Cincinnati Bengals legend Willie Anderson just provided a positive update after undergoing a kidney transplant this week ... thanking his fans, friends and loved ones for supporting him through the tough time.
The 50-year-old All-Pro tackle has been battling kidney disease for a decade ... as the pain meds he was taking to combat his numerous career-related injuries caused his organs to deteriorate.
Anderson put his head down and got to work -- losing 60 pounds to get into operation shape.
The Bengals keeping Zac Taylor was the right move ... so says Adam "Pacman" Jones, who believes the team's struggles this past season aren't his fault -- it's all on the defense!!
TMZ Sports caught up with the former Bengals star in Los Angeles this week and asked whether the team made a mistake sticking with Taylor after a 6-11 season -- especially when there are some sexy names available this offseason.
"I don't think it's Zac Taylor's fault," Jones said. "The offense is scoring 30 points a game. Taylor call the offensive plays. We still been one of the top offenses."
Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt is lucky to be alive -- the NFL-er told police he was a passenger in a terrifying crash in November, when a vehicle flipped in the street after colliding with a parked car.
The moment was caught on surveillance footage, which showed a black Jeep -- registered to Taylor-Britt -- blowing through a red light around 3 AM on November 15.
The car rolled over and onto its roof ... and out of frame.
An accident on his family ranch left former Texas Longhorns football star Jordan Shipley in critical but stable condition with severe burns ... and now his loved ones are asking for prayers.
40-year-old Shipley was operating a machine Tuesday when it caught fire -- and while he managed to get out, his body sustained burns that required a care flight to a hospital in Austin, Texas -- about 55 miles from the ranch.
His family released a statement through the University of Texas athletic department detailing the incident ... and they credited one of the ranchers for driving him to the local hospital to catch the care flight.
Joe Burrow is expected to take the field for the Cincinnati Bengals' matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on Turkey Day ... and the superstar quarterback is apparently as pumped about his turf toe recovery as he was for LeBron James' return to Cleveland in 2014!!!
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor told reporters he expects No. 9 to be ready to go for this week's AFC North contest ... an early holiday treat for Who Dey Nation, which had to sit through two months of action without Burrow under center.
Jalen Ramsey was fined over $14K by the NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct ... punishment for the star cornerback hittingJa'Marr Chase after the star wideout spat on him during the Steelers-Bengals game.
Several NFL insiders broke the news Saturday morning, reporting the league office slapped 31-year-old Ramsey with a $14,491 fine for the week 11 incident.
It's unclear whether Ramsey, who is on a 4-year, $84.7 million deal, will appeal.
Even with what looks like clear video evidence, Ja'Marr Chase is denying he spat on Jalen Ramsey during the Bengals vs. Steelers game on Sunday ... claiming it simply didn't happen.
The superstar Bengals receiver and Steelers corner were jawing at each other throughout the AFC North matchup in Pittsburgh ... but things took a turn in the 4th quarter when Ramsey slapped Chase's helmet and grabbed his facemask -- earning a one-way ticket to the locker rooms in the process.
Viewers wondered what set Ramsey off -- and thanks to an up-close camera angle, it appeared Chase was caught in 4K spitting on Ramsey.
A Pittsburgh radio host now has some new hardware on his nipples ... and it's all because the Steelers let him down in a game earlier this month.
Andrew Fillipponi -- a 93.7 "The Fan" personality -- was so confident Pittsburgh would get a dub against Cincinnati back on Oct. 16 ... he actually made a big bet with his followers.
The deal was if the Steelers dropped the "Thursday Night Football" tilt to the Joe Flacco-led Bengals, he'd get a pair of rods driven through his areolas.
Jake Browning might have taken a backseat to Joe Flacco, but the quarterback's fiancée is still clearly in the spotlight ... wowing Bengals fans with a sexy gameday outfit on Thursday.
Stephanie Niles -- who's been dating Browning for years -- took to her Instagram page just prior to Cincinnati's kickoff against Pittsburgh ... and proclaimed her loyalty to her man and his team despite his recent benching.
She did it all while showing off a revealing 'fit that she planned to wear to Paycor Stadium to support Browning and Who Dey nation.
Aaron Rodgerswent from elated to enraged in the blink of an eye during "Thursday Night Football" ... when his in-game celebration was derailed by a teammate knocking him to the ground.
Right after Rodgers completed a 68-yard touchdown pass to give Pittsburgh a 31-30 lead with a little over two minutes remaining in the game ... he hit his signature Mario Bros. pump as he was heading off the field.
During the gesture, his left tackle -- BroderickJones -- wanted to show his QB some love ... so he came up from behind and gave him a big hug, which sent the two tumbling to the ground.
The NFL's already entered its third week, and we wanna see if you can guess who this pro quarterback is!
We caught up with this athlete at a 2020 draft party before he started playing in the league and asked him about his desire to play with the elite, and he was really honest about being happy to suit up for any team that wanted him.
Spoiler alert -- he ended up playing for the Cincinnati Bengals, and he's stayed with the team for several years, although he'll be taking a bit of time off, as he ended up with a toe injury in his second game this season ... and we hope he gets well soon!
Is Joe Burrowthe best quarterback in the entire NFL?? If you were to ask his current teammate, Mitchell Tinsley ... he has no problem making that declaration!!
TMZ Sportscaught up with the preseason star ahead of the Bengals' third and final meaningless game Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts ... and he raved about the leader of the offense.
"He's the best quarterback in the league and I get to practice and play with him in games," he said. "It's really awesome to build chemistry with him on and off the field. He's one of those guys, he's so smart, so intelligent. It's awesome being out there with him."
The Cincinnati legend made no bones about it during a quick convo with our photog out in New York City this week ... saying Chase is "absolutely" the No. 1 "in the history of the Bengals."
The woman in the viral video with Ja'Marr Chase says their awkward hug is being blown way outta proportion ... claiming she and the NFL star are just "old friends."
The lady at the center of the interaction addressed the noise on Monday ... shortly after TMZ Sports published a video of her and the Cincinnati Bengals receiver's cringeworthy moment in front of photographers in New York City.
In case you didn't see it, Chase -- who signed a $161 million deal in March -- was walking out of Zero Bond when the woman tried to hug him, but he gave her the cold shoulder.
Joe Burrowhas Olivia Ponton working overtime ... with the Cincinnati Bengals superstar jetting to Florida with his "employee" for Miami Grand Prix festivities!!
The reported couple was spotted leaving the same Sprinter van at least twice during the Formula One weekend ... making sure to let others in their group exit in between them as cameras documented their arrivals.
While they're still seemingly trying to keep as lowkey as possible, People reported back in December the NFL hunk and S.I. Swimsuit model had been "hooking up" for months.
