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Move over Patrick Mahomes -- Joe Burrow is actually the best quarterback in the NFL ... so says Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson, who tells TMZ Sports the Cincinnati Bengals superstar deserves the title when he's 100% healthy.

Joey B has had his fair share of injuries in his short career -- he tore his ACL and MCL in his rookie season, forcing him to miss the final six games ... and, more recently, suffered a calf strain in July that continued to give him trouble early on in his 2023 campaign.

He's now proving he's back to his usual self after leading the Bengals to four straight wins ... and Ochocinco says this version of Burrow is all the evidence he needs to put him at the top of his QB list.

"A healthy Joe Burrow is the best quarterback in the NFL," 45-year-old Johnson -- who played for the Bengals from 2001 to 2010 -- said this week.

"You can argue Patrick Mahomes, you can argue what other quarterbacks, but he just is."

Burrow has been balling out lately ... with big wins over San Francisco and Buffalo over the past two weeks as the Bengals find themselves in the contender conversation once again.

Since Burrow was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in 2020, he has led the Bengals to five postseason wins and a Super Bowl appearance ... something Johnson said shouldn't be ignored.

"What he's done for that franchise in such a short amount of time, I mean, how can he not be [the best]?"

Speaking of Burrow, he appeared on this week's edition of "Inside the NFL" -- which airs Tuesdays on the CW -- and Johnson said he had a blast interviewing the Ohio product.

"It was a joy for me," Johnson said. "It was really, really dope."

American actress Chloe Greenfield was just 7 years old when she played Lily Smith -- B-Rabbit's younger sister who grows up in a mobile home in Detroit, Michigan -- in the drama film "8 Mile" back in 2002.

Chloe shared the big screen with Eminem as the up-and-coming rapper who wants better for his life, B-Rabbit, Brittany Murphy as being sweet (and a little rough around the edges) and B-Rabbit's love interest, Alex, and Anthony Mackie who goes after B-Rabbit and his crew with violence, Papa Doc.

Chloe also acted in the popular medical series "ER."

Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker are on their way home from the hospital nearly a week after she first went in to give birth.

Check out this photo of the couple leaving Cedars-Sinai in L.A. Tuesday -- with the Blink-182 drummer playing chauffeur to Kourtney. No clear shot of their little one, Rocky with them -- we're not sure if he's in the backseat or not.

In any case, it's a good sign that Kourtney's finally been discharged ... assuming she went in last Tuesday -- which jibes with them wanting a Halloween baby.

We saw Travis head back to Cedars Monday after arriving Friday. Remember, there were glimpses of other family members -- including Kylie -- visiting as recently as Thursday. We aren't certain about what day Kourtney popped ... but we confirmed the baby was born.

Kourtney and TB haven't publicly addressed the delivery of Rocky just yet, but he marks the first child Kourtney and Travis have had together ... of course, they each have children from previous relationships -- with Scott Disick and Shanna Moakler.

Their romance has been nothing short of eventful since they first hooked up ... and now, they're ready to begin a new chapter of their lives with a family of their own.

Some alleged culprits turned to heavy machinery to carry out their heist ... taking a construction backhoe and digging right into the store.

Check out the wild clip, which reportedly took place Monday morning at an ampm store in Oakland, CA ... the excavation equipment blasts through the wall, with the store's clerk barely gettin' out of there before the crooks start the teardown.

While the shop's glass was bulletproof, it clearly wasn't backhoe-proof -- after getting the claw through the wall, the machine then goes after the ATM inside. Eventually, the thieves in question chain up the ATM, attached to a truck outside, and make their getaway.

Store owner Ali Abdulla told ABC7 there's "at least $70,000" worth of damages after the excavation. Ali says he's frustrated by what happened to his store, and thinks the only way to run a shop in his area these days is to "sleep in your store and stay locked and loaded with an AK-47 and just be ready because the police is not coming on time."

He notes, however, that he isn't putting the blame on Oakland PD -- claiming there simply aren't enough cops working.

12/4 1:07 PM PT -- C-Knight's family tells TMZ ... the rapper has not been buried because the family does not have the money to put on a proper funeral for him.

They are seeking crowdfunding from fans via their GoFundMe.

C-Knight, a member of hip hop group The Dove Shack, has died ... TMZ has learned.

A family member tells us C-Knight, real name Arnez Blount, passed away Tuesday after it was decided to take him off life support, weeks after first being admitted to the facility for a stroke.

