Carolina Panthers

12:46 PM PT -- The Carolina Panthers have released a statement about Taylor Hearn, saying ... "We are aware of the video, and have been in contact with Taylor and the league about the incident. We will have no further comment at this time."

Carolina Panthers guard Taylor Hearn had a rough night in Augusta, Georgia ... getting knocked out cold in a brutal street fight captured on video.

Here's the deal … Hearn -- 6’4”, 315 lbs. -- was outside of a bar Thursday night when he got into it with a couple of guys on the street.

Clearly, the massive Hearn thought he’d be able to bully these guys around, due to his giant size and NFL strength, but he learned very quickly he was wrong. After some verbal insults and tussling, one of the guys on the street cracked Hearn with a straight right to the face that dropped the lineman like a sack of potatoes.

Hearn eventually gets up and appears to be okay ... even starting to fight again. Witnesses tell TMZ Sports cops arrived at the scene a short time later ... but Hearn was not arrested. In fact, we’re told no one was arrested.

Hearn -- who’s 23 years old -- was a lineman at Clemson and won the 2016 National Championship at the university (he started all 15 games that season) before signing with the Panthers in 2018. Hearn played in 4 games ... protecting Cam Newton.

We reached out to Hearn’s rep ... so far, no word back.

Cam Newton got his first-EVER tattoo earlier this week on his left hand ... but the Carolina Panthers superstar played it cool leaving the shop -- hiding the new ink in his swaggy jacket!!

TMZ Sports has learned Cam hit up Bang Bang Grand in New York City to get the piece done ... and, per a source, the art is engraved somewhere on his non-throwing hand. You can see the bandage in the post-sesh pic he took with his tattoo artist, Bang Bang.

But, the QB ain't ready to show off the work just yet ... and the tattoo shop tells us, "it's not our place to reveal tattoos."

Still ... Newton getting ink is a big deal -- remember, ex-Panthers owner Jerry Richardson reportedly forbade the QB from ever getting a tat in order to keep up a wholesome image.

But, Cam shot that all down on social media Thursday ... writing, "Big lies! He never said I could not get a tattoo or grow my hair. I was free to do whatever I wanted to do!"

"I should have said something the first time this came out years ago but I can not let this fly this time!"

It all begs the question ... what DID Cam get for his first-ever tat?!?!

Nick Cannon says he has no doubt the NFL's random drug testing of Eric Reid before and after games is the league's way of messing with the DB ... saying, "It's f*cked up."

Reid was randomly selected to pee in a cup for the 7th time this season after the Panthers' loss to the Saints on Monday night ... and the dude was pissed about it afterward.

"I've been here 11 weeks, I've been drug tested seven times. That has to be statistically impossible. I'm not a mathematician, but there's no way that's right."

Enter Cannon ... who tells TMZ Sports he "absolutely" thinks the tests are the NFL's way of getting back at Reid for supporting Colin Kaepernick in his kneeling protests.

"I think it's f*cked up," the actor said outside of Ace of Diamonds.

For his part ... Eric says he'll be using the tests as part of his collusion case against the NFL.

The other side of the coin ... the drug testing is conducted by an independent company hired jointly by the NFL and the NFL Player's Association. Point being, the players had some control over which company is administering the tests.

Cam Newton's going against the Pittsburgh Steelers on the field ... but he's standing united with the city Thursday night ... honoring the synagogue shooting victims with "Stronger than Hate" cleats.

The Panthers superstar revealed the kicks just minutes ago during pregame warm-ups ... showing a mock-up of the Steelers logo with a Star of David and the phrase "Hatred Can't Weaken a City of Steel."

Ben Roethlisberger wore similar custom cleats over the weekend against the Ravens ... and Julian Edelman showed support with a Team Israel hat from the World Baseball Classic after the Patriots game on Sunday.

As we previously reported ... an active shooter opened fire at a Jewish synagogue in Pittsburgh during a prayer service on October 27, leaving 11 people dead in the anti-Semitic attack.

Wanna be Rae Carruth for Halloween? You're sick. But, the NFL wants no part of your tasteless attempt at dark humor.

The NFL has blocked fans from ordering customized Carruth jerseys on NFLShop.com -- continuing the policy of banning controversial names on licensed merch.

Other names on the NFL's jersey blacklist -- Aaron Hernandez and O.J. Simpson. Harambe the gorilla was on the list, but that name is now allowable.

Carruth was a pretty good football player before he orchestrated a plot to kill his pregnant girlfriend and their unborn child. He was a 1st-round draft pick for the Carolina Panthers back in 1997.

Carruth was ultimately convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, attempting to destroy an unborn child and discharging a firearm into occupied property and was sentenced to 18 to 24 years in prison.

Rae Carruth -- the piece of garbage NFL star WR who hired a hitman to kill his pregnant girlfriend -- was released from prison Monday morning, 19 years after the deadly incident.

