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Denzel Ward loves his Cleveland Browns team, but he tells TMZ Sports it needs just one more thing to be competitive -- consistency at the quarterback position!!

The 27-year-old cornerback got candid with us out in New York City on Thursday ... openly admitting his team simply has to have better play from its signal-callers if it wants to get back to the playoffs anytime soon.

"I don't think we're too far off," Ward said. "We just need to solidify that position."

Kid Cudi's residence sounds like it needs a deep cleaning ... because police say an unwelcome visitor really made himself at home.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the rapper's Los Angeles area home was burglarized by an intruder who they say helped himself to Kid Cudi's food, used the bathroom, and freshened up in the shower.

Our sources tell us the intruder was discovered Wednesday around 5 PM when a shirtless man was seen on Kid Cudi's security system ... hanging out in the kitchen.

The New England Patriots might've technically satisfied the Rooney Rule requirement, but NOT the spirit ... according to longtime NFL executive/GM Rod Graves who says the Pats made a joke of the policy.

TMZ Sports spoke with Graves, who after decades working in the NFL as a league executive and general manager, now serves as the Executive Director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, an org. dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion within pro football, about the much-debated rule that says teams must interview a minority candidate before hiring a coach.

Robert Kraft's football team interviewed two Black head coach hopefuls, Pep Hamilton and Byron Leftwich, before ultimately hiring Mike Vrabel ... who was expected to land the job from the moment the Patriots fired Jerod Mayo.

Huge stars will be on stage for the upcoming concert to help the thousands of folks who lost it all in the L.A. fires, and some of the headliners have deep L.A. roots.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish and the Red Hot Chili Peppers will be among the 15 acts that have been booked so far to hit the stage 2 weeks from today.

We're also told the lineup includes Green Day, Jelly Roll and Gracie Abrams.

"Love Island USA" star Hannah Smith has just been slapped with criminal charges stemming from her recent arrest in Atlanta ... after prosecutors say she threatened to kill a police officer.

Cobb County prosecutors reviewed Hannah's case and decided to formally charge her with two felonies ... terroristic threats and willful obstruction of a law enforcement officer ... according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ.

As we previously reported, the reality TV star was arrested at a concert venue in Atlanta back in September, when she was escorted out of the venue for being disorderly. She was released on bail after spending one night in jail.

Unidentified Aerial Phenomena have some people diving deep into aliens and others learning about the capabilities of advanced tech ... and, most importantly, deconstructing Congress' lies, according to journalist Jeremy Corbell.

Corbell stopped by "TMZ Live" Thursday to discuss the new season two of "TMZ Presents: UFO Revolution" ... saying that, despite the risk he might be putting himself by asking the tough questions, he's not scared.

Jeremy says he's knocking on the doors of important people in D.C. ... and, the series gives people a lens into his life as he tries to figure out the answers to the big questions.

Justin Baldoni is continuing his legal crusade against his "It Ends With Us" costar Blake Lively -- he and his production company just filed a massive lawsuit against Blake, her husband Ryan Reynolds and her publicist Leslie Sloane ... seeking hundreds of millions of dollars.

Justin and his company, Wayfarer Studios, which produced "It Ends With Us," filed the federal suit ripping Blake and Leslie for their alleged campaign to smear Baldoni and snatch away control of the movie ... which he directed and costarred in with Blake.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Blake was "determined to make Baldoni the real-life villain in her story" to deflect from getting publicly trashed as "tone-deaf" during the film's media tour.

Angelenos are showing love for the firefighters who tirelessly battled the Los Angeles wildfires ... giving a group of them a standing ovation at dinner.

Ya gotta see the scene at King's Fish House in Calabasas -- not too far from where the Palisades Fire raged -- a large group of LAFD members get up to leave the restaurant after their meal and are met with cheers and applause.

The restaurant is packed and everyone is clapping as the uniformed firefighters leave their table.

