Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions owner Martha Ford -- who has been in charge since 2014 -- has stepped down from her role with the team ... and her daughter, Sheila Hamp, will take over.

94-year-old Ford took over the team after her husband, William Ford Sr. -- the last surviving grandchild of Henry Ford -- passed away.

"It has been a great honor for our family to be associated with the Lions and with the National Football League," Martha said in a statement Tuesday.

"I am gratified that this family tradition, which my husband and I began almost six decades ago, will continue under Sheila's guiding hand."

"It is clear to me that Sheila will provide superb leadership and is fully committed to competitive excellence and community involvement."

Sheila addressed her new role, saying, "My mother has inspired all of us since taking on leadership of the Lions over six years ago."

"She has been a tireless leader to our family, our team and our community. Her smart decisions have given me a solid foundation to take the team forward."

"On behalf of the family and the team, I want to thank her for her countless contributions. I look forward to leading the Lions to excellence on and off the field."

The Fords have owned the Lions since 1963 ... when William bought the team for $4.5 million.

The franchise is now worth around $1.95 BILLION, according to Forbes.

NFL commish Roger Goodell released a statement on the transition, saying, "We are pleased that the Ford family will continue to own and operate this historic franchise."

Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford's insane mansion -- featuring the LARGEST infinity pool in Michigan -- is hitting the market with a $6.5 million price tag!

The 1.27-acre home is as baller as it gets -- 5 beds, 7 baths and sits on a peninsula looking over Upper Long Lake, a glass elevator, indoor basketball court with the Pistons' old Silverdome hardwood, walk-in wine cellar, gourmet kitchen, walk-in closets, sauna ... and, oh yeah, the infinity pool.

Seriously, even the marble bathroom sinks are dope.

Listing the Bloomfield Township crib (30 minutes from Detroit) is extremely interesting because it comes fresh off rumors Stafford asked the Lions for a trade ... which he denied Thursday.

"Listen ... I’m here, I want to be here," Stafford told reporters. "I love being a Detroit Lion, I love leading this team."

"It's a slow news month at that point and I’m just happy to be where I am and ready to deal with this off-season the way that it is and try to make the best of the season that I hope happens."

Stafford, his wife, Kelly, and their 3 kids have other homes in California and Georgia ... but it's unclear what his plans are in the Great Lake State.

But, for a guy who's reportedly made more than $200 million in his career ... we're sure he'll find a place.

Matt Patricia, listen up ... Cliff Avril says if you want to keep your job as Detroit Lions coach -- PASS ON TUA TAGOVAILOA!!

Don't get it twisted ... the ex-Lions star tells TMZ Sports he thinks Tua's got a bright future -- but he says because of the Bama QB's hip injury, he won't be able to help Detroit this season.

And, considering Patricia NEEDS wins in 2020 to extend his tenure in the Motor City ... Avril's advising him to stick with Matt Stafford and draft someone who can help right away.

"If we don't start winning some ball games, do I want to go off a young player who is coming out of college that has been injured or do I keep the veteran player that I have, and surround him with other great players?" Avril says.

"I would do that personally. I would leave Stafford there and surround him with some good players."

Of course, Cliff says Stafford -- who he played with early in his career -- can still sling it ... so the choice between the two shouldn't be a terribly difficult one for Patricia when the Lions are on the clock at No. 3 overall next month.

"I've played against him, I've been on his team, I've broken down film -- the man can throw the ball," Avril says of Stafford. "He can still put it out there. He can still play some football."

Detroit Lions star Marvin Jones broke some heartbreaking news this weekend -- his infant son, Marlo, has died ... a loss that has shaken the organization at large.

The wide receiver made the announcement Saturday, saying his boy -- the youngest of his 5 children who was born this summer -- had passed away. He didn't reveal a cause, but in an emotional post made clear the kid had left his mark on both him and the family.

Marvin took to Instagram and wrote of his son, "Yesterday the Lord called home a piece of my family’s heart, Marlo. It is hard to believe that our little angel, our fighter from day one, our son “Marlito” has unfortunately passed away and is no longer here with us."

He continued, "Marlo, the joy that you brought to us everyday, with that smile, and that energy was like heaven on earth. You will always be in our hearts. We will always remember you." Marvin added he and his wife, Jazmyn, hadn't gotten a chance to hear his first words yet -- which he notes would've been in Spanish -- among many other "firsts."

The NFL player finished by saying, "We know that everything that We do from here on out will be with you. Every step we take, you will be with us. Whenever we have a bad day, We will think of your smile. We miss you already buddy and will forever love you. Rest peacefully our sweet baby boy. You have gained your wings."

