Football

Jerry Jones has just put his foot in his mouth at the opening day of Dallas Cowboys training camp ... using an offensive term for little people while addressing a throng of media members.

The team's owner was remembering the late Larry Lacewell -- the Cowboys' longtime Director of College and Pro Scouting -- when he used the m-word.

"Lace held court out here," Jones said while speaking about his former employee who passed away at 85 years old in May. "I'm going to get me somebody, a m*****, to stand up there with me and dress him up like Lace and think Lace is still out here helping us. Look at the practice with us."

"But, you know, we all need our props. A little memory that goes with him."

When saying the term, Jones -- who's 79 years old -- also used a hand gesture signaling he wanted someone smaller in stature.

If you're unfamiliar, the m-word has been deemed a derogatory slur by the Little People of America, who have urged people to stop using the word for nearly a decade.

We've reached out to the LPA for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson is walking away from the NFL -- the 27-year-old is reportedly retiring due to a neck injury.

Carson suffered the injury during Week 4 of the 2021 season ... and has been unable to suit up for a game since.

NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport says Carson was working out in hopes of getting better ... but at this point, there hasn't been enough progress.

The report states Carson will not officially file his paperwork ... just in case he "dramatically" improves at some point.

The Seahawks will release Carson with a failed physical designation, which will help him to receive millions in injury protection benefits, Rap says.

If this is really the end, Carson finishes his career with more than 3,500 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns ... and 804 yards and 7 TDs through the air.

The former Oklahoma State star raked in roughly $9.4 million over the course of his career.

Jim Harbaugh -- fiercely against abortion -- says he'd be willing to raise the baby of any of his Univ. of Michigan football players, if they had an unplanned pregnancy, and the couple decided to have the baby.

"I've told [them] the same thing I tell my kids, boys, the girls, same thing I tell our players, our staff members," Harbaugh said on Saturday, "I encourage them if they have a pregnancy that wasn't planned, to go through with it, go through with it," Harbaugh told ESPN's Gene Wojchiechowski.

"Let that unborn child be born, and if at that time, you don't feel like you can care for it, you don't have the means or the wherewithal, then Sarah and I will take that baby."

The Wolverines head coach -- who signed a $36.7 million extension in February -- was the keynote speaker at a recent "Right To Life" event.

During the anti-abortion speech, 58-year-old Harbaugh spoke about having the "courage to let the unborn be born."

As for why he chose to speak out about the controversial topic, Jim says while it may be difficult, it's an incredibly important issue for America.

"I just think this issue of life, save a life, the abortion issue is one that is so big that it needs to be talked about," Harbaugh said.

"It's a life or death type of issue and I believe in and I respect people's views but let's discuss it because there's passion on both sides of this issue."

The Cincinnati Bengals will be without superstar quarterback Joe Burrow as training camp kicks off -- the signal-caller is going under the knife to have his appendix removed.

The news broke just minutes ago ... with Ian Rapoport saying #9 will miss a bit of time due to the procedure.

Burrow showed up at the Bengals facility over the weekend to work out alongside rookies and injured players ... and Tuesday marks the first official day of camp.

The news comes amid contract talks for the 25-year-old ... with team president Mike Brown saying the focus is to give him an extension before his deal runs out.

While it's a slight bummer for Bengals fans, Rap says the decision was made based on the understanding it would be better to get the appendectomy out of the way sooner than later.

Makes sense -- the Bengals are coming off their most successful season in forever ... and are hoping to make another run at the Super Bowl this season.

John Metchie III -- one of the Houston Texans' second-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft -- has been diagnosed with Leukemia ... and will likely miss the entire season while fighting the cancer.

The 22-year-old announced the news on Sunday ... saying doctors have thankfully described it as "the most curable form of Leukemia."

"I am currently receiving great medical care, am in good spirits and I expect to make a recovery at a later point in time," Metchie III added.

The receiver -- who played a huge role for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide the past two years -- said he will almost certainly have to sit out his rookie season in order to recover.

"My main focus will be on my health and recovery," he said. "Thank you in advance for your support and well-wishes. I cannot wait to come back stronger than ever. God bless."

Metchie III -- who piled up 2,081 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns the last two years at Alabama -- was expected to be a key contributor for the Texans after being selected with the No. 44 overall pick in April.

Mark Wahlberg is still pulling for his guy, Baker Mayfield ... telling TMZ Sports the new Carolina Panthers quarterback has a "bright future ahead of him" -- even if it's not in Foxborough.

Remember, Wahlberg previously told us TWICE he saw #6 as Tom Brady's successor with the New England Patriots ... saying Mayfield was the "heir to the throne."

Of course, that was before a guy named Mac Jones came along ... and while he's "absolutely" still a fan of Bake, Mark is coming to terms with the fact he won't be seeing him in a Patriots uniform anytime soon.

"It's a very stacked field at the quarterback position," Wahlberg said in New York this week. "It also has to do with the coach and the team, but he's got a big, bright future ahead of him."

