Baltimore Ravens

What happens when you combine the powers of The Hulk and Goku?!?

You get a sick leg sleeve tattoo!!!

At least, that's the case for Robert Griffin III ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the Baltimore Ravens quarterback just got the heroes inked on his leg -- and the artwork is INSANE!!

We're told Griffin is a HUGE fan of cartoons and comic books ... and hit up Nic Westfall recently to immortalize his love for some characters on his left leg.

And, it's clear the artist didn't disappoint ... check out the piece -- Goku and Hulk look real as hell!!!

In total, Westfall tells us Griffin sat for 10 HOURS to get the tat done ... and says the former Heisman Trophy winner is still planning on adding more to the piece this offseason.

Westfall says RGIII wants some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the inside part of his leg -- and tells us the QB could add some more Dragon Ball Z characters too.

Unclear what the 30-year-old is paying for the artwork ... but Westfall says RGIII loved it all so much, he gifted a dope autographed jersey!!!

As Earl Thomas deals with his own drama on the football field ... his wife is gearing up for a big hearing in her domestic violence case.

According to court records obtained by TMZ Sports, Nina Thomas' next court date on the matter is set for Sept. 3 in Texas at 1:30 PM CT.

Of course, there's a possibility the hearing could be pushed to a later date -- but the fact that it's on the calendar means, for now, the case is still very much alive.

We broke the story, Nina is accused of storming an Airbnb home in Texas and holding Earl at gunpoint after she allegedly caught him cheating.

But, the pretrial process has moved at a snail's pace ... with several hearings on the matter having already been pushed due to COVID-19.

For now, next week's hearing is still on ... although it's unclear if any resolution will come from the court date.

As we previously reported, it doesn't seem Earl wants to move forward with charges regardless ... he said in a video statement shortly after the incident that he and Nina have been talking, adding, "Stuff like this happens."

Nina also bought Earl a new diamond chain for his birthday back in May ... which the NFL player thanked her for publicly on social media.

Dez Bryant has officially touched down in Baltimore ... next stop, a new contract with the Ravens?!

The former NFL superstar was at BWI Airport in Maryland Tuesday making his way to the Ravens' practice facility for a much-anticipated tryout ... and the dude seems PUMPED!!

The ex-Dallas Cowboys WR said straight-up "it'd be fun" to join the Ravens ... before adding he wants to play with Lamar Jackson BADLY!!!

"He the man," Dez said of the Baltimore QB. "He the man. Hell yeah. I've been rooting for Lamar since his Louisville days. Anybody that knows me knows that!"

Of course, there are a few hurdles Dez has to jump through before the Jackson-to-Bryant connection can be a reality.

Per NFL rules, Bryant must pass COVID testing prior to taking the field ... and even then, he's got to prove to Ravens coaches he still belongs in the league.

Remember, the 31-year-old hasn't played a down in the league since the 2017 season ... and has suffered through a blown-out Achilles in the meantime.

But, Dez has been working like a mad man to get back ... and, judging by his swagger at the airport Tuesday, dude's clearly confident heading into the tryout.

Good luck!!

First, it was Lamar Jackson ... and now it's Hollywood Brown dropping major hints about wanting the Ravens to sign Antonio Brown ... saying his cousin would be a great fit in Baltimore.

Of course, AB had been working out with Jackson and Brown this off-season ... and the reigning MVP said just last week he's still hoping the team pulls the trigger and signs the free agent receiver.

Now, Hollywood is going to bat for his cuz ... saying the addition would make the team better ... and praising AB's work ethic.

"I feel like he could fit in this locker room," Brown told reporters on Wednesday. "He’s gonna go out there and give 100% and seeing guys like that is gonna make other guys do the same."

Hollywood added ... "I been working out with AB since I was in college so I know he’s a guy that’s going to push you and he’s a guy that’s gonna take care of his body."

There's obviously one big factor that could keep the Ravens from picking up the phone and calling Mr. Big Chest -- Brown was just suspended 8 games by the NFL for violating its personal conduct policy.

An NFL owner has FINALLY come forward and voiced his support for racial justice ... with Ravens honcho Steve Bisciotti delivering a powerful message alongside his players Friday.

The video -- in which players, staffers and Bisciotti himself talk about the need to end racism -- runs for roughly 10 minutes ... and it's emotional.

Everyone from star QB Lamar Jackson to backup QB Robert Griffin III to kicker Justin Tucker, who's white, delivers messages promoting unity and equality.

But, the most notable is obviously Bisciotti ... who's now become the first owner in the league to step forward and voice his support on video for his players in the fight for racial justice.

