Arizona Cardinals

DeAndre Hopkins is doing his part to help the people of Arizona stay cool during a devastating heat wave ... by walking the streets hand-delivering bottles of ice-cold water.

The Cardinals wideout left the comfort of his air-conditioned mansion and stepped into the scorching 117-degree temps ... hitting up his friends to load a pickup truck bed with bags of ice and water so they could drive around the city to hand out water.

The 30-year-old shared the amazing gesture on his TikTok ... saying, "We decided to spend the day giving cold water to the people struggling to find housing."

"You can't always solve the whole problem, but you can show people kindness."

In the vid, you can see the 5-time Pro Bowler walking up to people on the streets and sidewalks with bottles of water and even taking time out to have a little conversation with them.

"I've been through hard times myself and I still remember how much things like this helped," Hopkins said. "So look out for each other and help however you can."

"Stay safe out there Arizona."

Hopkins -- who was traded from the Texans to the Cardinals in 2020 -- told us last year he wanted to expand his charity work in Arizona after leaving Houston.

Just seconds before Arizona Cardinals defensive back Jeff Gladney died in a car accident last month ... he was both "swerving" and "flying" down a roadway, this according to a crash report obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the official documents, authorities say Gladney was driving a 2019 Mercedes-Benz with his girlfriend, Mercedes Andrea Palacios, at around 2:20 AM on May 20 on the Woodall Rodgers Service Road in Dallas.

According to the docs, a witness told investigators Gladney sideswiped a Lexus while traveling at "a very high rate of speed."

Investigators say Gladney then lost control of his ride, traveled into a nearby grassy area, and flipped into a bridge pillar. The collision, according to the report, caused the car to burst into flames.

In the docs, authorities say a witness on the scene filled out an affidavit claiming Gladney was both "swerving" and "flying" prior to colliding with the Lexus. The witness, investigators say, claimed Gladney caused the crash.

In the docs, investigators noted neither Gladney nor Palacios were wearing seatbelts. They listed "unsafe speed" and "faulty evasive action" as contributing factors in the accident.

Authorities also noted in the docs that responders arrived eight minutes after they were initially notified of the wreck.

As we previously reported, both Gladney and Palacios were tragically killed in the crash. Gladney was just 25 years old; Palacios was just 26.

It's unclear if either alcohol or drugs played a role in the accident, the crash report notes specimens were not taken at the scene. The Dallas County Medical Examiners Office, meanwhile, told TMZ Sports on Wednesday autopsy results for Gladney are still pending.

Gladney -- a former Minnesota Vikings first-round pick in 2020 -- had just signed with the Cardinals this offseason and was expected to compete for a starting cornerback role.

Jeff Gladney, Arizona Cardinals cornerback and former 1st round draft pick, died early Monday morning following a car accident in Dallas.

He was only 25 years old.

The details surrounding the fatal Memorial Day crash are not yet clear.

Gladney, born in Texas in 1996, was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings with the 31st overall pick in 2020 ... after starring at TCU.

The standout corner played in all 16 games for the Vikes in 2020 ... racking up 81 tackles (63 solo).

However, Jeff was cut by Minnesota in the summer of 2021 after being accused of assaulting his girlfriend. The case ultimately went to trial, and Gladney was found not guilty. But, because the trial took time, JG was forced to sit out the entire 2021 season.

After the not guilty verdict, he was free and clear to resume his very promising football career. In fact, the Cardinals just signed Jeff to a new contract in March 2022.

Gladney's agent released a statement, saying ... "We are asking prayers for the family and privacy at this most difficult time."

The NFL world is also mourning the passing. The Cardinals organization issued a statement addressing the tragic news.

"We are devastated to learn of Jeff Gladney's passing. Our hearts go out to his family, friends and all who are mourning this tremendous loss."

Jeff's former TCU teammate, Eagles WR Jalen Reagor, is grieving the loss of his close friend.

"Lost my Brother, my best friend, my right hand man… ain't too much more I can take man damn! R.I.P Jeff Gladney, brother watch over me please."

New Cardinals teammate J.J. Watt spoke on the tragedy, writing "Horrifying news to hear this morning. Just tragic. Rest In Peace Jeff."

The Vikings also issued a statement.

"We are saddened by the tragic death of former Viking Jeff Gladney. Our hearts go out to his family and friends, as well as the Arizona Cardinals organization and Jeff's current and former teammates and coaches who are mourning his life lost much too soon."

Rest in peace.

