Football

Aaron Donald's Calabasas mansion sold faster than he can chase down a quarterback -- the NFL superstar parted ways with the pad for $6.258 million ... after just 2 WEEKS.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Donald -- who listed the six-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bathroom home for $6,250,000 on April 4 -- closed the deal on Monday ... and made some extra dough in the process.

The buyer will now enjoy a 7,036 square-foot home with a massive kitchen, infinity pool, game room, hoops court, outdoor party area and 4-car garage.

As we previously reported, the place -- listed with Jordan Cohen of RE/MAX -- also has a personal barbershop with a massive Donald painting on the wall ... but the room might get a makeover if the buyer is a Niners fan.

Of course, the timing of the sale comes amid rumors the 3-time Defensive Player of the Year could retire this season ... although Matthew Stafford previously told us he's trying like hell to get Donald to return in 2022.

Chanel Iman is officially off the market ... 'cause the supermodel just went IG official with Patriots DT Davon Godchaux -- after estranged hubby Sterling Shepard recently filed for divorce.

The Victoria's Secret model was spotted with her new man at Coachella's Revolve Festival on Sunday ... and the couple looked happy-go-lucky.

Iman was smiling ear-to-ear in the new IG post, showing PDA with Godchaux, who was giving her smooches.

And, things must be pretty serious ... DG left a comment on her pic, writing, "I love you❤🤞🏾👅"

The 27-year-old Patriots nose tackle -- who signed with the Pats in 2021 after spending his first 3 seasons with the Dolphins -- also recently posted IG flicks of the new couple having a great time in Cali.

It's good to see Iman find love again ... remember, the 31-year-old is currently going through a divorce with Shepard, who filed last June.

Shepard -- who recently took a pay cut to remain with the Giants this upcoming season -- met Iman at Victor Cruz's birthday party back in 2016 ... before getting married to the model in March 2018.

Colin Kaepernick just wants to play football in the NFL ... even if it means signing on as a backup quarterback, saying "I just need that opportunity to walk through the door."

The 34-year-old QB sat down for a rare interview with former NFL stars Chad Johnson, Adam "Pacman" Jones, Brandon Marshall for an episode of "I AM ATHLETE" -- after a recent workout near the House of Athlete facility in Weston, FL -- where Colin discussed his desire to return to the NFL.

Marshall asked Kaepernick if he'd be willing to take a role similar to Carmelo Anthony in the NBA ... where the Future Hall of Famer signed for the veteran's minimum (about $2.6 million) to play a minimized role with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Colin's answer ... yes, as long as he starts when he proves he's the best person for the job.

"I know I have to find my way back in. So, if I have to come in as a backup, that's fine," Kaepernick told the guys.

"But that's not where I'm staying. And when I prove that I'm a starter, I want to be able to step on the field as such. I just need that opportunity to walk through the door."

Of course, Colin hasn't played in the NFL since 2016 ... where he started 11 games for the San Francisco 49ers.

Kaepernick has long accused the league of blackballing him for his kneeling protest, filing a lawsuit alleging the owners colluded against him ... in an effort to keep him out of the NFL.

In February 2019, Colin settled his lawsuit with the NFL.

Super Bowl champion? Check. Hall of Fame career? Check. Wrestling match with The Rock? Coming soon???

Rob Gronkowski tells TMZ Sports if he ultimately makes a run in the WWE following his storied football career -- he wants to take on Dwayne Johnson!!!

Gronk broke it all down for his BFF Mojo ... saying if he got the chance to call the shots in the WWE, he'd book a match against The People's Champ.

Gronkowski said he'd prefer it to be a tag team match, 'cause he's still wet behind the ears in the squared circle ... but if for some reason The Rock wanted to join him instead of beat him -- he'd be up for that too!

"It would be pretty cool to have The Rock come back, and face The Rock," Gronkowski said, "or have him as my tag team partner."

Gronk has made appearances in the WWE before ... but he's yet to have a true match of his own.

As for why he wouldn't mind starting off that career with The Rock ... the NFL star said the guy is just one of his favorite wrestlers -- and he'd love to take a People's Elbow from the dude in front of a packed house.