Rae was a talented football player -- the Carolina Panthers took him in the 1st round of the 1997 NFL Draft and made the NFL All-Rookie Team after a pretty solid rookie season.

But, he threw it all away in Nov. 1999 when he conspired with a gunman to murder 24-year-old Cherica Adams, who was 8 months pregnant with his child.

Officials say Carruth and Adams got in separate cars after a movie date and once they got on the road, he blocked her vehicle so the gunman could have a clean shot.

Adams was hit 4 times but managed to call 911 -- and emergency personnel were able to perform an emergency C-section and save the baby. Cherica died 4 weeks later.

The child, Chancellor Lee Adams, was born with severe cerebral palsy due to trauma from the shooting. He's been raised by Cherica's mother, Saundra, ever since.

Rae was hit with several criminal charges -- but when the time came to turn himself into authorities, he infamously ran like the coward he is. He was later found hiding in the trunk of a car in Tennessee.

Carruth was ultimately convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, attempting to destroy an unborn child and discharging a firearm into occupied property.

He was sentenced to 18 to 24 years in prison.

Carruth -- now 44 years old -- told WBTV in a recent interview he's "excited" to get out of prison but nervous about how he'll be received by the public, acknowledging there is "so much hate and negativity toward me."

Bruce Springsteen looked the way a lot of NY Giants fans felt Sunday after a gut-wrenching loss against the Carolina Panthers ... with the game slipping away in the final seconds.

The Boss was spotted at Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, New Jersey watching the Giants game with friends. The team was up by a point after a clutch touchdown by rookie Saquon Barkley in the last minute of the game -- but Cam and co. came charging back up the field.

As great of a play as Saquon made, it was trumped by Panthers kicker Graham Gano in the last 6 seconds of the game ... when he kicked a 63-yard field goal to win it 33-31.

Now, we don't know if Bruce was watching these last few plays -- but based on how down and out he looks here ... we're just gonna say it's very possible. Eyewitnesses tell us he rode to the bar on his motorcycle earlier in the day, and had some beer and a burger while there.

Marcellus Wiley says Eric Reid's collusion case against the NFL NEEDS to continue ... even though the embattled safety has been signed by a team, because the people deserve answers.

Reid is now a member of the Carolina Panthers, and some people wondered if he'd drop his part of the collusion case against the league now that he's back playing football.

We got Wiley out in Beverly Hills and asked him if Reid should consider playing nice with the league now that he's back, and Marcellus ain't having it.

"Eric Reid was a good enough safety to be signed before this. And, I just want to know to what extent and what degree did they try to collude or interrupt his services."

Marcellus' point seems to be clear ... that no matter if Eric and Colin Kaepernick get jobs again, the collusion case still needs to proceed, because we have to know if the league acted unfairly.

The unsung hero in the Eric Reid signing is the NEW owner of the Carolina Panthers who's changing team culture in a BIG way ... so says Panthers legend Jon Beason.

Remember, the OLD owner Jerry Richardson was forced out after an investigation revealed a pattern of sexual harassment and racist behavior.

But, that was the old guard, according to Beason -- the new owner is proving he's ready to turn the page from all that crap.

"I think it starts from the top down," Beason says ... "New owner David Tepper comes in and he's self-made. He knows that if you're going to win especially with football being a team game, it's about being inclusive."

Beason knows A LOT about Panthers culture -- he was a stud linebacker in Carolina for years and covers them as a member of the media.

Tepper bought the team back in May for $2 BILLION ... and many think if he hadn't -- and Richardson had stuck around -- the signing would have never happened.

Count Beason in as one of those people.

As for Reid ... Beason says he would have LOVED to play with a guy who was willing to sacrifice so much like Eric did.

"I would want to go to war, in terms of football, with that guy."

Jon also tells us the fans who are upset over the move will get over it quickly ... once they realize how good the safety is.

Colin Kaepernick says he's THRILLED his pal, Eric Reid, is back in the NFL -- but claims the safety shoulda been signed WAY earlier.

"Congratulations to my brother [Eric Reid], an all pro safety who should have been signed the first day of free agency, who has signed a football contract," Kaep posted.

"He has was the FIRST person to kneel alongside me. Eric is a social justice warrior, continues to support his wife, two beautiful daughters and communities in need."

Kaep and Reid were teammates on the 49ers and have been good friends for a WHILE.

In fact, when the guys found themselves jobless after the kneeling demonstrations -- they hired the same lawyers to sue the NFL for collusion ... claiming they'd been blackballed.

As for Kaep's claim Reid shoulda been signed sooner, he's right -- Reid's just 26 years old, has a Pro Bowl on his resume AND had 67 tackles and 2 picks last season.

Reid's new teammate, Torrey Smith, also commented -- saying, "I’m excited. It shouldn’t have taken this long, a person with his talent."

"We all understand the reason why."