Mayfield was recently traded to the Panthers after a bad falling out with Cleveland ... which was sparked by the Browns' pursuit of Deshaun Watson.

Baker says he felt disrespected by the Browns' handling of the situation ... but says he's moved on and is excited for a fresh start in Charlotte.

Patrick Mahomes is getting inky ... the Kansas City Chiefs superstar just unveiled a giant new tattoo on his left leg -- and he hinted that it's only the beginning of an even bigger piece.

Mahomes showed off the body art on his social media page Friday afternoon ... revealing he got three separate tats put together just above his ankle recently.

One of the drawings appears to be the footprint and handprint of his baby daughter, Sterling. The others feature a rose and a religious symbol.

"Work in progress," Mahomes said in the caption of the artwork.

The 26-year-old quarterback made sure to rock shorts to Chiefs training camp on Friday so everyone could get a good look at the new-and-improved leg.

Eminem's been in the game so long, it's getting hard to recall some pretty epic moments ... and Shady's slim memory was on full display during a recent hang with Snoop Dogg.

The 2 legendary Super Bowl LVI performers were chilling in a studio to promote their recent collab “From The D 2 The LBC” … when Snoop brought up Eminem’s cameo in Dr. Dre’s “Still D.R.E.”

The single was famously written by Jay-Z, and the video directed by Hype Williams featured a pre-superstar Em chasing a flock of groupies. While that might sound like a precious memory to most of us … Em totally blanked.

It’s also one of the few rap videos with a billion views on YouTube …so, it’s a big deal!

Snoop kept trying to jog Em’s memory … and eventually, his brain did get up and running. Hey, considering the insane career run he's had since 1999 when the video was shot, it’s okay for him to have a few lapses every now and then.

Both Em and Snoop have been collaborating for years, and recently helped Dre cement their legacies with the Super Bowl halftime show performance in L.A.

Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak were there too and the performance earned five Primetime Emmy noms.

Their latest joint is locked in for Em’s “Curtain Call 2” -- his second greatest hits collection -- and he’s going with an arcade game theme for the project’s rollout.

DeAndre Hopkins is doing his part to help the people of Arizona stay cool during a devastating heat wave ... by walking the streets hand-delivering bottles of ice-cold water.

The Cardinals wideout left the comfort of his air-conditioned mansion and stepped into the scorching 117-degree temps ... hitting up his friends to load a pickup truck bed with bags of ice and water so they could drive around the city to hand out water.

The 30-year-old shared the amazing gesture on his TikTok ... saying, "We decided to spend the day giving cold water to the people struggling to find housing."

"You can't always solve the whole problem, but you can show people kindness."

In the vid, you can see the 5-time Pro Bowler walking up to people on the streets and sidewalks with bottles of water and even taking time out to have a little conversation with them.

"I've been through hard times myself and I still remember how much things like this helped," Hopkins said. "So look out for each other and help however you can."

"Stay safe out there Arizona."

Hopkins -- who was traded from the Texans to the Cardinals in 2020 -- told us last year he wanted to expand his charity work in Arizona after leaving Houston.

Nick Chubb is not human ... the Browns running back continues to prove why he's one of the toughest backs in the NFL to take down, squatting 610 pounds while jamming out to Meek Mill and Tory Lanez!

The 26-year-old hit up the Williams Strength Facility at Cedartown High School in Georgia ... where he stole the show with his incredible feat of strength.

In the video, Chubb settles under the tsunami bar -- which appears to have 7-45 lb. plates on each side (14 total) -- assumes the squat position, and gets to work.

Chubb was able to complete 2 full reps of the 600-plus lb. bar ... and while he was flanked by spotters to his left, right and rear, there was no doubt Nick was finishing the lift.

As you probably know, Nick's a beast in the weight room. In May, his brother Zack posted footage of him squatting nearly 700 lbs. And, he didn't only lift it, he did it with pretty good form, considering the load.

In control the entire time, Nick handled the 675 pounds bar with relative ease ... as people cheered him on.

The NFL season's fast approaching, and it seems the 3x 1,000-yard rusher is ready for another Pro Bowl season.

Aaron Donald asked to be ringed following his Super Bowl-winning sack in February ... and on Thursday, the Rams sure as hell delivered him what he requested -- unveiling some insane bling for the championship victory!!

Nearly six months after L.A. beat Cincinnati to take home the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl LVI -- the Rams finally got their rings ... and they're flashy!!!

The ice features one Lombardi Trophy, two palm trees and a GRIP of diamonds. Underneath the removable top, there's a replica of SoFi Stadium, with a piece of a Super Bowl game ball tucked into it.

The team touted the bling as the "most carat weight in history of a sports championship ring."

The rings also have the players' names and numbers on them ... and feature the team's rallying cry this year, "We not me."

Rams players and coaches received the keepsakes at a private ceremony in L.A. on Thursday night -- and it ain't hard to see the guys LOVED them.

And, yes, Donald did come full circle with his "ring me" celebration at the party.

