Football

Ex-NFL player Derek Wolfe says he's faced a ton of backlash after killing a mountain lion that was allegedly wreaking havoc in Colorado ... saying there have been more than 200 complaints filed against him -- despite the hunt being 100% legal.

The former Denver Broncos defensive end described the harassment he's experienced in an interview with Tucker Carlson on Monday ... saying he "can't believe what's happened to me" following last week's hunt.

"I can't believe that going on a legal hunt, doing something legal, by the book -- they've had 200 calls to Colorado Parks and Wildlife trying to turn me in like I did something wrong," Wolfe said on Fox News.

"[I] did nothing wrong. Everything's legal."

Wolfe explained mountain lions have become a serious issue in the area ... claiming there have been 23 attacks on humans since 1990. On top of that, Wolfe says 15 dogs were killed by mountain lions within a 30-day period in an area near Boulder last year.

Of course, animal lovers have been infuriated with the whole situation ... with some claiming the NFLer should have left the cat alone. But, the hunter says Colorado Parks and Wildlife approved of his plan to kill the cat ... and he went about the whole thing the right way.

"[I] was able to make a good shot, a good ethical shot, and harvested the cat. Got him out of there and did everything by the book."

"This was completely legal. CPW came down and checked the cat in for me," the 32-year-old said.

As for what happened to the mountain lion ... Wolfe says it's gonna end up on his dinner table.

"If I knew what I was f***ing doing, I'd have already f***ing done it."

Tom Brady is fed up with everyone asking if he's going to retire ... 'cause the legendary quarterback just unloaded on his "Let's Go!" SiriusXM podcast cohost Jim Gray for trying to get an update on his decision.

The awkward moment went down as the two discussed the remaining teams in the NFL playoffs on Monday ... when Gray switched topics to Brady's future.

"Tom, you're leaving everybody guessing," Gray said. "You said you'll take your time. Do you have any type of a timetable as to what you might want to do regarding your football career?"

That's when Brady hurled his expletive-filled response ... clearly annoyed with having to discuss the topic.

"I'm taking it a day a time," Brady added.

Gray explained why he even brought it up ... explaining it's the question everyone wants to know the answer to.

Brady calmed down enough to give a bit of a laugh ... replying, "You're scratching."

"I appreciate you asking. Thank you."

The two decided to move on to other football-related topics ... including the tripping fine Brady was given for a play with Dallas Cowboys safety Malik Hooker, which he plans to appeal.

Damar Hamlin's presence at the Bills' playoff game has fueled wild conspiracies on the Internet among the tin foil hat-wearing crowd ... with some suggesting a body double was used in the 24-year-old safety's place.

But, multiple sources tell TMZ Sports that's simply not true ... sorry, conspiracy theorists.

Hamlin attended the Bills-Bengals game Sunday afternoon at Highmark Stadium ... his first time back at an NFL game since he went into cardiac arrest on the field in Cincinnati on January 2.

Damar, wearing a mask, hoodie, and sunglasses, was shown on television and the stadium scoreboard ... but between the accessories and bad weather in Buffalo, it was difficult to see Hamlin.

FYI, it was 30 degrees in western New York on Sunday.

Given Hamlin didn't speak with the media, and his face wasn't seen clearly, some people went to Twitter and online forums, suggesting a stand-in was used in DH's place.

The speculation has even gotten to the point where people were dissecting other pictures of Damar ... including the one teammate Matt Milano posted last weekend, which was believed to be Hamlin's first return to the Bills facility.

In the interest of debunking Internet conspiracy theories, we made some calls ... and multiple people close to Damar say it's absolute nonsense.

Bottom line -- Damar Hamlin was at the Bills game.

Josh Allen's girlfriend is proud of her man despite the loss on Sunday -- saying the Bills quarterback is a "true leader," especially after everything the team went through this season.

Brittany Williams -- who started dating Allen in 2015 -- published a sweet note to her Instagram page on Monday ... a day after the Bills' 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

"So proud of this man," the 25-year-old said. "You are the most amazing & selfless person I know."

"Through all the highs of this season and the many many trials of adversity your team faced, you remained the same & never wavered."

Some of those hardships the Bills experienced this season include the deadly snowstorm in Buffalo that killed more than 35 people, the racially-motivated mass shooting at a Buffalo grocery store that left 10 dead, the sudden passing of tight end Dawson Knox's brother ... and most recently, Damar Hamlin's medical emergency.

"A true leader," Williams continued.

"The story is already written. So much to be proud of. So much to be thankful for. Riding with you til the end 17!"

Allen -- the Bills' top pick of the 2018 NFL draft -- was only able to score one touchdown against the Bengals defense, which he gave a lot of credit to during his post-game interview.

"Obviously, you wanna win all of them," the 26-year-old said. "They had a good game plan. Credit to those guys. They came out and play hard."

"We just didn't have it today."

Mike McCarthy issued an apology on Sunday night -- but it wasn't for his team's poor play ... rather, the Dallas Cowboys head coach had to say sorry to a cameraman after he pushed the guy's lens away following his team's loss to the Niners.

The incident happened just seconds after the Dallas vs. S.F. playoff game had ended ... when photojournalist Noah Bullard was attempting to get a shot of the 59-year-old leaving the field.

In Bullard's video, you can see McCarthy clearly didn't want to be filmed ... and put his hand on the camera to get it away from him. A photo of the incident seemed to show McCarthy used some force when touching the lens, too.

