nervioso en absoluto, lo que dice mucho de lo sólida que es su relación con Taylor Swift.

El jugador de los Kansas City Chiefs fue visto con un atuendo cómodo y elegante después del partido del domingo contra los Raiders de Las Vegas. Sin embargo, la gente no pudo dejar pasar una camiseta que llevaba debajo de su cortavientos con las palabras "Crazy Horse Las Vegas" estampada en la parte delantera.

Por supuesto, Crazy Horse 3 es un club de striptease muy popular en la ciudad y todos se empezaron a preguntar, obviamente, si Travis había estado en el lugar durante su relación con la mayor estrella del pop del mundo.

La pregunta sigue sin respuesta... Crazy Horse 3 le dice a TMZ que prioriza la privacidad de sus clientes y "como política, no revelamos ni comentamos sobre las identidades de las personas que optan por disfrutar de su tiempo dentro de nuestro club". La representante del club, Lindsay Feldman, sí confirmó que la vestimenta de Travis no era un patrocinio pagado.

Sin embargo, el establecimiento no está rehuyendo de ella, la imagen está en su IG.

Si fue o no fue al club, el punto más grande aquí es que Travis Kelce no está asustado con la posibilidad de haber estado ahí.

Kelce es uno de los hombres más famosos en este momento, mientras continúa su relación con Taylor, y sin duda, también entiende el juego de relaciones públicas que eso conlleva.

Dicho esto, está claro que el tipo va a seguir siendo el mismo de siempre y no está tratando de encajar en la idea de novio perfecto de Taylor Swift que otros pueden tener en mente

En otras palabras, el chico está cómodo cómo es y con su vínculo con TayTay.

Como les contamos, Travis y Taylor están otra vez juntos en Kansas City después de que Taylor terminara sus conciertos en Brasil, y es probable que pasen el resto de las vacaciones uno al lado del otro.