A six-game suspension for taking performance-enhancing drugs will not cost DeAndre Hopkins his bust in Canton ... so says Larry Fitzgerald, who tells TMZ Sports the wideout will still be in the Hall of Fame one day.

Larry made the proclamation out at LAX less than two weeks after the NFL announced Hopkins' ban ... telling us he truly believes HOF voters won't hold the positive test over the Cardinals star's head.

Fitz added he doesn't believe the suspension will taint Hopkins' legacy, either.

"He'll still be a Hall of Famer," Fitzgerald said. "He'll work through it. It's just some adversity and, you know, he's a tough guy, resourceful, and he'll work his way through it."

Arizona Cardinals star DeAndre Hopkins will miss a huge chunk of the 2022 season ... the NFL has suspended the wide receiver after it says he violated the league's PED policy.

ESPN's Adam Schefter just reported the news ... saying Hopkins has been banned for the first six games of the upcoming season.

It's unclear what Hopkins did exactly to violate the NFL's rules.

Hopkins did appeal the suspension, according to Ari Meirov, but withdrew it ... meaning the league's ban is now final.

It's a big blow for the Cards -- because when he's been on the field for Arizona, Hopkins has been a superstar.

Since being traded to the team in 2020, Hopkins has logged 1,979 receiving yards and 14 TDs on 157 catches in just 26 games.

But, Hopkins did miss 7 games last year -- including the team's playoff game against the L.A. Rams -- due to knee and hamstring injuries.

Dez Bryant ain't done with football yet ... the former Dallas Cowboys superstar tells TMZ Sports he's not retired -- and still wants to catch passes from Kyler Murray in the desert.

We got Bryant out at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas this week ... and he made it clear, despite not playing since the 2020 season, he's not callin' it a career yet.

In fact, Dez told us he's still gunnin' to get a contract with the Arizona Cardinals.

"Kyler, the coach -- I love the swagger over there," said the 33-year-old, who initially revealed to us back in 2021 that he wanted to be a Card. "I just love the guys, especially DeAndre Hopkins -- that's my boy. We real close."

Bryant said he'd be willing to take a bit of a backseat in order to play for Kliff Kingsbury -- explaining he wouldn't mind being a backup wideout and a locker room guy if needed.

Bryant told us being a mentor to young players is something that's important to him ... and, clearly, he believes he could be valuable in that role and beyond for the Cardinals.

As for if he's still in shape -- Bryant said not quite yet, but he told us he ain't too far off.

Even though Lamar Jackson seemed shocked the Ravens traded Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, the receiver says it's all cap -- claiming the QB knew about it.

The Ravens made the swap with the Cardinals during the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday night ... exchanging the 24-year-old wideout and a 3rd-rounder for the 23rd overall pick.

The deal came off as a surprise for NFL fans and players -- including Jackson, who wrote in a tweet, "Wtf."

He also retweeted a fan's comment that said, "WHAT THE F***ING F*** BRO! WE TRADED AWAY HOLLYWOOD 💔💔💔💔💔"

But, Brown says the former NFL MVP knew he wanted out ... saying on the "I Am Athlete Tonight" SiriusXM radio show that he talked to Jackson several times about leaving the Ravens.

"Nah, he wasn't surprised," Brown said. "I talked to Lamar about it after my second year. Then, after my third year leading up to the end of the season, you know, he wasn't playing. I let him know again like, 'Yeah bro, I can't do it.'"

Brown insists his request to leave Baltimore had nothing to do with Jackson, but more about the Ravens' offense in general.

"I love Lamar," Brown said, "The system wasn't for me, personally. I love all my teammates. I love the guys, but it was something I had to think about for myself."

The relationship between Brown and the Ravens ended on good terms, according to the receiver ... who said, "We both handled it the right way."

"I didn't go out and make anything public. I just kept it in house, kept working and it all worked out."

Brown was the first receiver selected in the 2019 NFL Draft and caught 2,361 yards and 21 touchdowns during his three seasons with the Ravens.

Now, he will reunite with his former Oklahoma QB, Kyler Murray, in Arizona.

"Let's run it back!" Murray said after the trade. "Hollywood to the desert … Y'all welcome my boy!"

NFL tight end Zach Ertz and his wife, Julie, just shared some exciting news on Monday -- the married couple is having a baby!!

The Arizona Cardinals and USWNT stars dropped the news on Instagram ... with the two posting photos of Julie's baby bump, and Zach kissing her growing tummy.

"Adding to our starting lineup ... Baby Ertz!" Zach captioned the pics.

The 10-year NFL veteran has been with the U.S. women's national team defender for nearly a decade ... and tied the knot in March 2017.