Brian Wallace, a former lineman at the University of Arkansas, has died at the age of 26, the school announced on Friday.

The Razorbacks organization confirmed the sad news in a statement, saying, "Our hearts are broken."

The team added, "Brian will always be a Razorback."

"Our thoughts and love are with Brian's family and friends."

Wallace was reportedly struggling to breathe while at work, so he went outside to sit in his car to gather himself. When Wallace returned, the 26-year-old collapsed after he suffered a heart attack, according to FOX 16.

Medical personnel tried to restore Wallace's breathing on scene -- and they were successful -- but when Brian arrived at the hospital, he suffered another heart attack.

His father, Brian Sr., said Wallace was in the Intensive Care Unit of a St. Louis hospital because the heart attacks left him in a coma and with apparent brain damage, according to the outlet.

Wallace was a standout with the Razorbacks after redshirting his first season with the program ... and was a fan favorite after choosing Arkansas over Iowa.

In his senior year, Wallace started all 12 games for the Razorbacks at right tackle allowing only three sacks in 411 pass-blocking snaps, per the team's official website.

Wallace finished his career as a Razorback playing 1,998 total snaps on the O-line ... allowing 10 total sacks during his four-year career.

Russell Wilson and Ciara are officially making Denver their new home -- 'cause the Broncos QB just plunked down $25 million on a gorgeous mansion ... an all-time high for a single-family home in the area!

The 33-year-old copped the new crib -- which sits on 5.34 acres -- earlier this month in Englewood, CO ... a 24-minute drive from the Empower Field at Mile High stadium.

The 20,060 square foot estate has plenty of room for Russ, Ciara and their three children. The house features four bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, a nine-car garage and a large fireplace for those cold Rocky mountain nights.

There's also a 2,590-square-foot indoor pool, game room, home theater and full basketball court.

The Wilsons bought the place (in an off-market deal) for a record-breaking $26 million -- the most expensive price tag for a single family home in the Denver area.

The previous record was a penthouse at the Four Seasons building that sold for $16M in 2020 ... and former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan's mansion which sold for $15.7M.

It's definitely an upgrade in size for the Wilson family ... their Washington home -- that just went on the market for $36 million -- was a little over 11,000 square feet.

Of course, the recent real estate moves happened due to the Seattle Seahawks trading the 9x Pro Bowler to the Broncos last month.

The buyer who purchased Tom Brady's last touchdown ball at auction just caught a $518,000 break ... 'cause the sale of the pigskin has reportedly been voided, saving the wealthy collector over half a mil!!

Remember, the ball was on the auction block at Leland's -- a popular sports memorabilia website -- and sold for over $500K. Unfortunately for the buyer, Brady came out of retirement literally the day after the ball sold.

The issue? Brady is surely going to throw many more touchdowns this season for the Bucs ... rendering the 624th TD pass of his career virtually worthless (we're told it's worth about $50K -- which is great, unless you dropped $520K on it).

But, in a stroke of amazing luck, Darren Rovell reports NY attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, was able to strike a deal with the seller and auction house, freeing the buyer of his obligation to buy the ball.

It's unclear if the buyer had to make any sort of payment to the seller ... though, if so, we're told it wouldn't be a large amount of money.

It's not all that surprising that the sale didn't ultimately go through. Shortly after Brady returned, we spoke with an industry expert who predicted the sale would NOT go through ... for several reasons.

Now, the ball -- a 55-yard TD pass thrown to Mike Evans in the 4th quarter of a playoff game against the Rams -- will likely be returned to the seller.

Buyer, meet your lucky ✨✨✨

Dwayne Haskins' clothing line will have items available soon -- after selling out on the website -- and it's promising to donate the proceeds of future sales to a charity in honor of the late quarterback.

Kingdom of Pride brand was made by Haskins and features a catalog of T-shirts, hoodies, sweaters, pants and headwear -- some with his nickname "Simba" or his initials "DH" inscribed into them.

Each item is currently sold out on the website ... but the brand said this week, just days after Haskins' death, that they're working on releasing more KOP gear in the wake of the tragedy.