"Ask the questions, ask the uncomfortable questions," Bisciotti says. "And you will come to the conclusion -- I hope -- that I have, that you don't feel it enough, and that you don't live it enough if you're not willing to say it: Black Lives Matter."

Bisciotti added in the video, "To say stick to sports is the worst possible thing that you can feel and say."

"If my players, both white and black, don't speak out about this injustice to their communities, then they're considered sellouts or hypocrites. If I don't defend my players, then I'm the worst kind of hypocrite."

Bisciotti's move is a big step for the NFL ... even though Roger Goodell publicly admitted to bungling kneeling protests and vowed to do more to combat racial injustice -- league owners have been widely panned for staying quiet on the issue.

In fact, Richard Sherman just went after Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for his lack of vocal support on the matter ... saying this week, "his silence speaks volumes."

"It’s not pulling [NFL owners] like it is the rest of the country,” the 49ers cornerback added. "Because if it was, then they’d speak."

Ravens rookie J.K. Dobbins says he's well aware of the stigma associated with wearing #27 in Baltimore after the Ray Rice incident ... but chose the number to honor his dad and create his own legacy.

"Ray Rice was an amazing player. People make mistakes," Dobbins said on Instagram Live. "But, I wear that number for myself because I want to set a legacy for my own self in that number."

Dobbins says he picked the number to honor his late father, Lawrence, who wore #27 as a star running back at La Grange H.S. in Texas.

Lawrence tragically passed away of a stroke when J.K. was just 15 years old, according to the Ravens.

FYI -- Rice wore #27 with the Ravens from 2008-2013 ... and became the 2nd-leading rusher in team history.

Of course, #27 has been avoided in Baltimore since Rice's domestic violence incident with then-fiancee Janay Palmer in 2014.

Rice was indefinitely suspended by the NFL for the incident ... and never saw the field again.

But, Dobbins is focused on his own career ... and is ready to begin a new history for the number.

NFL star Earl Thomas is lucky to be alive after cops say his wife held a loaded gun less than a foot from his head ... after she allegedly caught him cheating with another woman.

It's all spelled out in court documents obtained by TMZ Sports ... detailing a violent April 13 altercation involving the Baltimore Ravens player, Nina Thomas and several other people.

The Austin Police Dept. responded to a home in the Austin, Texas area at 3:41 AM after getting a call about a disturbance.

When cops arrived, they say "we observed that a black female wearing an orange sweater with a knife in her hand, later identified as Nina Thomas, was chasing a shirtless black male, later identified as Earl Thomas, with a pistol in his hand around a vehicle."

Cops drew their weapons and ordered both Nina and Earl to the ground -- and they complied without incident. That's when the investigation began and things got WILD.

Here's Nina's story, according to court docs ...

Nina claims Earl, 30, left their home earlier in the day after an argument over the NFL player's drinking. She claims Earl's brother, Seth Thomas, picked him up.

But, a short time later, she decided to check on his whereabouts by logging into his Snapchat account -- and that's when she says she found video of Earl with another woman.

Nina says she used Earl's Snapchat account to track his location to a nearby Airbnb rental home ... and says she called up two other women to help her confront Earl at the pad. Nina also claims she grabbed Earl's pistol, a 9mm Berreta, in the process with the intention to "scare him."

When the women arrived at the house, they "discovered Earl and Seth naked in bed with other women."

That's when Nina admits she pulled out the gun and put it to Earl's head -- stating "that she took out the magazine thinking that the gun could not fire." But, cops say Nina was "unaware that the gun had a round in the chamber."

Cops say one of the women in the house shot cell phone video of the incident ... which they say shows Nina pointing the gun at Earl's head "from less than a foot away and it can clearly be seen that Nina's finger was on the trigger and the safety is disengaged."

Fortunately for Earl, cops say the Ravens defensive back was able to wrestle the gun away from her.

Cops say the cell phone video also shows Nina striking Earl in the nose before it ends.

Cops also spoke with Earl, who essentially corroborated the story ... adding that Nina repeatedly hit him while he attempted to take the firearm away.

In an interview with Earl's alleged mistress at the scene, she claimed Nina also threatened her and the other woman in the house -- pointing the gun at them and yelling "I got something for all you hoes!"

The woman claims one of Nina's other friends was carrying a knife and swinging it aggressively during the altercation as well.

After speaking with everyone, cops ultimately arrested Nina and both members of her posse. Nina was booked for burglary of a residence with intent to commit aggravated assault with a deadly weapon -- family violence, and later bonded out.

Earl was NOT arrested.

Court records show Nina was also hit with an emergency protective order ... requiring her to stay 200 yards away from Earl and his alleged mistress.

As we previously reported, Earl and Nina were married in an extravagant wedding back in April 2016 ... Russell Wilson and Ciara even attended the ceremony.