TikTok star Jiare Schneider’s cause of death is out -- he tragically died from injuries sustained in a car crash.

A rep for the Clayton County Police Dept. in Georgia tells TMZ Jiare’s November death has been ruled accidental, and there's nothing suspicious about it. It’s still unclear if alcohol or drugs were involved.

We’re told Jiare was apparently heading to a "content house" in Georgia, where social media influencers live and work together, when he crashed in the woods across the street.

Liam Payne's friend Roger Nores -- who was with him in his final chaotic days alive in Buenos Aires -- is suing Liam's father for allegedly smearing him in the media in the weeks after Liam died.

Roger filed the defamation lawsuit Thursday against Geoff Payne for saying Roger was supposed to take care of Liam at the time of his death. According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Roger says Geoff submitted a sworn declaration to Buenos Aires police stating Roger had "full responsibility for Liam's care during this last period when I was not there."

But, Roger sternly denies that saying in the lawsuit, he "never agreed to be and was never the caretaker of Liam." He acknowledges they were "dear friends" and supported each other, but says it was never a paid job for him.

A UFO checked out one of America's most secretive nuclear bases ... and an image of the object is featured in the latest episode of "TMZ Presents: UFO Revolution" on Tubi.

The shocking footage was first obtained by journalist Dustin Slaughter, who is making history here.

Jeremy Corbell chats with Dustin in Episode 2 of "UFO Revolution" ... and they're digging in on a UFO incursion over Pantex Nuclear Weapons Facility.

Bill Maher has a question for California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ... why does it take a massive disaster for the state to cut red tape?!?

Bill joined us on "TMZ Live" and we asked him about the heat Newsom and Bass are catching over the response to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, and what it's going to take for L.A. to rebuild.

The 'Real Time' host says Newsom and Bass absolutely deserve to be held accountable for what Maher feel are a series of blunders that exacerbated the disaster ... and he says now is absolutely the time to have a conversation about their actions, or lack thereof.

Sam Darnold didn't torpedo his chances at a big payday after two bad games to finish the season ... at least that's what NFL super-agent Leigh Steinberg thinks -- telling TMZ Sports he believes the Minnesota Vikings will stick with him as the franchise quarterback.

Darnold -- the No. 3 overall pick in 2018 -- had a career resurgence in the 2024-25 campaign ... throwing for more than 4,300 yards and 35 touchdowns as he led the Vikes to a 14-3 record.

His hot streak fizzled out down stretch, though ... with the team's Super Bowl dreams coming to an end after a poor outing against the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round on Monday.

Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony is relying on a private security company ... and Uncle Sam is paying a pretty penny to keep the incoming President safe.

TMZ obtained federal procurement docs that show the Secret Service has hired a company called Arcus Group LLC to help out with Monday's inauguration. The company scored an $8.1 million contract for the job ... and the firm is tasked with securing the perimeter.

Sounds like taxpayer money is being put to good use here ... Arcus Group boasts they are specialists in temporary security perimeters for high profile situations ... and Trump's inauguration fits the bill.

Pets who have been separated from families displaced by the Los Angeles wildfires are fighting for their lives ... because there are limited ways for them to get food and water.

The heartbreaking situation is playing out in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, where people's pets have been left behind to fend for themselves in the rubble.

No food or water is being left for the cats, dogs and other pets who survived the fires ... according to Chris Valles from Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control.

The couple Robbie Williams "wed" at a screening of his new movie "Better Man" aren't monkeying around, telling the haters to hang around and reconsider ... even if the movie is a total bomb.

Haldun Uluç Ülgen tells TMZ ... he and his fiancée Amy Willoughby couldn’t care less the British singer's biopic tanked at the box office -- they loved it! And he assures us it’s got nothing to do with being "married" by Robbie, who's been an ordained minister since 2002.

Haldun's surprised the movie didn’t leap over the box office competition, but he believes that's because people aren't branching out for something fresh and original -- though he admits RW doesn't have the star power here like he does in the UK.