Football

An arrest warrant has been issued for ex-NFL star Earl Thomas ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Court records show a judge in Austin, Texas signed the warrant on April 27. The document, per the records, alleges the former Seattle Seahawks safety violated a protective order two or more times in the last 12 months.

Trey Dolezal, Thomas' attorney, told the Austin American-Statesman on Friday that it all relates to Thomas "reaching out to his wife to see their children."

"They were consciously and collectively working together to see his kids," Dolezal said. "I don't really understand how he could be in violation by working together to visit with his children."

The protective order had been issued back in 2021. The Austin American-Statesman reports court documents show a woman told cops that Earl violated the protective order by sending her threatening text messages.

Jail records show Earl has not yet been booked.

Jerry Jones is fortunate to have avoided serious injuries in his car crash on Wednesday ... because TMZ Sports has obtained video of the accident, and it shows the Dallas Cowboys owner T-boned a car while traveling at a relatively high rate of speed.

The crash, according to the video's timestamp, happened at around 6:10 p.m. It went down at the intersection of Wolf St. and Harry Hines Blvd. in Dallas -- roughly 20 miles away from the Cowboys' team facility.

The video appears to show that as a silver car was attempting to make a left turn from a right lane on a one-way road, Jones -- driving a dark-colored sedan -- slammed into the side of it.

Somehow, Jones was able to get out of his car and walk toward the other vehicle and its passengers.

You can see in the clip, captured by Allen Roberson Jr., Jones seemed to have a slight limp -- and at one point, he rolled up his pant leg to check out his knee area. His car, meanwhile, was left disabled in the middle of the road.

As Jones approached the silver car on foot ... an occupant from the vehicle appeared to be complaining of some kind of head pain.

Ultimately, medical personnel arrived on the scene and transported Jones to a local hospital with what's been described as minor injuries. Jones' son, Stephen Jones, told multiple media outlets late Wednesday night that Jerry had already returned home a short time after being checked out at the medical facility and is doing fine.

No word on if the other car's passengers suffered any significant injuries.

Shawne Merriman tells TMZ Sports he believes Antonio Brown did make some "valid points" when he went off on a rant against Colin Kaepernick in a recent interview.

If you missed it, Brown called the ex-49ers star a "trash" QB in a sitdown with "Cigar Talk." He also said he believed the 34-year-old sold out when he settled his lawsuit with the NFL. And, he questioned just how big of an impact Colin was really having in the community.

Merriman clearly doesn't believe all of the above is true ... but he said on Friday there were some things he did agree on with Brown.

"He makes some valid points about Colin Kaepernick, saying that, you know, he took the money from the NFL. The settlement. The Nike commercials -- all these things," Merriman said.

"Well, I think a lot of people think that way about all the other stuff that Colin Kaepernick has going on, and his opportunities that he's had to get back in the NFL, and just hasn't."

Merriman says he believes if Brown hadn't already become such a polarizing figure -- he thinks more people would be agreeing with him.

"We get the message," Merriman said, "but people aren't trying to listen to the messenger."

There was at least one NFL star who agreed with Brown fully ... Saints wideout Michael Thomas tweeted Friday afternoon, "he isn’t wrong wrong lol."

Tragic news ... former NFL defensive lineman Du'Vonta Lampkin has died after he was shot on Thursday.

He was just 25 years old.

According to the Dallas Police Department, Lampkin was found "lying on his back with a single gunshot wound" by officers at a rented residence at around 10:10 PM in Dallas.

Cops say they had been called to the scene after a witness said Lampkin had stopped answering phone calls.

Police say medical personnel arrived a short time after officers discovered Lampkin ... but said the ex-football player couldn't be saved and died on the scene.

No further details regarding the shooting were released ... cops say an investigation is underway. They're asking anyone with information on the case to call 214-671-3994.

The Univ. of Oklahoma -- where Lampkin played college football from 2015 to 2017 -- released a statement on the tragedy, saying the school is "deeply saddened" by Lampkin's passing.

"Du'Vonta was full of life and spirit, was a supportive teammate and a joy to be around. Our sincerest thoughts, prayers and sympathies are with his family and loved ones."

Du'Vonta played in 15 games for the Sooners in his three years on campus, logging 27 total tackles and a sack. He left the school early with intentions to play in the NFL, but went unselected in the 2018 draft.

Lampkin would eventually sign with the Tennessee Titans just before the 2018 season, but he was cut prior to their first game. He went on to play indoor football in 2019.