TMZ broke the story, C-Knight's father told us his son was hospitalized mid-October after his blood sugar was at a scary level -- a result of his diabetes.

While getting dialysis at the hospital, he somehow suffered a stroke and went into cardiac arrest. He was resuscitated by doctors and put on life support ... but had been in an unresponsive state -- with medical staff telling the family there were no signs of progress.

C-Knight's father last told us they were waiting on the results of a crucial MRI to hopefully see any notable brain activity -- but his family kept optimistic while they waited.

The Dove Shack played a big part in the West Coast G-Funk music movement in the 1990s ... jumping in the game with fellow big dogs like Warren G and Snoop Dogg.

C-Knight, along with Bo-Roc and 2Scoops, put out some memorable hits like "Summertime in the LBC," "This Is The Shack," and "Smoke Out."

He was 52.

RIP

Guns N' Roses' bass player, Duff McKagan, is the proud owner of an adorable new pup ... a rescue he picked up with his boo as a brand new addition to their family.

Duff and his wife, Susan Holmes McKagan, rescued the little one Monday from The Labelle Foundation in Los Angeles -- an organization that's all about rescuing, rehabbing, and advocating for dogs.

The doggo is a chihuahua-terrier mix and is just about as adorable as it sounds.

And if ya still aren't on board, check out this clip of it running around in the grass ... awww!!!

BTW, Guns N' Roses just wrapped the North American leg of its latest tour -- closing out with a couple of shows at The Hollywood Bowl and a killer concert at Hell And Heaven Fest in Mexico.

Translation ... Duff and Susan have some time on their hands to train their adorable dog.

Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes' friendship is Instagram official ... 'cause the wife of the Chiefs superstar QB finally shared a personal pic from their weekend in NYC where the singer spent some quality time with a few fellow K.C. WAGS!

Of course, Patrick's partner hit the Big Apple with Swift and her VIP gal pals Selena Gomez, Sophie Turner and Gigi Hadid a few days back ... locking arms with Travis Kelce's new boo outside the Bond Street restaurant.

Judging by Brittany's new social media posts, it looks like Taylor made some time for her new friends on Saturday, too -- Chiefs backup quarterback Shane Buechele's wife, Paige, and tight end Blake Bell's partner, Lyndsay.

As we previously reported, Paige and Lyndsay were spotted leaving Taylor's TriBeCa apartment following the Chiefs' matchup with the Miami Dolphins (which was in Germany) ... with the ladies decked out in gameday gear.

The foursome posed for photos as they enjoyed some champagne (we know Brittany loves her bubbly) ... and it's clear they've already hit it off.

We're guessing not everyone's going to love the photo sesh ... this is presumably why Travis' ex, Kayla Nicole, unfollowed her once-bestie, Brittany, explaining it was necessary in order to protect her mental health.

It was seemingly the last hurrah for the group ... at least for the foreseeable future. Swift's international tour kicks off on Thursday in Argentina.

Lady Gaga has the world at her feet now, but she's getting no "Applause" from a former college classmate -- Carly Waddell claims the singer's behavior would "drive her crazy."

"Bachelor" alum Carly is also a singer -- though she's more known for her TV dating conquests -- and while on ex-"Bachelor" star Jason Tartick's podcast, "Trading Secrets," she revealed she was "not a fan" of Gaga back when they were both attending NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

Case in point ... Carly said that Gaga -- who went by her real name, Stefani, back then -- would dismiss basic lunchtime etiquette, singing "Wicked" at the top of her lungs while on the piano as others tried to eat in peace ... every single day.

Carly said, "It was break time, and we were forced to listen to her" ... which she found so irritating, she started eating her lunch in the hallway just to flee Gaga's singing.

But did Gaga's flair for performing arts put her above everyone else in class? Carly says no ... but with Grammys, an Academy Award & many more accolades under her belt, she acknowledges that Gaga is NOW above everyone else.

Terrifying moment for soccer superstar Neymar's family -- three men reportedly broke into his partner Bruna Biancardi's Sao Paulo condo early Tuesday morning in an attempt to target her and their newborn baby.

Neymar and Bruna -- who started dating in 2021 -- weren't home at the time, according to local outlets ... but her parents were present when the intruders allegedly entered the residence.

Reports state two armed men and another suspect tied up Bruna's parents and proceeded to ransack the influencer's place ... taking luxury items like watches, designer purses and jewelry.