Eric Reid -- who filed a collusion grievance against the NFL -- has just signed a 1-year contract with the Carolina Panthers, the team announced.

Reid was widely considered one of the best free agent safeties on the market -- but he believed he was being blackballed, like Colin Kaepernick, for taking a knee during the national anthem at NFL games.

Eric and Colin were teammates on the 49ers. They're still good friends and are using the same lawyers -- Mark Geragos and Ben Meiselas -- to go after the NFL for collusion.

Reid is a former Pro Bowl safety who racked up 67 tackles and 2 interceptions last season -- and many believe he should have easily gotten a roster spot in 2018 based on his talent.

Reid, 6'1" and 215 pounds, played the first five seasons of his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers after being selected by the team in the first round (18th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft.

“Eric has been a starting safety in the NFL and has played at a high level throughout his career," Panthers GM Marty Hurney said.

"After we put (safety) Da’Norris Searcy on injured reserve, Ron (Rivera) and I discussed our options, and Eric was at the top of our list. He is a physical safety with good ball skills and play-making ability."

Reid is already at the team facility.

Story developing ...

Mike Tolbert only needed to see 17 seconds of Greg Hardy in an Octagon to make a HUGE prediction about his ex-NFL teammate ... telling TMZ Sports, "I could see him being the heavyweight champ of the UFC one day!"

The ex-Panthers fullback -- who was with Hardy for three seasons in Carolina -- tells us he was so impressed with Greg after his fight Tuesday ... he sees a belt in Hardy's future.

"I think if he stays true to it and puts all of his effort into it and continues training," Tolbert says, "... I think he'll be one of the top names in the UFC the next few years."

It's a big statement from Mike ... considering Greg's two fights in a UFC Octagon only total 74 seconds -- but Tolbert knows firsthand what Greg's capable of achieving.

"One of the most athletic people I've ever played with," Mike says.

Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson has been hit with a $2.75 MILLION fine by the NFL for workplace misconduct -- misconduct which included sexual harassment and racist language.

The NFL says an investigation into Richardson substantiated the claims made by Panthers employees who claimed Richardson sexually harassed female staffers and used the n-word.

The NFL says the investigation -- led by former U.S. attorney Mary Jo White -- also showed the improper conduct in the organization was limited to Richardson.

In other words, they don't believe it's a staff-wide problem.

As for his punishment, the NFL says Richardson's massive fine will mostly go to organizations that support domestic violence and sexual assault victims ... as well as places that fight racial discrimination.

Antonio Brown and Cam Newton worked out with each other in Miami this week ... and as the Panthers star QB put it -- there was "so much swag and juice" on the videos of it all ... "your phone probably leakin' right now!!"

Before you get ahead of yourself ... Cam's in the middle of a monster 5-year deal with Carolina, and A.B.'s in a huge 4-year contract of his own with the Steelers ... so this ain't a preview of anything.

But still ... it's one of the top QBs in the NFL with the best wideout in the game ... and it's awesome to see.

If you're unfamiliar ... A.B.'s been in Florida this offseason, grinding away with a crazy trainer -- and he's had fellow NFLers tag along sometimes. This week was Cam's turn.

They banged out abs with weights ... then hit the football field, where Newton dropped some heavy long balls to the Pittsburgh wideout.

Sadly ... unless A.B. posts more clips these next few weeks -- you won't see this on a football field again, 'cause there's no way in hell their teams are trading them away.

The Carolina Panthers just fulfilled a badass little girl's wish ... and they might have found the team's future linebacker in the process.

And, we're only kinda kidding.

13-year-old Kyleigh -- who's battling a severe endocrine disorder -- worked with Make-a-Wish Foundation to not only MEET the Panthers, but train with them as well ... and she crushed it.

Superstar linebacker Thomas Davis hooked Kyleigh up with a helmet, jersey, gloves and team uni ... and let her rip into one of Carolina's OTA practices.

Turns out, she's pretty damn good.

"Kyleigh hit harder than Cap! Kyleigh hit harder than Cap!" Davis said, referring to DB Captain Munnerlyn.

Kyleigh's a legit athlete ... having won two wrestling championships ... and T.D. says the Panthers can learn as much from her as she can learn from them.

Was Diddy successful in his bid to buy the Carolina Panthers? Uh uh, uh uh.

Despite teaming up with Philadelphia 76ers owner Michael Rubin, Diddy's ownership group was NOT selected to purchase the NFL team ... instead, the new owner will be hedge fund manager David Tepper.

Remember, Diddy publicly said he wanted to be the first black owner in the NFL -- and hoped the move would inspire and empower black America.

He even got support from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft who said, "I'm a big fan of his."

But it was all for naught ... with Tepper reportedly sealing the purchase for more than $2 BILLION from Jerry Richardson, who paid $206 million for the rights to start the team in 1993.

As for Tepper, he's not exactly an outsider ... he was already a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.