Antonio Brown just unloaded on Colin Kaepernick -- saying the quarterback is "trash" on the field ... while questioning the QB's charity work "in the hood" off of it.

AB fired off the explosive comments in a sit-down interview with Naji of "Cigar Talk" ... ripping the guy for settling his past lawsuit with the NFL, saying he doesn't believe Kaepernick actually wants to play still, and openly wondering if the 34-year-old's community contributions have actually made a difference.

Brown's rant all began after he appeared to be puzzled about why people feel bad for Kaepernick these days ... saying he thinks the settlement Kap reached with the NFL in 2019 following his collusion lawsuit sufficiently took care of him.

"He took a deal," Brown said. "We don't feel sorry for you. You took the deal. F*** outta here."

"'Oh, Kaepernick!'" he added in a mocking tone. "Man, you on f***ing Nike, man. F*** outta here."

Brown then said he thinks Kaepernick "don't want to play" football anymore ... and said even if the former 49ers star still truly did, he called his skill set "trash."

"All that is cap," Brown said. "We ain't respecting that, bro. You took the money, the commercials. We don't see you outside. We don't see him in the hood. He don't do nothing. Like, we cool. But, nah, we ain't even stan Kaepernick."

Brown continued, "He not even from the hood. He haven't even been in the trenches. We like Kaepernick and all, but we ain't really on that."

AB went on to wonder out loud how much Kaepernick has really done for those in need.

"He built a foundation," Brown said. "What it do, though? I'm being real. What superhero he enforce? Who he put on? Who he help?"

Of course, Kaepernick has been heavily involved in charitable work since becoming an NFL free agent following the 2016 season ... he created the "Know Your Rights Camp" to help in the fight for social justice. He also famously donated $1 million to orgs with similar calls for action. Kaepernick even wrote a children's book.

As for his playing career, Kaepernick has said over and over again he wants to get another crack at playing in the league -- and has been working out like a mad man in order to get a tryout somewhere.

After 20 years of endless debate, Tom Brady is finally caving into the possibility that the controversial "tuck rule play" from the Patriots' 2001 playoff game "might have" been a fumble ... and naturally, the Raiders had something to say.

The 44-year-old took to social media to make the revelation with the help of none other than Justin Bieber on Thursday ... admitting there's a chance he may have gotten away with a fumble that the refs didn't call in the classic AFC Divisional Round game.

Here's the deal -- Bieber posted a TikTok asking his followers to tell him something honest (to promote his new single called, you guessed it, "Honest") ... which opened the door for Brady to make the public admission.

"The Tuck Rule game against the Raiders might have been a fumble," Brady said in the vid ... adding, "Keep this on the down-low please" in the accompanying tweet.

Remember, the Raiders were leading 13-10 with 1:47 left in the 4th quarter when Brady -- who started the season as Drew Bledsoe's backup -- dropped back to make a pass as defensive back, Charles Woodson, was blitzing off the edge.

Brady "lost the ball," but the refs ruled that because his arm was going forward, the play was an incomplete pass -- much to the dismay of Raiders fans.

The rest was history ... as the Pats went on to defeat the Raiders in overtime, 16-13, then march to the Super Bowl, where they beat the Rams, 20-17.

The Raiders' Twitter account had a hilarious reaction to TB12's vid ... saying, "Knew it."

While Brady has seemingly softened his stance on the play, he still believes the refs probably made the right call.

"I said might. Such a tough call. No choice but to respect the official's probably correct decision."

Haley and Matt Kalil are donezo ... TMZ Sports has learned the Sports Illustrated swimsuit model has filed for divorce from the ex-NFL star.

According to court records, Haley filed the docs on Wednesday ... and said in the paperwork the reason for the split was "irreconcilable differences."

The two -- who got married in July 2015 -- separated in January 2022, according to the documents. The couple had no kids together.

29-year-old Haley and 32-year-old Matt first began dating in Minnesota after the offensive lineman was selected by the Vikings in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

The two eventually got married in Hawaii in 2015 ... and seemed to be going strong -- with Matt seen at some of her modeling events throughout the past few years.

Unclear when things got rocky -- the couple has kept most of their relationship private.

Kanye West and Antonio Brown have some competition ... 'cause Lakers legend Magic Johnson is joining a bid to purchase the Denver Broncos!!

The Hall of Fame hooper is hopping on Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Josh Harris' offer to purchase the NFL team, according to Sportico.

Of course, superstar Antonio Brown previously told TMZ Sports he and Kanye West are "extremely serious" about taking over the team ... claiming Donda Sports was working like crazy to make it happen.