Of course, Julie was there to celebrate with Zach after Super Bowl LVII, which he won as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Ertz had one of the key plays in the game when he caught what proved to be the go-ahead touchdown from Nick Foles ... propelling Philly over New England in the end.

Julie is a star in her own right -- the two-time Olympian and one-time Olympic gold medalist is one of the most decorated in her position.

Although the baby isn't here yet, having a football and soccer star as parents means the sky is the limit when it comes to sports ... if that's what the youngin' is into, of course.

Reports of Kyler Murray being a bad teammate and a poor leader are flat-out false ... so says his Cardinals teammate Christian Kirk, who tells TMZ Sports he loves the quarterback.

Kirk had nothing but nice things to say about the Arizona star outside of JLT Performance GYM in Los Angeles this week ... explaining he has no issues whatsoever with the signal-caller.

"He's a great friend of mine and he's always treated me well and teammates around him well," said Kirk, who's played with Murray in Arizona since 2019. "Every time he steps on the field, he wants to win."

Of course, recent reports have contradicted Kirk ... particularly after Murray scrubbed his social media of Arizona Cardinals-related pics.

Multiple outlets reported the Cards' org. is unhappy with the QB -- hoping to see more maturity, better play and more leadership from the 24-year-old before they give him a monster contract extension.

Kirk, though, made it clear he hasn't seen any of those issues with the QB, saying, "I believe he deserves everything that he's earned and that he has coming."

There's a chance, however, that Kirk won't be able to play with Kyler anymore going forward ... Christian is set for free agency later this month, and rumors are swirling that he could become a Buffalo Bill after he vacationed with star QB Josh Allen last month.

Very scary moment during the Cardinals vs. Rams playoff game on Monday ... Arizona star Budda Baker needed to be taken to the hospital following a violent collision with an L.A. player.

In the third quarter of the Rams' blowout win, Baker -- a Pro Bowler this season -- was attempting to make a tackle on Cam Akers, when the two brutally slammed heads.

Video of the play shows Baker immediately went limp, appearing to be knocked unconscious as soon as the impact happened.

The 26-year-old laid on the ground for several minutes, before trainers strapped him to a backboard and eventually loaded him into an ambulance.

Thankfully, the Cardinals announced their star player never lost movement or feeling in his extremities ... and was both alert and communicative.

Baker later tweeted he's doing "good" ... writing, "Thank you all for the prayers. I am doing good."

There's been no word yet if the Arizona safety has been released from the hospital.

Akers -- who actually taunted Baker following the hit -- apologized for his actions ... saying in a tweet of his own, "I didn’t know he was hurt after the play but I have nothing but respect for him."

The Cardinals season is now over following the 34-11 loss, while the Rams will travel to Tampa Bay this weekend to play Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.

Get well soon, Budda.

The "Manning Cast" swearing bug finally reached Peyton Manning -- the Hall of Fame quarterback dropped the S-bomb live on "Monday Night Football" ... and it was hilarious!!

The Manning bros hosted their final broadcast of "MNF" for the Rams vs. Cardinals Wild Card matchup on Monday ... and just like Travis Kelce and Marshawn Lynch before him, Peyton said a dirty word.

The moment happened late in the first quarter, when Eli asked Peyton to break down a touchdown play ... but some technical issues led to a much better response.

"I can't hear s***," Peyton said in frustration.

Eli -- who also had his own mishap by flipping his middle fingers earlier this season -- was quick to distract fans from the expletive ... saying, "NEVERMIND!!"

Peyton later explained what happened ... saying his mic busted when he got too excited after Odell Beckham's touchdown catch, causing the technical difficulties.

Peyton then switched the focus back to the game ... going about his analysis like nothing happened, but viewers were quick to share the funny slip-up on social media.

It's now the third time someone on the live "Manning Cast" said a bad word -- as we previously reported, Marshawn was unfiltered during his appearance back in October, with Peyton apologizing on his behalf.

"I want to apologize for some of the language. It's not what we're trying to do on this show," the 2-time Super Bowl champ said at the time.

Before that, Kelce accidentally let an S-bomb of his own slip while chatting with Peyton and Eli back in September.

Making sure his O-linemen were happy for the holidays didn't come cheap for Kyler Murray ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the golf gifts he gave to his teammates this week cost $5K apiece!!!

The Arizona signal-caller shelled out the goodies to his personal protectors on Monday -- partnering with True Spec Golf to give them each a custom bag and custom clubs.