The Lions released a statement after hearing word that Marlo had died, saying Marvin and Jazmyn embody the meaning of family with the example they set in the Detroit community. They also asked for privacy on behalf of the Jones family.

Herman Moore tells TMZ Sports he belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame ... saying his 7 seasons as a starter in the NFL were as good as anyone in the league!!

"No doubt," the Detroit Lions legend says, "I wouldn't hesitate!"

Moore piled up 9,174 receiving yards and 62 TDs on 670 catches in just 122 career starts ... but the guy hasn't been able to earn enough votes to get a bust in Canton yet.

He tells us he thinks that shouldn't be the case ... saying if you compare his best seasons to guys like Randy Moss, Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin -- his stats hold up.

"You take my seven years as a starter and I'll put them up against anyone in the NFL," Moore says, "and, you won't be able to put me under two or three during that time period."

Herman thinks he's been spurned simply because people just didn't see enough of his games while the woeful Lions spent most of the 1990s out of the limelight.

But, Moore -- who's spending time these days giving back to the Detroit community and running his Team Business Solutions company -- tells us he's not too concerned about it all.

"At the end of the day, I'm happy with what I did," Moore says. "If it comes, it comes. If it doesn't, then it is what it is. But, I'm going to keep trying."

Here's an age-old NFL question ... does it suck to be away from family playing on Thanksgiving -- or is it flat-out cool being a part of Turkey Day tradition???

TMZ Sports hit up Detroit Lions legend Herman Moore to get the answer ... and the ex-wide receiver told us straight-up Thanksgiving Day games were AWESOME!!!

"For Lion players that becomes kind of our Super Bowl since we haven't been to any," Moore says.

It's an interesting answer, considering most of the country would probably prefer to be at home with loved ones watching football ... but Moore says there was zero jealousy while he was on the gridiron on the holiday.

In fact, Moore tells us the feeling was pretty unanimous among his teammates ... saying, "You're the only show in town!"

Moore also says the atmosphere in the stadium was pretty cool too ... telling us he was guaranteed to see AT LEAST "3 or 4 brawls" in the stands every year on the holiday.

As for his favorite Thanksgiving game memory, Moore says of the 11 times he spent Turkey Day with the Lions ... the coolest off-field moment was getting a leg of John Madden's famous Turducken!!!

But, ya gotta hear why he's kinda regretting eating the crazy concoction nowadays ...

Charles Rogers -- the #2 overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft -- has died, TMZ Sports has confirmed. He was only 38.

The details surrounding Rogers' death are unclear. We're working on it.

One of the people confirming his death is former Michigan State teammate Chris Baker.

"Devastated to learn of the passing of my spartan brother Charles Rodgers," Baker said.

"Spoke with his mom this morning. Please pray for her and his children. Please also be respectful of their privacy at this difficult time. Rip Chuck."

Rogers was selected by the Detroit Lions and flashed huge potential -- catching 22 passes for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns during his first 5 games of the '03 season. But, he suffered a broken clavicle, which ended his rookie campaign.

The following season, he broke his clavicle again -- on just the 3rd play of the '04 season.

He was cut by the Lions in 2006, essentially ending his NFL career.

After his football career ended, Rogers admitted he had struggled with substance abuse -- including an addiction to Vicodin. He had been arrested multiple times for alcohol-related issues.

Rogers -- who reportedly signed a $40 mil rookie contract with the Lions -- is survived by 8 children.

Rogers was a legend at MSU -- where he earned 1st-team All-American honors during his 2002 junior season, when he posted 68 catches for 1,351 yards and 13 TDs.

Story developing ...

Stefon Diggs was one happy man on Sunday -- he and his team beat the Lions at home ... all while wearing a pair of cleats that the Clown Prince of Gotham would greatly approve of.

The Vikings wide receiver turned heads out at Ford Field, not just because he was playing like a stud -- 7 catches and 142 yards by the end -- but probably more for his footwear ... a pair of custom "Joker" cleats,  with Joaquin Phoenix's mug painted on the side.

There was also a recurring theme from the hit movie written in as well ... "Put On a Happy Face."

What makes these Adidas even cooler is the fact that Stefon had them colored in to match the Joker's actual costume from the flick -- when he finally transforms, that is.

BTW, Stefon has a bit of a history of rockin' pimped out cleats -- literally wearing themes from Starbucks to-go cups to SpongeBob memes and almost everything in between. Props to his cleat guy ... always up to date on the latest trends, and with a nice touch.

