Tim Tebow just shared some heartbreaking family news ... revealing his father, Bob, has passed away at 78 years old after a battle with Parkinson's.
The former Heisman Trophy recipient delivered a touching tribute to his dad on Friday ... saying, "Heaven ushered in a hero of the faith last night as my Dad was welcomed home!"
While Tebow acknowledged his friends, family and fans will say "sorry for your loss," he has a different perspective ... as Bob was a "hero of the faith" who is now "home."
A Denver Broncos legend is telling fans not to sweat Sunday's AFC Championship Game -- because Jarrett Stidham is ready for the big stage!!!
Two-time Super Bowl champion Rod Smith spoke with TMZ Sports this week about Stidham stepping up at quarterback after Bo Nix fractured his ankle ... and he's confident in the backup.
"I really honestly believe if this doesn’t go our way, he won’t be the reason," Smith said.
"His first completion, watch what happens to the crowd. They're going to freaking go nuts and he's just going to build. It’s going to feed into his confidence and he goes out there and plays an excellent football game."
The Denver Broncos may be home underdogs without their starting quarterback … but don’t expect them to make any excuses with coach Sean Payton calling the shots.
Former Pro Bowl offensive lineman Terron Armstead -- who spent nine seasons with Payton in New Orleans -- tells TMZ Sports he believes the Broncos remain unfazed entering Sunday’s AFC Championship game.
“He embraces challenges and it goes down into the entire team,” Armstead said. “He doesn’t let nobody use built-in excuses. It’s like, ‘You’re dealing with a shoulder injury, so it’s OK if you lose this rep.’ No, that’s not OK,” Armstead told Babcock.
That’s why Terron believes the news of Bo Nix fracturing his ankle was released immediately after the game ... rather than waiting for the injury report.
Payton was ready to start the challenge, naming Jarrett Stidham starter … and now “it’s Stiddy season,” according to Armstead.
That never-back-down philosophy wasn’t always something he appreciated, though. He said he didn’t like Payton much early on because he was tough to play for.
Now?
“I can’t be more thankful for the guy,” Armstead said. “I love Sean Payton for life.”
Broncos fans might be saying the same thing if Denver defeats the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Armstead also shared a funny exchange between them from when he retired. Peyton called to congratulate and suggested he consider coaching because he would be “incredible” in the league.
“Sean, thank you, but get off my phone,” Armstead replied, explaining that he’s not willing to work until three or four in the morning like the rest of Peyton’s staff.
Brandin Cooks is still fired up over the uber-controversial potential-catch-ruled-interception ... and he’s not holding back!
The Buffalo Bills wide receiver (momentarily) reeled in a deep ball in overtime of Sunday’s Divisional Round matchup with Denver, which would've put the Bills in field goal range -- except Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian yanked the ball away.
Referees controversially ruled it an interception in favor of McMillian ... but Cooks disagrees, telling NFL Network he caught the ball, full stop.
“At the end of the day, it was a catch,” Cooks said. “Not just what it looked like, but what it felt like. You see examples throughout the league all year and in previous years, and you’re like, ‘Wait a minute. If that was a catch, then there’s no-brainer that this was a catch.’”
Bo Nix is breaking his silence after breaking his ankle at the end of his AFC Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills ... saying, "What started as one of the most exciting games I’ve ever been a part of ended with some of the most devastating football news I’ve ever received."
The second-year quarterback took to Instagram Wednesday afternoon after undergoing surgery Tuesday in Alabama ... writing, "This is not how I imagined my season would come to an end."
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
"I can’t express how much this team and organization mean to me and how much I believe in them. I couldn’t be more proud of our guys."
Don't go penciling in the Patriots for the Super Bowl just yet ... 'cause former star Broncos safety Justin Simmons says backup QB Jarrett Stidham's play will be every bit as good as Bo Nix's!
"This isn't a shot at anyone," Simmons told TMZ Sports. "There's going to be no drop off."
Of course, 25-year-old Nix went down on the second-to-last play of their overtime thriller against the Bills on Saturday ... thrusting 29-year-old Stidham into the spotlight, with a trip to Super Sunday on the line.
Denver Broncos star Bo Nix was surrounded by support after he learned his season was over ... with his wife sharing a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the young quarterback after beating the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.
Nix's wife, Izzy, shared the image to her social media followers on Monday ... which shows the second-year signal-caller sitting on the floor with his right cleat removed.
As reported, Nix fractured his right ankle on the second-to-last play of the game ... meaning he will not be able to suit up for the remainder of the Broncos' Super Bowl run.
