Buffalo Bills

Tua Tagovailoa was foolish for returning to the Bills game on Sunday after slamming his head on the turf ... so says famed neuropathologist Bennet Omalu -- who tells TMZ Sports the Dolphins quarterback put his life at risk by making the comeback.

Dr. Omalu -- who's the real-life inspiration for the famous Will Smith "Concussion" movie -- says that under no circumstances should Tagovailoa have come back into the contest in Miami after he was initially knocked out of it.

Omalu says he suspects Tagovailoa suffered a concussion based on everything he saw on the game's broadcast ... and he said the 24-year-old should have protected himself and his future and stayed on the sideline the rest of the day.

"Your life should be worth more to you than any amount of money," Omalu said. "Your life is worth more than $10 billion, 'cause you can't replace your life. You have only one life."

But Omalu, who discovered CTE, isn't faulting the NFL or the Dolphins one bit for allowing Tagovailoa back under center.

"The duty falls on the players," he said. "The NFL did not point a gun on his head and say, 'You must go back to play.' He could have said, 'No.'"

For Tagovailoa's part, he insisted he did not suffer a head injury during the play ... but rather, he said he hurt his back.

"I got up, and that's kind of why I stumbled," the signal-caller told reporters after Miami secured the 21-19 win over Buffalo. "My back kind of locked up on me. But for the most part, I'm good. Passed whatever concussion protocol they had."

A Josh Allen fan was roughed up badly outside of the Bills vs. Dolphins game on Sunday -- taking a foot straight to the face ... before he was kicked and punched repeatedly.

The incident all went down at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami at some point in the midst of Buffalo's 21-19 loss to the 'Fins.

It's unclear what started the melee -- but footage from the scene shows a couple Dolphins fans got into it with two Bills fans ... and the Buffalo tandem got the worst of it by far.

You can see in the footage, both Bills fans were thrown to the ground ... and while the man in the Allen jersey was trying to get up, he got kicked in the teeth. The other Buffalo fan was jumped on as well.

Another person in an Allen jersey attempted to break things up -- but as the Buffalo fan was down -- a man in a Tua Tagovailoa jersey punched him in the head. Another shirtless guy jumped in and kicked him multiple times as well.

Bills OC Ken Dorsey was so pissed in the waning moments of Buffalo's loss to the Dolphins ... he absolutely LOST IT in the booth, slamming his headset and tablet!

Dorsey was frustrated the Bills couldn't get a play off as the clock ticked towards zero ... after receiver Isaiah McKenzie failed to get out of bounds after receiving a pass from Josh Allen.

Broadcast cameras showed Dorsey in the booth, and he was livid, taking out his frustration on his headset and tablet.

Allen tried to get the Bills' offense lined up for one final play, but time ran out ... and they ended up losing, 21-19, to the Dolphins -- their first loss on the season.

After the game, McKenzie said he was trying to get out of his bounds, but knew Tyler Bass' (Buffalo's place-kicker) range ... unfortunately for Buffalo, things didn't work out.

"There was nine seconds left, and I was trying to get to the hash," McKenzie said. "I kind of got bumped by going to the ref, and it just went down from there.

"If I could take it back, I would probably just go up field, get down, put it on the hash myself, and live to fight another down."

Jackson tweeted, "All glory to God!! appreciate the love, support, and prayers from everyone. Bills mafia the best in the world!"

The Bills just confirmed testing at the hospital revealed Jackson had "no major injury to his neck or spinal cord."

"He was released from the hospital and is undergoing further evaluation today," the team said.

Great news ... according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, Jackson has been released from the hospital and "all indications are he has avoided major injury."

Garafolo added Jackson actually walked out of the hospital under his own power.

Terrifying scene during the early NFL game on Monday night -- Bills cornerback Dane Jackson suffered a neck injury that was so concerning, an ambulance came straight onto the field to transport him to a local hospital.

Jackson was hurt while making a tackle late in the second quarter of Buffalo's blowout win over the Tennessee Titans.

The 25-year-old was accidentally hit by his own teammate in the face -- and his body bent backward awkwardly. He stayed down on the ground for several minutes as trainers and doctors tended to him.

Eventually, he was taken by ambulance to Erie County Medical Center -- where the Bills say he was being evaluated for a neck injury.

"He will be getting a CT scan and an x-ray," the team said in a statement late Monday night. "Jackson has full movement in extremities."

No further update on his condition was given.