The package was sweet -- the bag featured every O-lineman's name and number and came complete with 13 total clubs -- including a driver, woods, hybrids, irons and wedges.

A rep for True Spec Golf tells us every players' clubs were properly fitted to them ... and in its entirety, the gift cost over $5,000 per bag.

Don't worry, the guys all appeared to love the presents from Murray ... smiling ear to ear while tagging balls at the True Spec Golf location in Scottsdale.

"It was a privilege to host Kyler Murray and his teammates at True Spec Golf," said the President of True Spec Golf, Ryan Richardson. "Similar to our everyday customers, some of the guys came in with years of experience and others were brand new to the game."

"It was great to show them how our data-driven, brand-agnostic approach at True Spec can improve anyone’s game regardless of skill level.”

At the moment, it's unclear if Murray -- who's previously gifted his O-linemen with scooters and paintings in the past -- will make this a yearly tradition, but we're told he will be coming back for a club fitting of his own following the season.

Ex-Arizona star Frank Sanders just got a tattoo of Kliff Kingsbury -- and it's clear the former Cardinals wideout wasn't trying to hide it, getting a BIG piece done on his arm.

The 48-year-old -- who played for the Cards from 1995 through 2002 -- put the ink on his forearm on Tuesday ... and check it out, it ain't tiny!

Sanders said it measures around 3 inches tall and 6 inches wide ... and features a "K2" to honor the two "Ks" in Kliff Kingsbury's name. The tat also features the letters "PHNX" surrounded by the Cardinals' logo.

As for why Sanders got it -- he had been critical of Kingsbury in the past but promised if the Cardinals scored a win over the San Francisco 49ers back in Week 9, he'd get the tat.

Arizona Cardinals' defensive end J.J. Watt is stepping up in a major way ... by offering to pay for the funeral expenses of all the victims of the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy.

Watt was devastated after learning of the deadly incident ... calling it "horrific" and expressing concern for those who had been injured and killed.

The incident hits close to home for Watt, especially since he's a Wisconsin native and Badger alum. He also went to high school in nearby Pewaukee, just a few miles from Waukesha.

Now, the Cardinals star is putting his wallet where his enormous heart is ... 'cause he is offering to cover the funeral costs of all the lives lost as a result of the heinous catastrophe.

Of course, J.J. is known to give back -- in 2017, Watt was named the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year ... which recognizes recipients for their charitable efforts.

In 2018, he also offered to cover the funeral costs of the people who died in the Santa Fe High School shooting ... and he raised $37 million in an effort to help rebuild Houston and the Gulf region after they had been ravaged by Hurricane Harvey.

Watt's efforts come at a time where a community reeling from tragedy is looking for a reason to celebrate something positive.

Kyler Murray had a bone to pick with Myles Garrett following their game Sunday ... telling the Cleveland Browns star he was ticked over his inclusion in the dude's Halloween QB graveyard!

Murray's hilarious beef was all picked up on a hot mic after the Cardinals beat Cleveland ... with the quarterback asking Garrett why he had to be on one of the headstones in the pass-rusher's front lawn.

"Why you got me in the graveyard, dawg?!" Murray asked. "Why you got me in the graveyard?!"

Garrett gave a sheepish smile and then explained, "I need some added motivation."

Murray clearly didn't love the answer, replying back, "Damn!" But, he did tell Garrett he did appreciate not having a "RIP" on his marker.

As we previously reported, Garrett has laid out QB gravestones in front of his house to celebrate the spooky season ... with Murray, Lamar Jackson, Ben Roethlisberger and four others being featured in the decorations.

Garrett had said they were up because he thought they were funny, and that he liked being "kind of a troll."

Don't worry ... it seemed like Murray didn't care that much, 'cause he complimented Garrett's game and said, "You're the best at it, man."

Arizona Cardinals LB Zaven Collins -- a 1st-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft -- just cut a deal with prosecutors in his criminal case ... pleading guilty to speeding in order to close it all out.

Collins was arrested in Scottsdale, Ariz. back on June 20 after cops say they caught him going 76 MPH in a 35 MPH zone.

Body camera footage from the arrest showed Collins begged officers to let him off ... but he was taken to the station and ultimately charged with speeding and reckless driving.

TMZ Sports, though, has learned ... in exchange for pleading guilty to the speeding charge, prosecutors dropped the reckless driving count.

Court records show as punishment, Collins was hit with over $500 worth of fines and fees.

The case is now listed as closed.

Of course, it's a big load off Collins' shoulders ... the charges loomed over the rookie's head for the entirety of his first-ever training camp with the Cards this month.