Ex-Green Bay star Nick Collins says the Lions have nobody to blame but themselves -- not even garbage refs -- for their loss to the Packers ... telling TMZ Sports Detroit just blew it!!!

"They had so many opportunities to win that game," Collins says.

If you missed it ... the refs on "Monday Night Football" were as bad as they've been all season -- throwing flags for two questionable illegal hands to the face fouls that helped lift the Packers to a win.

But, Collins -- who admits the calls were trash -- says despite those penalties the Lions still had every opportunity to take control of the NFC North ... and they just didn't.

"Those calls probably played a factor," Collins says, "but they had a chance to just blow the game out of proportion."

Collins also tells us the Lions were helped out by sloppy play from the Pack ... saying if Green Bay didn't turn over the ball THREE times -- the game would've gotten ugly!!!

Wanna see the most adorable NFL smack talk ever? Great!

Here are Matt Stafford's adorable 2-year-old twin daughters expressing their utmost DISDAIN for the Green Bay Packers ... before being distracted by a shiny red truck.

C'mon, this is SUPER CUTE!!

Of course, Matt's Detroit Lions are facing Aaron Rodgers and company tonight on "Monday Night Football" in a crucial NFL North match up.

Since Matt and the Lions are on the road ... the QB's wife, Kelly Stafford, made a cute pump-up video for dad showing their support for Detroit!

It's a big game for Detroit -- they're 2-1-1 and if they don't beat the Packers, it could already spell the end for their hopes of a division title since Green Bay is 4-1 and look strong right now.

As for Matt, he's having a pretty solid season, statistically, at the moment -- with 1,122 passing yards, 9 TDs and only 2 INTs with a QB rating of 102.6. Not bad!

Will it be good enough to beat Green Bay? The gamblers don't think so ... Detroit is a 3.5 point underdog.

Detroit Lions RB C.J. Anderson was investigated by cops this year after he allegedly got violent with a ref at a youth football tournament ... but no charges were filed and the NFL stud is adamant he NEVER put his hands on the guy.

C.J. was coaching a 14-and-under team at a 7-on-7 event in Cypress, Texas back on March 2 when cops say he got into a spat with a referee over an on-field call.

A Harris County Sheriff's Office spokesperson tells TMZ Sports, Anderson allegedly got face-to-face with the 38-year-old official ... and a verbal argument ensued.

We're told 28-year-old Anderson and the ref really went at each other -- complete with chest bumping and mutual contact.

At some point during the heated confrontation, cops say the ref alleged Anderson ripped a whistle out of his mouth and threw it on the ground, causing him to have a sore lip and watery eyes.

We're told the ref refused to continue officiating the tournament until Anderson left ... but after Anderson complied with that demand, the ref still went to cops.

We're told the ref was seeking an assault charge against the 5'8", 225-pound NFL player ... which kicked off a police investigation that lasted 3 months.

According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office spokesperson, several witnesses were interviewed ... but there was no consensus on whether Anderson ripped the whistle from the ref's mouth. Some witnesses said Anderson merely took the whistle from the ref's hand.

We're told the case went in front of a grand jury ... but according to the spokesperson, "The Harris County District Attorney's Office declined charges stating there was insufficient evidence supporting a charge."

We reached out to Anderson for comment on the incident, and he told us, "There were no charges because I never touched the man."

Anderson says it was actually the ref's fault for escalating the situation ... adding the ref was NOT allowed back at the tournament the next day -- while he was.

"It was a typical coach-and-ref interaction," Anderson said. "I was just looking out for my players."

C.J.'s agent, Peter Schaffer, added, "I want people to cherish the fact that this is a professional football player giving back to society. He was helping kids for free. Nothing happened -- this was a disagreement between a referee and a coach. This will not deter C.J. from giving back in the future."

C.J. has been a star in the NFL throughout his 7-year career -- logging 3,454 total rushing yards and 22 rushing TDs.

"There's finally a talent where they can say they're better than me at."

DAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGG!!!!

Aaron Rodgers shaded the HELL out of his NFC North counterparts Tuesday ... congratulating them on being better beer chuggers than him -- by ripping their hearts out and eating it.

If ya missed it ... Rodgers couldn't slug down a beer at a Milwaukee Bucks game a few weeks ago -- and the Internet went crazy ripping the guy.

Some of those involved in the Rodgers trolling? Bears QB Mitch Trubisky and Lions QB Matt Stafford -- who both posted vids of them destroying some suds in response.