NFL officials did NOT blow the critical interception call during overtime of the Bills vs. Broncos game -- it was called correctly, full stop -- according to Dean Blandino, the league's former head of officiating.
"The Cooks' play I thought, ultimately, they got it right," Blandino, FOX Sports rules analyst and former Vice President of Officiating (2013-2017) told TMZ Sports.
Dean explained why, saying ... "Cooks' is going to the ground. He's gotta hold onto the ball when he lands. I thought the ball came loose immediately, McMillian ended up with it."
Bo Nix delivered a playoff win Broncos fans will never forget but it came at a brutal cost.
The Denver QB helped lead a thrilling 33-30 overtime victory over the Bills in Saturday night's AFC divisional round, only for it to be revealed shortly after the game that his season is officially over.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Nix will undergo surgery to repair a broken right ankle, sidelining him for the rest of the postseason.
Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton underwent testicular cancer surgery last week ... revealing a routine NFL drug test led to his diagnosis.
The 31-year-old posted a lengthy statement Monday morning ... starting it off by declaring, "This morning, I stood before our team as a lucky man."
Singleton -- who had nine combined tackles against the Las Vegas Raiders on "Thursday Night Football" said he had a successful procedure a day later ... and the belief is the cancer was caught early.
Sean Payton saw the not-so-subtle jab Russell Wilson made toward him on social media on Tuesday ... but the Broncos head coach is adamant he wasn't shading his former quarterback with the comments he made after Sunday's game -- insisting he was simply complimenting Jaxson Dart.
Payton raised eyebrows after the Broncos pulled off an unbelievable comeback against the Giants ... when he told reporters postgame he had hoped Dart would remain the backup until after their Week 7 matchup -- which some saw as shade to Wilson.
Wilson -- the current New York Giants backup after losing the gig to the rookie -- sent a rare shot at his old coach on Tuesday ... and while he didn't mention Payton by name, it was clear who he was referring to in the post.
Shannon Sharpeis shedding light on his brother Sterling'sHall of Fame induction ... and despite all the headlines he made earlier in the week, he says it was "the proudest moment of my life."
Sharpe posted a carousel of photos from his trip to Canton, Ohio -- which ended with them becoming the first sibling duo to ever receive gold jackets.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
"But long before that moment, two brothers beat the odds," he wrote. "Two brothers graduated grade school. Two brothers graduated college. Two brothers made it to the NFL. Two brothers built beautiful families. Two brothers stayed close. Two brothers trusted God. Two brothers gave back. Two brothers led with love."
Patrick Surtain II ain't jealous one bit that Sauce Gardner's new contract topped his ... in fact, he told TMZ Sports this week the $120 million deal the Jets star just inked is "great" for the future of their position.
The Denver Broncos cornerback chopped it up with us as he got ready with Raising Cane's for Wednesday night's ESPYS ... and when the topic of Sauce's big-money pact came up, he made it clear, he wasn't envious at all.
Surtain II -- who signed a four-year deal worth around $24 million less than Gardner roughly nine months ago -- explained he thinks it's "good for the position, for sure."
John Elway will not face criminal charges related to the death of his friend and agent, Jeff Sperbeck ... because the Riverside County Sheriff says they found nothing criminal.
Sheriff Chad Bianco spoke with the local NBC affiliate in Denver recently ... and he gave them an update on the investigation -- saying it's straight-up "over."
Bianco said, "We’ve talked to everyone involved and we found nothing new. There was nothing criminal, it was what we’ve been saying all along that this was a tragic accident.”
Cops have opened an investigation into the golf cart accident that's left John Elway's longtime friend, Jeff Sperbeck, fighting for his life, TMZ Sports has confirmed.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Office tells us ... it's started to probe the matter -- which occurred on Saturday evening in La Quinta, Calif. -- but right now, everything is "purely informational."
We're told investigators are in the process of gathering info ... and conducting interviews with witnesses. Ultimately, cops say the goal is to determine if a criminal act occurred.
A former Denver Broncos special teams player has reached a settlement after filing a lawsuit over a season-ending knee injury he suffered during a game in 2022.
TMZ Sports broke the story -- Aaron Patrick tore his ACL in overtime of the Broncos and L.A. Chargers' "Monday Night Football" contest at SoFi Stadium after stepping on a mat in order to avoid colliding with an NFL official positioned on the sidelines.
The mat was placed on the turf to cover cords and cables for the league's instant replay monitors ... but Patrick claimed his foot got caught in it, causing his knee to bend awkwardly.