Jackson was picked by the Bills in the 7th round of the 2020 NFL Draft ... and has started 10 games for Buffalo in three seasons. He recorded three tackles and a pass breakup before exiting Monday's win.

Get better soon, Dane.

If the Bills end up winning Super Bowl LVII, get a table ready for Ryan Fitzpatrick in Buffalo ... 'cause the ex-QB tells TMZ Sports he'll jump through it to celebrate the title!

Fitz -- who played four seasons for the Bills from 2009 through 2012 -- made the promise this week ... saying he'd personally fly to Buffalo for the occasion if his old team got the job done.

"There's no doubt," he said. "I will be there in Buffalo to do that if that happens, yes."

Seems there's a good possibility it all goes down ... because the Bills are currently the betting favorite to win it all. In fact, after they dismantled the Rams in the NFL's opener on Thursday night ... it'd be hard to see ANYBODY else winning it.

Fitz, though, did reveal he thinks the Ravens actually might be the ones who get a ring this year instead of the Bills -- telling us he's a big believer in Baltimore's quarterback.

"I think Lamar [Jackson] is going to do it this year," Fitzpatrick says. "Stay healthy and get a big ol' contract out of it."

Isaiah McKenzie earned major props from his fantasy owners AND his family with his TD on Thursday night ... 'cause it turns out the Bills wideout did a gender reveal for his sister right in the middle of the endzone after scoring!!

Buffalo just made the revelation in a TikTok video posted Friday morning ... showing the slot receiver actually screaming out "It's a boy!" into a camera right after recording a touchdown in the third quarter of the Bills' game against the Rams.

In the video that the Bills shared, you can see McKenzie's family watching on the TV as he revealed the news.

And, when he yelled into the lens -- they went bananas!!!

It's unclear whether Isaiah planned the gender reveal or if it was a surprise ... but his family's reaction was priceless, bringing smiles to their faces.

Of course, McKenzie, his fam, and the Bills had a lot to smile about Thursday ... 'cause they knocked off the defending champs in a laugher, 31-10, at SoFi Stadium.

The L.A. Rams and Buffalo Bills' season opener nearly went up in smoke on Thursday ... when protesters rushed the field with a pink flare -- with one being dragged off by security.

Two women somehow found their way onto the field during the fourth quarter at SoFi Stadium ... as many in the sold-out crowd whipped their phones out to record the debacle.

Former NFL player Emmanuel Acho was one of them -- and you can see in his footage one of the two women was holding up a pink smoke bomb while racing down the field like a running back.

SoFi security quickly caught up to her and tackled her to the ground -- right in front of the Bills' defensive huddle -- before hauling her away.

The protesters wore a RightToRescue.com shirt, which is a website that claims to help "the whistleblowers facing prison time for exposing factory farm abuses and rescuing suffering animals."

Direct Action Everywhere took responsibility for the protest and released a statement saying the two women were there to bring awareness to the upcoming trial of Smithfield Foods factory farm whistleblowers.

"The protest aims to shine a light on what DxE calls a landmark trial for animal rights, food justice and free speech, and more broadly, on the entire animal agricultural industry, which DxE says is inherently abusive and exploitative."

O.J. Simpson slaughtered his ex-wife and her friend -- so says a civil jury that awarded the victims' families $33 million -- but you wouldn't know it by the reception he received 13 miles from the murder site, because fans were beyond stoked to rub elbows with him.

O.J. returned to L.A. -- as far as we can tell for the first time in years -- to watch the Bills trounce the Rams at SoFi Stadium.

Simpson was like a rock star outside the stadium ... with fans flocking to him for a precious selfie. They could not mask their excitement, screaming his name, hugging and fist-bumping him ... they just couldn't contain their glee.

True enough, O.J. was found not guilty of murder, but the civil jury ruled he did indeed kill Ron and Nicole -- who was almost decapitated by the knife -- and left her dead on the front doorstep. If it weren't for a curious pedestrian, his children would have found the body.

The action at SoFi Stadium didn't end with the final whistle of the Rams vs. Bills game on Thursday night -- because some of the two teams' fans got into a wild brawl in the streets surrounding the venue afterward ... just feet in front of ex-NFL star LeSean McCoy!

Former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho captured the scene on video and posted it to his social media page ... showing two L.A. fans getting into it with a man in a Stefon Diggs jersey.

In the clip, you can see the Diggs supporter threw a punch at a guy wearing a Cooper Kupp shirt -- and then all hell broke loose.