"In the recent days we have received many inquiries regarding the availability of our clothes," the brand said in a statement.

"We are currently putting together the pieces of how we can honor Dwayne and his legacy in the most positive way."

The company says when it restocks the items, it's going to sell pieces at a discounted price ... and then donate the proceeds to a charity "that has a mission that is near and dear to Dwayne's heart."

Haskins loved his clothing line ... in fact, he had the logo stitched into his Bentley truck after signing his rookie contract in 2019.

"By the grace of God, the Lord has blessed me with an opportunity to have an influential platform," Haskins said of his brand on the company's website.

"Kingdom of Pride is a brand about family and channeling your inner lion. You will officially be a part of our family when purchasing these beautifully designed clothes."

Urban Meyer swears he knew who Aaron Donald was before the Jaguars took on the Rams last year ... blasting a report that said otherwise as "silly."

The 57-year-old former Jacksonville head coach joined Tim May on "The Tim May Podcast" this week ... and dismissed the notion that he had no idea who arguably the best defensive player in the NFL was.

"It's -- you know, I've heard silly things before in my life," Meyer said. "You almost shouldn't even address things like that, it's so silly."

You'll recall, The Athletic reported last month that Meyer was "unfamiliar with star players around the league" -- including Donald.

Meyer allegedly told his staff, "Who's this 99 guy on the Rams?” and, "I'm hearing he might be a problem for us."

Of course, that's a shocking allegation ... considering Donald is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year who's been selected to the NFL's All-Pro team 7 times.

Josh Allen's offseason is clearly going well ... after soaking up some California sun on Wednesday, the Buffalo Bills superstar took his smokin' hot girlfriend on a dinner date to an L.A. hotspot.

The couple was spotted heading into Catch in West Hollywood just after sunset ... and the quarterback didn't seem to have too many cares in the world as he walked into the restaurant next to Brittany Williams.

The two looked good on their romantic night out -- Allen was in a black jacket and maroon pants, while Williams stunned in a hot pink mini skirt and heels.

Allen didn't answer the photogs' questions as he strolled into dinner ... but it seems clear, he's moving past Buffalo's super disappointing January playoff loss to the Chiefs.

Allen's been vacationing with Williams -- who he's dated since before his NFL career -- in Cali the last couple weeks, enjoying the offseason and getting over that epic overtime game in Kanas City.

Rapper Archie Eversole, best known for his hit song "We Ready," has died.

Archie's family tells TMZ he passed away Sunday, April 3. His cause of death has not been revealed.

Archie was only 17 when he recorded his first album, "Ride Wit Me Dirty South Style." The album went gold, with the help of the track "We Ready" with Bubba Sparxxx.

"We Ready" became one of the most popular anthems at football games and other sporting events.

Archie was handpicked by the soccer team Atlanta United in 2018 to write its theme song, "United We Conquer."

Fans have been paying respect to Archie after his passing, including NFL pro Robert Griffin III, who calls his hit song "the greatest Game Day anthem ever." There's locker room video of high school football players singing "We Ready" as inspiration.

The song was so popular, the NFL even used it in an ad.

Archie clearly touched a nerve, because social media is filling up with tributes.

Archie was 37.

RIP

Former Auburn quarterback Jeff Klein -- who was the Tigers' starting signal-caller in the 1999 season -- died this week after battling cancer. He was only 42 years old.

Klein's wife, Adrienne, made the sad announcement on Wednesday ... saying he passed away while "surrounded by his loved ones."

"At 2:36 PM this afternoon the love of my life was called home," Adrienne said. "His passing was peaceful and immediately followed the ceasing of life support."

Klein -- who played for Auburn from 1999 to 2001 -- was initially hospitalized last week after suffering serious back pain.

Unfortunately, according to Adrienne and Klein's GoFundMe page, an MRI later revealed spots on his lower back that turned out to be cancerous.

Adrienne said Klein's condition worsened rapidly ... explaining he suffered a stroke and brain bleeding earlier this week, before he ultimately passed on Wednesday.

"The outpouring of love and support from loved ones, friends, acquaintances, health care professionals and even perfect strangers has been an overwhelming blessing," Adrienne said.