With that being said, the Broncos are currently valued at close to $4 billion ... and when it's all said and done, the sale is expected to be the biggest in sports history.

Johnson has become a business mogul following his incredible career with the Purple & Gold -- he's invested in the Dodgers, Lakers, Sparks and LAFC ... as well as Starbucks, Burger King, Square, Cameo, 24 Hour Fitness and more.

Magic's involvement would be a step in the right direction for the NFL, which has a serious issue with diversity among NFL owners.

Now, Forbes reports Ye has a net worth of around $1.8 billion ... but Harris' is reportedly around $5.6 billion.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was involved in a car crash on Wednesday ... but, thankfully, his son said the 79-year-old is "all good" now.

Jones, according to WFAA in Dallas, was transported to a hospital with minor injuries after being involved in an accident at around 8:10 PM CT at Wolf St. and Harry Hines Blvd. -- roughly 20 miles away from the Cowboys' team facility.

But Jones' son, Stephen Jones, said in a text message to ESPN late Wednesday evening that Jerry had made it back home and was "all good."

A spokesperson for the Dallas Police Dept. told TMZ Sports they do not give out names of individuals involved in car accidents unless there's a fatality. The spokesperson did confirm, however, that officers did respond to the Wolf and Harry Hines location at around 8:10 PM CT for a two-vehicle accident.

The spokesperson added that one person was transported to a local hospital for "precautionary measures."

The moment Dave Chappelle was attacked on stage in front of thousands of fans was crazy as hell ... so says former NFL star Marcellus Wiley who tells TMZ Sports he was in the building for the whole thing!!

We spoke with the star of FS1's "Speak For Yourself" ... who wasn't the only celeb in attendance, and he told us the scary incident unfolded right in front of his own eyes.

"Yea, I was in the building man, and it was crazy to be there," Wiley said. "Lot of stars in the building, but the moment it occurred is crazy 'cause it was time to leave. Dave was leaving the stage and coming back for an encore."

Wiley says he was eagerly awaiting the musical act Chappelle was introducing, Black Star, when suddenly, a guy from the crowd rushed the stage and attacked the comedian.

"Now, I'm gonna say he missed his moment, too, because he missed that tackle," the ex-NFL star said. "As a former football player, he could have got a lot cleaner hit, but he's not a former linebacker. But, he tackled Dave, and then next thing you know, the dude gets up, takes off running thinking he Barry Sanders."

He continued ... "And boy, that's when security started working. About 50 people -- including Dave, Jamie Foxx -- you just saw everyone just bum rush this dude in the corner right in the back. It took about 3-5 minutes to finally get the dude out of there. It was a lot of elbows, a lot of stomping, and a lot of people who were upset at that moment."

Of course, we had to ask Marcellus if he initially believed the attack was fake ... a skit of sorts aimed at poking fun at Will Smith's attack on Chris Rock at the Oscars.

"In the moment I was like, 'Yo, that's crazy,'" Wiley said. "Then I was like 'Yo, that's some Will Smith stuff.'" Wiley admits he thought Chappelle was making light of the Smith incident, but quickly realized that wasn't the case when he saw the beatdown the attacker was receiving.

Despite the chaotic scene, Marcellus told us the craziest part of the night wasn't even the guy getting hammered after the failed ambush attack.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Brandon Bolden is heading into the 2022 season in style ... the NFL vet just copped a sick, new $150,000 custom Ford Bronco.

TMZ Sports has learned that Bolden, who's been in the NFL for nine years, went all out for his newest whip ... dropping a comfy bag on the set of wheels to make sure it's as luxurious as possible.

We're told Bolden's Bronco -- which was tricked out by South Florida Jeeps -- features a 400-horsepower, supercharged V6 engine ... and also comes with an armored exterior shell that actually has Kevlar fibers woven into it.

The car also has bronze rims, super-strength leather interior -- and it looks like a BEAST.

We're told the ride was delivered to the tailback in Vegas just recently.

As for the price tag -- don't worry about it, Bolden can certainly afford it ... he signed a 2-year, $5 million with the Raiders this offseason.

Sweet, sweet deal for Raiders star Nate Hobbs ... who paid just $250 to settle his reckless driving arrest -- where cops say he was busted driving 110 MPH in his Mercedes, putting an end to the case after pleading "no contest."

As we previously reported, the 22-year-old CB out of the University of Illinois was stopped by Nevada State Police on January 16 after the cops say he was driving erratically, cutting off cars without signaling ... all while driving at a high rate of speed.

In February, we posted police-worn body camera footage ... and it was clear during the stop, the cop was pissed!