A man in a Cam Akers jersey raced in to try to get a piece of the Bills backer -- before he slipped and nearly ate a couple of punches.

Eventually, a police officer ran in and grabbed one of the men, which appeared to end the altercation.

McCoy and Acho were standing right behind the fracas the whole time -- commenting on it all as it was going down.

"They can't fight!" said McCoy, a former Bills running back.

No word if any arrests were made -- we've reached out to cops, but haven't heard back yet.

O.J. Simpson -- #32 back in the day -- just posted a 32-second video he shot in L.A. ... and as far we know, he hasn't been back in years, and there's a lot of history.

O.J. was in a suite at SoFi Stadium Thursday afternoon, getting ready to watch the Buffalo Bills square off against the L.A. Rams.

Simpson was giddy with excitement, telling his followers, "Hey twitterworld, it's me, yours truly!!!" He made it clear, he's rooting for his old team, and seemed amped up for the game.

Of course, it almost goes without saying ... O.J. in L.A. conjures up memories of June 12, 1994 and the murders that went down 13 miles from the stadium.

As you know, O.J. was tried for the murders of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. He was found not guilty, but shortly thereafter a civil jury ruled he did indeed kill Ron and Nicole and did so with malice. The jury awarded the families $33 million but O.J. paid virtually nothing, and has even mocked Ron Goldman's dad, Fred, in the years that followed.

The NFL will honor Queen Elizabeth II before the 2022-23 season kicks off ... with the league holding a moment of silence, TMZ Sports has learned.

Tributes throughout the sports world have been pouring in on Thursday ... with many athletes, organizations and events sharing condolences over the passing of Her Majesty.

In addition to the NFL's tribute, the BMW PGA Championship has suspended play until further notice ... with organizers saying golf would be paused for the time being in the wake of the Queen's death.

"Out of respect for Her Majesty and the Royal Family, play has been suspended at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club for the remainder of Thursday, and flags at Wentworth Club will be lowered to half-mast,” a statement from the Tour reads, according to GOLF.com.

"Furthermore, no play will take place at the BMW PGA Championship on Friday, and the golf course and practice facilities will be closed."

Thursday was the first day of the BMW PGA Championship tournament -- which is held in Europe -- and one of golf's biggest names, Rory McIlroy, was competing in it.

As we reported, the Queen's family rushed to be by her side once the palace announced she was under medical supervision at her estate in Scotland.

The Royal Family announced the 96-year-old Queen -- the longest reigning monarch --  "died peacefully" hours later.

Another tribute took place at a match between FC Zurich and Arsenal ... with a moment of silence after halftime.

Players from both clubs stood with their arms behind their backs ... while fans in attendance followed suit by paying homage to the Queen.

An image of the Queen was also shown on a big screen ... saying, "In memorial Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."

The Queen's impact was certainly felt ... evidenced by the reaction her passing is receiving from notable athletes like F1 star Lewis Hamilton, NFL quarterback Russell Wilson and pro boxers Tyson Fury and Jake Paul.

Hamilton expressed concern about Queen Elizabeth's well-being in the waning moments of her life ... saying he was hoping for better news and calling her a "real fighter."

"Dignity defined. An inspirational leader for many generations. Rest In Peace Queen Elizabeth II," Paul tweeted.

Adrian Peterson ain't done with football yet ... the future Hall of Famer says he still wants to play -- and he revealed to TMZ Sports he's got his eye on joining one of the three big Super Bowl contenders this year.

The former Minnesota Vikings star -- who's training his ass off to fight Le'Veon Bell in a celeb boxing match this weekend -- said despite his newfound goals in the ring ... he's hoping someone gives him a call to play football later this season.

Specifically, the running back said he's targeting the Bills, Rams and 49ers.

"There's a couple teams out there," A.P. admitted out in L.A. on Wednesday while gearing up for his big fight night with Bell. "Buffalo Bills would be a good team. The Rams, I don't know what need they'll have at running back. San Fran would be a good look."

Peterson said while Buffalo, L.A. or San Francisco would be ideal -- the plan is to ultimately chase a ring somewhere this year.

"There's a lot of teams that have the opportunity to advance far into the playoffs that I've thought about," he said.

For now, Peterson -- who last played for the Seahawks in 2021 -- is solely focused on boxing ... as his match with Bell is scheduled to go down at Banc of California Stadium on Saturday.

Adrian tells us he isn't worried about the age gap between him and the former Pittsburgh Steelers star (37 to 30) ... and is hoping his power and awareness get him a win.