Earl is one of the best defensive players in the NFL -- he's a 7-time Pro Bowl defensive back who won Super Bowl XLVIII as a member of the Seattle Seahawks.

Thomas was a key part of Seattle's legendary "Legion of Boom" -- along with Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor.

When contacted by TMZ Sports, Nina's attorney, Jonathan Goins, told us, "I am here to declare that my client unequivocally and categorically denies these allegations and we look forward to our day in court where we can clear her good name."

We also reached out to Earl Thomas for comment before we published the story -- and he released a statement on social media.

"Instead of talking about us, just keep us in y'all prayers," Thomas says. "Stuff like this happens. We try to live the best lives we possibly can. Sometimes it doesn't go as planned."

WCW legend Rick Steiner says it's pretty damn cool to watch his son sign with the Baltimore Ravens ... telling TMZ Sports the pro wrestling community is already rallying around him with advice!!

Bronson Rechsteiner was a star fullback at Kennesaw State (averaged 8 yards per carry!) and just signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent.

Rick says he couldn't be more proud of his son -- saying it's another huge moment for his famous family!

"I watched him grow up. I watched the sweat and time and effort he puts into what he does and everything he does," Rick says.

"Just to see him totally succeed going to college, totally succeed with rushing yards and catches and everything else. It's just a super, super proud moment for our dad, for me being his father, to see him do that, see him accomplish that and now, take the phone call, take the next steps to be a professional athlete. Pretty cool, man."

Rick says he's already getting calls from his pro wrestler buddies -- some of whom played in the NFL.

"You got guys like Goldberg, who played in the NFL and all these other guys that were in there. I'm just getting a host of texts and emails congratulating me, proud of my son, proud of his accomplishments. Really makes me feel good, ya know."

Bronson tells us Goldberg -- who played with the Atlanta Falcons in the early '90s -- is already giving him some pointers!

Rechsteiner is a BEAST (just like his dad and uncle) -- in fact, he ripped off 35 reps on the bench press at his pro day, which would have been 3rd best at the NFL Combine.

Lamar Jackson is revealing why he decided to take truss and throw some Z's on it -- claiming someone threatened to SUE him over the Ravens' catchphrase!!

TMZ Sports broke the story ... LJ recently filed an application to trademark the term, Truzz, right around the time he got the word tatted across his chest.

Weird move, considering Lamar's Baltimore Ravens teammate, Mark Ingram, had been using the phrase "Big Truss" to reference LJ throughout the 2019 NFL season. Woo Woo!

But, just as we thought, the switch to "Z's" was all about business -- as Lamar explained Tuesday during a video Q&A with fans.

"Someone tried to sue me for Truss," Jackson said ... "So, I changed my S's to Z's."

Lamar claims the person who holds the Truss trademark tried to "make a big deal" out of the situation ... and it was just easier to make the switch to ZZ instead.

Smart!

There's more -- Lamar also shared some major news ... he's officially been selected as the cover athlete for the Madden NFL 21 video game!!!

Lamar Jackson isn't messing around when it comes to building his brand -- he's already trying to lock up the trademark rights for "Truzz" ... the same words he just had tatted on his chest.

Remember, Lamar's Baltimore Ravens teammate, Mark Ingram, began referring to LJ as "Big Truss" during his insane 2019 NFL season ... and the nickname stuck!

But, someone else made a run on the "Big Truss" trademark -- so Lamar called an audible, made some spelling changes ... and now, he's filled an application to own "Truzz," TMZ Sports has learned.

We know Lamar filed the application back in January -- right around the time he got his new body art.

Gotta applaud his creativity and being business savvy!

The new spelling even caught Ingram by surprise -- who says LJ is a "trendsetter" who has a knack for starting popular trends ... "so 2 Zs it is."

There's more ... we also know Jackson filed for several other trademarks -- including:

-- "You are going to get a Bowl out of me, believe that!"

-- "Era 8 By Lamar Jackson"

-- "Not bad for a running back"

Jackson intends to use the trademark for apparel, accessories and sports equipment.

As for LJ's tattoo, we spoke with the artist, Lesly St. Clou, who tells us the ink was done at a private location BEFORE the COVID-19 quarantine began.

He ain't gonna be a Buc ... but could Antonio Brown be heading to the Ravens?!

The controversial NFL free agent was spotted working out with Lamar Jackson and is fellow receiver cousin, Hollywood Brown on Wednesday ... just days after he speculated about heading to Baltimore.

And by looking at the video of their training sesh ... it could be a dangerous combo.

Of course, AB has been looking for a new home after getting cut by the Patriots early last season ... while the NFL currently investigates sexual assault allegations made by his former trainer.