Well, Rodgers saw that ... and clapped right back at the QBs during his news conference this week, saying, "As far as those other guys, for some of them, there's finally a talent where they can say they're better than me at."

Of course, Rodgers has demolished both the Bears and the Lions in his career ... so no coming back for Stafford and Trubisky from here.

Kelly Stafford is back home with her NFL husband and their kids after a complication from her recent brain surgery landed her back in the hospital ... and boy is she glad to be home!

Matt Stafford's wife returned to the hospital Wednesday due to severe pain following a 12-hour procedure to remove a tumor from her brain.

She had initially been released from the hospital before Easter Sunday -- but the pain became too much to handle and she was readmitted to the E.R.

But, good news on Friday ... docs allowed Kelly to return to her home where she immediately snuggled up with her fam.

She's not 100% -- far from it -- admitting the surgery has messed with her ability to balance and when she moves her head a certain way, she feels like a drunk person.

"I can’t turn my head right without feeling college drunk," Stafford said.

"I’m talking end of the night, cant put one foot in front of the other, knowing you’ll be sleeping on the bathroom floor, college drunk."

"I have to rework my brain to know that it can only rely on my left side, which will take time, a good amount of time."

Kelly says she's using their 3 children -- Sawyer, Chandler and Hunter -- as motivation during recovery ... so she can get back to spending more time with them.

"I miss them so much, but I’m so grateful I got that time today and now I have my inspiration to keep on pushing!"

Matthew Stafford is such a good teammate, he found time to text the Lions' #1 draft pick Thursday evening ... while still comforting his wife who's ailing from brain surgery.

We spoke with T.J. Hockenson early Friday morning on his way out of Nashville, where the tight end told us how excited he was to start his pro career in Detroit.

But, the most interesting part involved Stafford ... whose wife, Kelly, underwent a 12-hour procedure Sunday to remove a tumor from her brain. She was readmitted to the hospital due to complications from the surgery earlier this week. Matt has been by her side throughout the entire ordeal.

We asked Hockenson if he'd been in contact with Matt -- and he told us the QB reached out late Thursday night to congratulate him and welcome him to the Lions family.

Pretty cool stuff.

There's more ... after Hockenson was drafted, we spoke with his family -- including his 92-year-old grandfather -- who were all ecstatic they got to watch the former Iowa star get his name called in the 1st round!

So, how's Hockenson gonna spend that first round money now that he's a multi-millionaire?!?

Danny Amendola is throwing some serious shade at Olivia Culpo's new fling, Zedd, with an assist from his rock hard abs and a famous Bruce Willis line from "Pulp Fiction."

As we first told you ... Olivia and Zedd got very flirty with each other during the first weekend of Coachella, getting super snuggly during some music sets and putting Danny firmly in the rearview.

Well, Danny just responded to his ex-girlfriend's new relationship ... posting a shirtless video on Instagram Thursday night and making sure to capture Bruce's famous line from the Quentin Tarantino flick, which is totally relevant to Olivia's new boo.

The NFL wide receiver is sending a loud and clear message to the former Miss Universe ... enjoy Zedd all you want, but the DJ ain't got nothing on these abs, baby!!!

Danny and Olivia have been dating on and off since 2016, but their relationship's been ice cold since he shipped out of Miami and joined the Detroit Lions in early March.

Zedd and Olivia Culpo are THIS close to setting off the "New Couple Alert" ... 'cause they sure looked like a couple of crazy kids very much into each other after getting all cozy at Coachella!!!

We're told the famous Russian-German DJ and the former Miss Universe were cuddling in the artist area during Ariana Grande's set at Coachella. Check out the vid ... it appears Zedd had his arms around Olivia as Grande performed "God is a woman."

Witnesses tell us they were together for the whole set. His arms were around her as they swayed together. She would lean her head back on his chest ... the universal code for "I'm into you."

And, get this ... Zedd had a performance scheduled a few hours before Ariana's. When he went onstage ... guess who was backstage? Yup ... Olivia and her hot friends. But, here's what else is interesting ... this fling seems to come just days after Olivia was spotted with another star ... NHL's Aaron Varos.

Olivia and the New York Rangers star were on a double date just last week at Soho Hollywood. They were hanging with her best friend Cara Santana and Jesse Metcalfe. So, ya gotta wonder ... was Olivia's date with Varos a one-off and is Zedd more her jam???

Whatever the case ... one thing that seems certain -- Danny Amendola's in her rear-view mirror.