AEW star MJF had an all-timer of a promo at Dynamite on Wednesday ... ruthlessly insulting the hell outta Josh Allen and the Bills -- and he did it in front of a ton of Buffalo fans!!

The hilarious moment went down at KeyBank Center ... when MJF made his return to the ring after months away. He started off praising the NFL quarterback and the city, but quickly turned on the audience -- disrespecting their appearance, their quarterback and even their incomes.

MJF called the crowd "grotesque, poor lard asses" as he unleashed the iconic promo ... with fans making sure they were pissed with his words.

But, it didn't stop there -- MJF then took his Allen Jersey off ... and slid it back and forth between his legs.

On top of that, MJF also teased leaving for a REAL wrestling promotion in 2024 ... amid rumors he is unhappy with his contract and has gotten interest from WWE.

A shirtless MJF eventually left the ring and let Moxley take the mic ... whose promo did not insult the thousands of fans in attendance.

Don't be surprised if SoFi Stadium has a heavy tint of blue and red at Thursday night's Rams vs. Bills game ... because if Wednesday night is any indication -- THOUSANDS of Buffalo fans will be there supporting their team at the NFL's opening matchup.

TMZ Sports has obtained pics and video of a Bills Mafia meetup event in Hermosa Beach just 24 hours before Thursday's kickoff ... and you can see hundreds of people wearing Buffalo gear flocking to the bars and restaurants in the area to party ahead of the big game.

Dozens of fans in Josh Allen jerseys slugged beer, chomped on wings and led loud "Let's Go Buffalo!" chants.

People even hung signs and posters from the businesses in the city ... and we're told the celebrating went well past midnight.

First whistle for Thursday's contest will happen at around 5:20 p.m. PT -- but Buffalo fans have already planned a big tailgate at SoFi Stadium hours before that.

And, yes, we're sure tables will be broken and Zubaz pants will be aplenty.

Stefon Diggs is helping kids in Buffalo as they gear up for another year of school -- by handing out backpacks and gift cards at the site of the tragic Tops mass shooting earlier this year.

The Bills' star wide receiver partnered with the city of Buffalo to hold the event, where he handed out 300 Nike gift cards and 300 Nike backpacks filled with supplies.

Stefon approached Mayor Byron Brown's office with the idea of holding the giveaway outside the Tops on Jefferson Ave -- where 10 were killed and 3 others were injured in May -- and plans on making it an annual event, according to WIVB4.

"I saw my mom struggle ... so as far as paying it forward and doing my due diligence, this is what my mom would want me to do anyway,” Diggs told the outlet.

"I feel like I’m being impactful, and I’m going to always do something in the inner city."

The wideout also took photos with Tops employees -- and put smiles on the faces of young fans, sending them home with signed t-shirts and footballs, per the outlet.

Diggs and the Bills have stepped up in a major way since the awful tragedy ... devoting time, energy, and resources to restoring the community.

Stefon -- a fan favorite in Buffalo for his dynamic playmaking skills on the gridiron -- told News 4 giving back gives him a different sense of fulfillment.

"It’s one of those things that make you feel more full inside. I like scoring touchdowns. I like making plays – that’s a good feeling as well," Diggs said.

The parents of former Bills punter Matt Araiza say they've received "horrific threats of violence and death" in the wake of rape allegations made against the football player last week.

Araiza's mom and dad explained their situation in a lengthy statement to KUSI in San Diego on Monday evening -- saying "we have all been canceled" following a civil lawsuit that alleged Araiza participated in the gang rape of a 17-year-old in October 2021.

"There has been war waged on our son," the statement, which was attributed to "Mr. and Mrs. Araiza," read. "He has been tried and convicted in the media based on information released solely from the alleged victim and her attorney, much of it through social media."

"People have taken his information as factual, when it is not."

A woman ID'ed as only "Jane Doe" in court documents, filed last week, alleged that shortly after she showed up to a Halloween party at Araiza's home in San Diego when he was a member of the San Diego State football team, he and two of his teammates took turns raping her for over an hour.

Araiza denied the allegations shortly after the suit became public ... but the Bills cut him regardless on Saturday.

The 22-year-old punter's parents say it's been hell for them since ... adding in their statement, "[Matt] has been extorted, discriminated against, harassed and the subject of multiple and continuous threats of violence and death."

"Salacious rumors grew as fact," they continued. "There are multiple witness reports to deny the claims that are made against him. The legal system is designed to find the facts and make decisions. They should be allowed to do that."