According to R7 newspaper, the suspects were allegedly looking for Neymar and Bruna's baby girl Mavie -- who was born in early October. In fact, the Al Hilal striker shared a picture with his child on Monday.

Thankfully, no one was injured ... and neighbors were quick to notify security during the home invasion.

One of the suspects -- a 20-year-old -- was arrested during the act. It is believed he is Bruna's neighbor and used his access to the neighborhood to allow the other suspects in the gate.

The other two suspects are still on the loose ... but so far, one has been identified.

Kroy Biermann's failure to respond to a repo case filed against him has finally reached its breaking point -- 'cause a judge just ruled he's gotta fork over his Rolls-Royce.

According to new court docs, obtained by TMZ, the former NFLer had a default judgment entered against him over the luxury car ... which he'd been leasing since 2020. BMW alleged he'd recently ghosted them on payments ... and filed a lawsuit so it could repossess the sweet ride.

Now, after months of no reply from Kroy ... a judge has signed off in favor of BMW, ordering Kroy to surrender possession of the Rolls stat.

In the judge's order, KB is instructed to hand over the vehicle to law enforcement in Fulton County where he lives so BMW can reclaim it.

It's unclear what Kroy's gonna do ... considering he hasn't uttered a peep in his defense in this case -- something tells us a tow truck might be pulling up to his crib in the near future ... and haul the car away.

Remember, BMW claimed Kroy had agreed to a 3-year lease with them -- from 2020 to 2023 -- and would pay $5,297.64/month ... for a total of $190k. However, the company alleged he'd stopped paying altogether -- with them saying the last sign of dough arrived in Sept. 2022.

Kroy's attorney spoke to us when this suit was first filed ... and the response was very much, it is what it is. Kroy acknowledges he's in dire financial straits right now amid his ongoing divorce with Kim Zolciak -- and it sounds like he's got bigger fish to fry besides a Rolls.

Their fancy house, for example, comes to mind ... with the bank moving towards foreclosure and Kim/Kroy trying to sell it off first in hopes of recouping some cash to handle the rest of their affairs.

With everything else going on in Kroy's life at the moment, he can afford to lose the Rolls.

Former child star Evan Ellingson's death is being investigated as a possible overdose ... we're told evidence was found at the scene which might point to drug use.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... drug paraphernalia was found at the San Bernardino County home, where Evan was found dead on Sunday. Right now, cops are continuing to investigate and we're told the case is being looked at as a possible OD.

Sources close to the case tell us the pending results of Ellingson's toxicology report will determine how the investigation will proceed -- if drugs are found to have been the cause, authorities could potentially investigate where they came from, and if there's any criminal culpability.

TMZ broke the story, Ellingson's body was found in his bedroom ... and officials told us there appeared to be no foul play involved.

Aaron Rodgers' ruptured Achilles is healing at a pace never before seen in an NFL player ... and there's a real chance the future Hall of Famer returns to the field this season ... sources connected to the QB tell TMZ Sports.

We're told 39-year-old Rodgers is in "no man's land" -- uncharted territory -- when it comes to the speed at which he's healing from the serious injury to his left leg. No player previously has come this far, this fast.

Typically, a ruptured Achilles takes 9+ months to recover. Aaron's injury happened on September 11, just 57 days ago. Using that timeline, Rodgers wouldn't be ready to return until training camp next year.

But, Aaron isn't conventional, and the 4x NFL MVP made up his mind shortly after the injury, he was going to do all he could to return this season.

Doctors, however, need to balance Rodger's eagerness with the danger of reinjuring his leg. They'll only allow him to play if they're confident he isn't at high risk of reinjuring the ligament, according to our sources.

What's interesting ... we're told one of the balancing factors is how much the Jets need Rodgers. If he's game critical, it would offset some of the risk. In other words, the more he's needed, the more risk can be tolerated.

As for why a 39-year-old is healing faster than any football player known to medicine, we're told it's a combination of the top doctors using cutting-edge procedures combined with Aaron's unrelenting approach to physical therapy.

All the talk of a comeback could be moot if the 4-4 Jets aren't in playoff contention. There's no point in rushing a return if Gang Green's playing in meaningless games.

Following the Jets Monday Night Football loss to the Chargers, Derwin James asked Rodgers when he was going to return.

Timbaland happily came to Justin Timberlake's defense when the topic of Britney Spears' best-selling memoir came up -- but his response has Britney's army of fans declaring war on the superproducer!!!