"Why would you put yourself and everybody else out here on the roadway in extreme danger because you're going to a meeting?" the cop asked. "Explain that to me."

Nate apologized, saying it was a mistake ... but the trooper wasn't having it.

"Over 110 miles an hour? No signaling, cutting cars off, that's an honest mistake? No, that's a poor choice," the officer fired back.

Nate begged the cop not to arrest him ... explaining he'd just been arrested for DUI two weeks earlier. That, despite what you may expect, actually seemed to work.

Fast forward to Monday. Hobbs wasn't in court for the brief hearing, but his attorney was ... ultimately pleading no contest on Nate's behalf.

The small fine was paid (FYI, Nate will make about $1 mil this season on his rookie deal) ... closing the book on the reckless driving arrest.

Dwayne Haskins' wife just penned a beautiful tribute to her "soulmate, lover, & best friend" ... on what would've been the late quarterback's 25th birthday.

Kalabrya Haskins shared the emotional message on her IG page on Tuesday -- adding photos and videos of the happy memories they shared before his tragic death on April 9.

"King Wayne, God decided Simba needed a halo, instead of a crown for his mane," Kalabrya wrote in the post. "Life without you here brings so much pain."

"But today we celebrate your 25th reign. Your light was so bright, words can't begin to explain… How proud I am of the man you became."

Kalabyra -- who married the former Pittsburgh Steelers QB in 2021 -- called Dwayne her "twin flame" ... and promised to always honor his name.

"Until we unite after this life again," she said, "Your soulmate, lover, & best friend."

The Haskins Family Foundation -- which was established by Haskins' parents, Tamara and Dwayne Sr., in 2021 -- also paid tribute to the former football player on his birthday by launching a new scholarship in his name.

They're also planning to have a moment of silence Tuesday night, and are asking everyone to join.

"This is a tribute to Dwayne Haskins Kr. born on May 3, 1997, turning 25 today," they said. "Please join us for a moment of silence at 8 PM tonight for one minute and reflect on the memories that he has brought to your life with his affectionate smile."

Odell Beckham had one of the most expensive outfits at the Met Gala ... and it's all thanks to his incredible $650k diamond chain!!

TMZ Sports spoke with OBJ's go-to guy, Gabriel the Jeweler ... who tells us the wide receiver copped the ice right before Monday's big event.

Beckham donned a green velvet hoodie for the Gala ... accenting it with the massive chain and rings.

The chain is truly one of a kind -- we're told it's made with 300 carats of round diamonds, 200 carats of emerald-cut diamonds and 2 1/2 kilos of gold.

Of course, Gabe is the mastermind behind some of OBJ's most iconic pieces ... and has worked with superstars like Antonio Brown, Fernando Tatis, Joe Mixon and more over the years.

Other athletes at the Gala include Russell Westbrook, Dwyane Wade, Chloe Kim and Venus Williams ... who all killed it with the "Gilded Glamour" theme.

Didn't get a good look at Tom Brady's bod in his last thirst trap social media post? Good news -- here's another one!!!

TB12 showed off his bare arms in a flexing pic from the set of his new "80 For Brady" movie on Monday -- and, the dude is clearly still looking great at 44 years old.

The future Hall of Famer posted the pic to his IG ... captioning the photo, "The exact moment Tom Brady 'went Hollywoood' on the 80 For Brady set."

Tom shouted out Dwayne Johnson in the post -- joking that his arms looked so jacked, he could be The Rock's stunt double!!

"I'm free until August if you need help with any stunts in the meantime," Brady said with a crying emoji.

Tom's all smiles -- but his body is seriously no joke ... this is the second time he's posted himself showing a lot of skin in the last month, and his frame is looking as good as ever.

Arizona Cardinals star DeAndre Hopkins will miss a huge chunk of the 2022 season ... the NFL has suspended the wide receiver after it says he violated the league's PED policy.

ESPN's Adam Schefter just reported the news ... saying Hopkins has been banned for the first six games of the upcoming season.

It's unclear what Hopkins did exactly to violate the NFL's rules.

Hopkins did appeal the suspension, according to Ari Meirov, but withdrew it ... meaning the league's ban is now final.

It's a big blow for the Cards -- because when he's been on the field for Arizona, Hopkins has been a superstar.

Since being traded to the team in 2020, Hopkins has logged 1,979 receiving yards and 14 TDs on 157 catches in just 26 games.

But, Hopkins did miss 7 games last year -- including the team's playoff game against the L.A. Rams -- due to knee and hamstring injuries.