Bo Jackson's heart is clearly as big as his muscles ... the two-sport legend just revealed he donated to Uvalde shortly after May's horrific shooting, helping pay for the victims' funerals.

The former NFL and MLB player told The Associated Press on Wednesday he felt the need to lend a helping hand after having been to the city multiple times throughout his years of traveling through west Texas.

"It’s just not right for parents to bury their kids. It’s just not right," said Jackson, whose donation had previously been made anonymously.

"I know every family there probably works their butts off just to do what they do. ... The last thing they needed was to shell out thousands of dollars for something that never should have happened."

Jackson told the AP he and a close friend quietly flew to Uvalde three days after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary ... and gave a $170,000 check to Gov. Greg Abbott, and offered then to pay for the funeral expenses.

"In a truly selfless act," Abbott said. "Bo covered all funeral expenses for the victims’ families so they would have one less thing to worry about as they grieved."

Added Jackson, "Uvalde is a town that sticks in your mind. Just the name."

Deion Sanders' son, Shedeur, has a fashion line called SS2 ... and now, TMZ Sports has learned he's copped a MASSIVE diamond pendant to commemorate the brand!!

Shedeur -- who quarterbacks Deion's Jackson State football team -- turned to Saki Diamonds to create the piece ... and, as you can see, it turned out amazing.

Saki tells us the new pendant features 28.2 carats of VVS diamonds -- and looks just like Shedeur's SS2 trademark.

The Bussdown Cuban link chain also comes heavy, boasting a whopping 43.5 carats of VVS diamonds.

"It's a HUGE piece!" Saki said. "Most pro athletes or people in the music industry don't have a piece like this."

The sophomore signal-caller got it all delivered to him Wednesday night ... just in time for Thursday's SWAC Media Day.

No word on what Shedeur paid for the piece ... but the QB -- who balled out in 2021 with 3,231 passing yards and 30 touchdowns -- signed a NIL deal with Gatorade recently (becoming the first-ever HBCU student-athlete to do so), and we're sure it came with enough coin to spend freely on the bling.

Drew Brees has found himself a job ... the retired superstar QB and former football broadcaster just bought a pickleball team, the Mad Drops, and now joins an ownership group that includes L.A. Lakers co-owner Jim Buss.

"I’m stoked to be the newest team co-owner for Mad Drops Pickleball Club in Major League Pickleball! Our 12-team co-ed league represents an incredibly competitive & exciting brand of Pickleball," Brees said when announcing the purchase.

The Mad Drops play in the Major League Pickleball league. Gary Vaynerchuk (Vee) also owns a team in the league.

Pickleball, if you aren't familiar, is essentially a mix between tennis, badminton and ping pong. Players use a paddle to hit a plastic ball over a net, onto a court.

Brees -- who played 20 seasons in the NFL -- retired after his 2021 campaign, trading the huddle for the NBC broadcast booth.

In May, the Super Bowl-winning QB had some fun with fans speculating what his future held ... and he actually mentioned Pickleball.

"Despite speculation from media about my future this fall, I’m currently undecided," Brees wrote on Twitter. "I may work for NBC, I may play football again, I may focus on business and philanthropy."

"I may train for the pickleball tour, senior golf tour, coach my kids or all of the above. I’ll let you know," he continued.

Brees' Mad Drops will begin their quest to win a championship in Newport Beach, CA on Aug. 5-7 ... and Drew's pumped!

Former Florida high school football star Sam Bruce -- who was briefly part of the 2016 Miami Hurricanes team -- died due to a heart attack ... according to the medical examiner's report.

The Broward County Medical Examiner released the report, obtained by TMZ Sports, which revealed the cause of the issue was coronary artery disease.

Officials determined the manner of death was "natural."

As we reported, Bruce tragically passed away on April 28 after he suffered a medical episode while driving his car in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Bruce had become known nationally because of his play at powerhouse Florida H.S. St. Thomas Aquinas -- where he torched defenders so often, he earned the nickname "The Samborghini."

The do-it-all athlete eventually signed with the Hurricanes, but was dismissed for violations of team rules just months into his freshman season.

Bruce's death rocked the football world back in April -- with many current and former NFL players, including Chad Johnson, mourning the loss on social media.

Bruce was just 24 years old.

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay has agreed to, among other conditions, take mental health counseling in order to close out his criminal damage case, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to court documents, Gay cut the deal with prosecutors in late June -- roughly six months after he was arrested for allegedly breaking a vacuum during an argument with the mother of his child.

Per the documents, prosecutors agreed to let Gay enter into a diversion program in order to avoid a trial and any further jail time.

As part of the diversion program, Gay agreed to take mental health counseling, submit to drug and alcohol testing, pay fines, fees and restitution, and generally keep his nose clean for 12 months.

If all conditions are met, prosecutors are expected to dismiss the case against the 24-year-old.

As we previously reported, Gay was hit with one misdemeanor charge of criminal damage under $1,000 following his Jan. 19 arrest in Johnson County, Kansas. Gay had pled not guilty to the charge at a court hearing on Jan. 20.