"I'm grateful for every single one of you, and every prayer said. Please continue to pray for me, our boys and our families as we attempt to navigate through the heartbreak."

Klein threw for 1,139 yards and seven touchdowns during his three seasons with the Tigers -- and recently worked as a teacher, baseball coach and assistant football coach at Loachapoka H.S. in Auburn.

His former Auburn team, meanwhile, tweeted condolences to Klein's family following the tragic news Wednesday.

Ya knew Ezekiel Elliott wasn't scared of anything ... but did you know it went to THIS extent?!?!

The Dallas Cowboys superstar posted a video of him with his pet snake on Wednesday ... showing no fear whatsoever as the reptile crawled all over his beard and shirtless body.

Check out the footage ... it's absolutely hair-raising -- the snake wiggled across Elliott's 225-pound frame, all while sticking out its tongue repeatedly.

Zeke, though, seemed to love it -- filming the interaction with a steady hand on the camera the entire time.

Elliott -- an animal lover who's usually spending most of his time with his dogs -- has had the pet snake for several weeks now, and it's clear their bond is growing by the day.

Russell Wilson doesn't have much of a need for his mansion in Washington these days ... so the former Seahawks star threw the home up for sale -- for $36 MILLION!!!

The quarterback and his wife, Ciara, just put the Bellevue place on the market ... a few weeks after he was officially sent from Seattle to the Denver Broncos.

The price tag is steep -- but it sure seems worth it to us ... the home features 11,104 square foot with 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms.

The home has a chef's kitchen, a game room, a movie theatre, a full gym, a sports court ... and it sits on almost two acres of private beaches and gardens on Lake Washington's shoreline.

And, get this -- the place is so big, it also has an elevator!

There's more ... the mansion comes with a treehouse, an indoor playroom, and even a recording studio right in the crib.

The Wilsons' estate was listed with Carmen Gayton of Windermere Real Estate this week.

Baker Mayfield is opening up about his ongoing beef with the Cleveland Browns ... appearing to say the front office lied to him about their pursuit of Deshaun Watson.

The former top pick -- who's been silent since releasing a heartfelt message to Browns fans on March 15 -- discussed his situation in Cleveland on the "Ya Never Know: You Know What I Mean?" podcast with Mike. (FKA Mike Stud) this week ... saying he feels "disrespected" by how things played out this offseason.

"The respect thing is all gonna be a personal opinion," Baker said Wednesday. "I feel disrespected, 100%, because I was told one thing and they did another. That's what I'm in the middle of right now."

It's pretty clear Bake is referring to the Browns trading for Watson ... as Mayfield requested a trade shortly after news broke about Cleveland's interest in the former Texans quarterback.

The Browns haven't traded Mayfield yet ... and there's talk they could actually keep him this season in case Watson's punished as a result of 22 massage therapists alleging sexual misconduct.

Despite the chatter, Baker sounds like the official breakup is incoming ... saying he has no idea where he's going to play next.

"I'm just looking for stabilization right now, and I know what I need to know to be the best version of me and to lead an organization," he said. "I'm in a good place right now, where, like, I have no clue where I am going."

The XFL will have Super Bowl winners, national champs and Hall of Famers leading the charge when it kicks off in 2023 ... with names like Hines Ward, Wade Phillips and Bob Stoops signing on to be head coaches in the league.

The league announced its 8 coaches who will be on the sidelines next year ... with Rod Woodson, Jim Haslett, Terrell Buckley, Reggie Barlow and Anthony Becht rounding out the list.

Of course, Stoops -- a national championship-winning coach with the Oklahoma Sooners in 2000 -- was part of the XFL's original relaunch in 2020 with the Dallas Renegades ... and now he's back again for the league's do-over.

Phillips has been a coach for more than 50 years ... and won Super Bowl 50 with the Denver Broncos as a defensive coordinator.

Ward -- a Pittsburgh Steelers legend and 2-time Super Bowl champ -- started his coaching career in 2019 as an assistant for the New York Jets.

Woodson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009 ... and has experience coaching for several NFL teams over the years.