Even though he could be facing suspension, there's still tons of talks surrounding where Brown will end up after the dust settles.

Although AB has always wanted to reunite with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians has gone on record saying they're not gonna bring Brown in.

When asked about teaming up with Lamar and the Ravens on IG Live a few days ago ... AB said it would be a "scary (sight)" -- so it's VERY interesting to see him work out with Jackson.

Lamar Jackson says Amazon is selling clothes that are straight-up rip-offs of his nicknames and persona ... and now, the NFL MVP is suing the corporate giant over it all.

Jackson -- according to a new lawsuit obtained by TMZ Sports -- says Amazon is selling T-shirts and hoodies that he claims the company shouldn't be allowed to sell.

The Baltimore Ravens QB says he's seen Lamarvelous shirts, Action Jackson tees and Not Bad For A Running Back hoodies -- among other items -- that all "pirate" his brand and "use his name, likeness, image and persona for commercial gain without permission."

Of course, throughout his electric 2019 season in Baltimore ... Jackson embraced those nicknames and phrases -- and even sold clothes of his own with those monikers on them.

But, Jackson says the alleged knock-off items are killing his ability to make profits off the nicknames and images ... claiming in the suit Amazon is confusing the public into thinking he's somehow involved with the knockoffs.

Lamar says the sale of the knockoff items on Amazon have caused him irreparable harm ... and now he wants the company to pay up for hurting the value of his personal brand.

THIS IS SOOOOOOOO GROSS/AWESOME!!!

Baltimore Ravens starting OL Bradley Bozeman ate 4.5 POUNDS of steak -- PLUS FIXINGS -- at dinner Wednesday night ... and the dude hardly broke a sweat!!!

The epic meal went down in Amarillo, Texas at "The Big Texan Steak Ranch" ... where Lamar Jackson's personal protector decided to take on the restaurant's famous food challenge.

Here's the deal ... ya gotta kill a 72-ounce steak, a shrimp cocktail, a baked potato, a salad and a roll with butter in under 1 hour -- and winners get a FREE T-SHIRT (plus, the meal is free and you get your name on the wall).

Bozeman -- a 6'5", 317-pound NFL stud -- happily accepted the challenge ... and you can see in video of him chowing down, he CRUSHED it!!!

The 25-year-old finished every last bite, with more than 10 minutes to spare ... and afterward, he didn't look any worse for wear at all!!

Of course, when we spoke with Bozeman hours after the meal ... he wasn't feelin' all that hot about it, telling us, "That was definitely the hardest thing I've ever had to eat."

By the way, the reason Bozeman was in the North Texas town was pretty cool ... he and his wife, Nikki, had just finished a successful stop on their country-wide tour of schools to speak to kids about the dangers of bullying.

Up next for the Bozemans is a speaking engagement at a school in Albuquerque, N.M. ... but Bozeman says there's absolutely NO CHANCE he has another steak there.

Retired NFL superstar Chris Johnson says he's still so fast ... he could beat Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson in a race TODAY!!!

The former Tennessee Titans running back told the guys on "TMZ Sports" (airing weeknights on FS1) he has zero doubts about it too ... saying, "Yeah, I beat him right now."

It's a WILD statement from the 34-year-old ... considering nobody has been able to catch up to Lamar at all this season (the guy has 1,206 rushing yards on just 176 carries).

But, Johnson swears he's still got wheels ... remember, he told us back in March he could still get his 40-yard dash time down to a 4.2!!!

Lamar Jackson put on an MVP caliber season in 2019 and NOBODY saw it coming ... that is, nobody except Larry David, who says he personally called the Jets and told them to draft the QB in 2018!!

And, guess what then-GM Mike Maccagnan did after David gave his two cents??? HE LAUGHED.

Of course, the "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" mastermind is a HUUUUGE Jets fan ... and joined "The Michael Kay Show" on Tuesday to talk all things New York sports.

That's when David pointed out his beloved 7-9 Jets might have had a better season if the team had taken his call seriously.

"I did call Mike Maccagnan before the 2018 draft and I recommended that he draft Lamar Jackson. I have a witness," David said ... and Maccagnan's reaction has gotta put a bad taste in NY fans' mouths.

"He kinda gave me the most condescending ... he laughed at me. But, who can blame him?"

David admits he's guilty of calling the team in the past -- he also recommended the Jets draft Reggie Bush in 2006. They didn't.

As for Jackson, he led the Baltimore Ravens to the top playoff seed in the AFC and posted incredible numbers -- passing for 3,127 yards and 36 TDs ... and rushing for 1,206 yards and 7 TDs. Some would say that's "pretty, pretty, pretty good."