Fans caught wind Tuesday of the sly remark Tim made during his Oct. 29 live interview with 9th Wonder at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.

In response to Britney's "The Woman In Me" memoir -- in which she says JT got her pregnant back in 2000, and they decided to abort the baby -- Timbaland told the D.C. crowd his "SexyBack" collaborator should've "put a muzzle on that girl."

He also said he doesn't blame Britney for having loose lips, because that's what you have to do to go viral, and that's the name of the game in the current social media era of showbiz.

The audience got a good chuckle over Tim's response but Britney's fans are doing the opposite of laughing -- they're calling for him to apologize, and think he's actually harboring a now decades-old vendetta against Britney.

Back in 2007, Timbaland told MTV that Britney dissed him and JT, and she needed to apologize if they were ever going to work together.

That didn't happen .. Britney went on to drop her "Blackout" album with beats from Timbaland's former protégé Danja, and, clearly, there are still lingering tensions!!!

Katy Perry had the time of her life after closing the curtain on her Las Vegas residency ... living it up with her boo, Orlando Bloom, at The Chainsmokers' concert.

Orlando and Katy were groovin' Saturday night at the DJ duo's residency at the XS Nightclub inside the Wynn Las Vegas ... the "Firework" singer was really feelin' the music, grabbing the mic and singing along to the track -- even if she didn't totally nail the lyrics.

It appears KP had a couple of drinks in her, having some playful fun with 1/2 of the Chainsmokers crew, Drew Taggart -- but hey, she's earned it after closing a big chapter in her musical career.

For those unaware, Katy kicked off her Vegas residency at the end of 2021, putting on 80 shows at Resorts World Theatre. At her final show on Saturday, Katy called Orlando an amazing father and said her 3-year-old daughter, Daisy, was her "best friend."

Katy also teased the crowd after her last show ended -- a screen lowered that read, "See ya next year ..." hinting at more exciting things to come not just for the singer, but for the fans!

A Jewish man was killed at a pro-Palestinian rally in California ... and police are now investigating his death as a possible hate crime.

69-year-old Paul Kessler was attending the Sunday afternoon event in Thousand Oaks, CA, where there was also a competing pro-Israel rally. Kessler was demonstrating in support of Israel.

As you know, Israelis and Palestinians -- under the rule of Hamas -- are embroiled in a bloody war in the Middle East. Hamas attacked the Jewish state in October, sparking the conflict.

Law enforcement tells us ... At the gathering in Ventura County, Kessler got into a heated argument with the Palestinian counter-protesters, leading to a physical fight.

Cops say Kessler was knocked backwards, causing him to fall and hit his head on the ground.

Video of the incident later surfaced on X. Take a look ... Kessler is sprawled out on the sidewalk after the altercation. He appears to be in agony as two people tend to him.

Kessler was rushed to a local hospital, where he died from his head injuries. The L.A. County Coroner determined his death was a homicide.

12:22 PM PT -- Aaron Rodgers is clarifying his comment about being back to action in "a few weeks" ... saying the whole conversation was just silly banter with a friend.

The quarterback discussed the popular sound bite on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday ... claiming he didn't expect mics to pick up what he was discussing with James -- and he wasn't stating fact.

Rodgers went on to say the previously stated timeline is pretty unrealistic ... and he is more like "a few fortnights" from suiting up again.

FYI -- a fortnight is 14 days ... so, see you in six weeks, Aaron??

Aaron Rodgers is telling people they won't have to wait long to see him get back on the field -- the New York Jets quarterback was caught on a hot mic saying he's only "a few weeks" from returning from his Achilles injury.

AR8 met up with Los Angeles Chargers star Derwin James on the 50-yard line following his team's 27-6 loss during Monday Night Football ... and when the two embraced, the All-Pro safety asked what everyone wants to know -- "When you coming back, man??"

Rodgers' response will have Jets fans salivating.

"Give me a few weeks," he answered.

Of course, the four-time MVP has been showing strong signs of improvement over the past few weeks -- he has been walking without crutches and throwing the football before games ... claiming he's well ahead of schedule with rehab since suffering the injury on September 11.

Worth noting -- it's entirely possible Rodgers might not have been too serious with his answer ... as he could have been playing it up for the cameras or wanting to keep the real timeline a secret.

Rodgers has made it clear he wants to return this season -- but the quickest Achilles recovery in NFL history belongs to Cam Akers, who returned after 5 1/2 months. If Rodgers takes the same amount of time, it'll be right around the Super Bowl.