But Bullard insisted on social media on Monday that it wasn't that bad ... writing in a tweet, "I can see how the photo appeared like he pushed me but it was more of a hand to the lens."

Bullard said he and McCarthy ended up talking things over following the incident ... and said the Cowboys' head man ultimately told him he was sorry during their chat.

Micah Parsons and Deebo Samuel kept battling long after San Francisco booted Dallas from the playoffs on Sunday ... with the Cowboys superstar ripping the Niners receiver for dissing him on social media.

Deebo was quick to gloat about the 19-12 win on his Instagram page after advancing to the NFC Championship Game ... mocking Parsons for saying "This is who I wanted" prior to the matchup.

Deebo's post included a text graphic of Parsons' quote alongside the caption, "Don't Poke The Bear" ... which didn't sit well with the All-Pro defensive star.

"Lol what did you do today fam lol?!" Parsons said in the comment section.

FYI -- Samuel finished the game with four catches for 45 yards ... adding four rushing attempts for 11 more yards on the ground.

Parsons clearly thinks Deebo had no business bragging about the win with those kind of numbers ... telling the wideout to keep him out of his victory celebration.

"But congrats on the win!" Parsons added. "But don’t put me in this weak ass slide."

Fans were quick to grab their popcorn and enter the drama with their own comments ... with a ton of Niner fans showing love for #19.

The Cowboys didn't show much fight on Sunday night -- but their fans sure as hell did ... getting into wild brawls at a playoff watch party at AT&T Stadium.

One of the bigger scraps at the event happened following Dallas' lifeless 19-12 loss to the 49ers ... when a fan in a CeeDee Lamb jersey slammed a man in Ezekiel Elliott gear straight to the ground.

Fists immediately began flying between the two ... with both guys landing huge blows on each other's faces.

At one point, several other fans jumped in ... kicking and punching the Elliott fan -- before, thankfully, the fracas was broken up.

In a different part of the stadium, though, another squabble broke out as the Cowboys' game was winding down ... with multiple people pushing each other and attempting to strike one another with punches.

You can see in the clip, security workers did their best to break things up ... as fans continued to try to get after each other.

No word yet on if any arrests were made, we've reached out to cops -- but so far, we've yet to hear back.

Brett Maher can't catch a break ... even the governor of Texas jumped in to pile on the Dallas Cowboys kicker after he missed yet another PAT on Sunday night.

Greg Abbott's trolling came just minutes after Maher had his second quarter point after attempt blocked in Dallas' playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers.

"I swear," Abbott tweeted. "I can kick as good as the Dallas Cowboys kicker."

Of course, Abbott is paralyzed from the waist down ... after he sustained significant injuries when an oak tree fell on him during a morning jog in 1984.

The missed PAT was Maher's fifth in his last two games -- remember, the 33-year-old whiffed on four extra point attempts against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Cowboys' Wild Card Round win.

To his credit, Maher did come back to make two field goals in the game ... hitting a 25-yarder in the third quarter and a 43-yarder in the fourth. Abbott didn't care to comment on those.

The kicks, though, ultimately weren't enough to get Dallas a win ... they dropped the game, 19-12.

Damar Hamlin showed up for his guys in person Sunday -- the first time he's been back in a football stadium since his life-threatening injury ... and it was quite a moment to behold.

The free safety rolled into Highmark Stadium before kickoff, being escorted by security on a team cart ... where he seemed to be trying to lay low with a pair of shades on and a jacket as well. It became clear though, that DH was there -- and utter excitement filled the venue.

He was taken to a private suite, with cameras and reporters following him almost all the way through the door. Damar didn't really stop and chat much -- he seemed way more interested in locking down his bird's-eye view of the field and watching the Bills take the field.

Once he was situated and away from the frenzy, Damar did motion to the home crowd from his window. He was seen throwing up a heart sign gesture with his hands and also hyped up the spectators ... who were roaring for him. The broadcasters found it touching too.

This is an especially big day for Buffalo. They're facing the Bengals -- the same team they were playing a few weeks when Damar went into cardiac arrest following a hard hit after a routine play ... which sent the game into an indefinite pause before it was scrapped.

Both teams have continued to play well since, and now ... they're meeting up once again. The Bills are currently down by double digits, but there's still a fair amount of time left.

Multiple first responders rushed to Pensacola Beach earlier this month to tend to Peyton Hillis after the former NFL star nearly drowned while trying to save his children ... new police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

In the footage, captured on an Escambia County Sheriff's deputy's body camera, you can see Hillis was in bad shape on the Florida sand after he was pulled from the water on Jan. 4.

The ex-Cleveland Browns running back, who did not have a shirt on, appeared to be breathing heavily ... and seemed to be in a great deal of pain.

But, at least four medics on the scene provided him aid ... administering an IV while checking his vitals.

At one point, they even helped him roll over on his side to make him more comfortable -- while providing a beach towel as a pillow. They also urged him to keep talking in an effort to make sure his condition wasn't worsening.

They eventually got the 36-year-old off the beach and into a helicopter ... which flew him to a nearby medical facility for treatment.

Hillis' initial prognosis wasn't good -- his uncle said in a Facebook post he suffered damage to his lungs and kidneys in the swimming accident -- but, thankfully, his longtime girlfriend said last week he had a breakthrough and was "on the road to recovery."

Hillis now seems to be in far better condition -- he was just seen smiling in his hospital bed on Thursday after Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith popped by his room for a visit.

No, a first-round pick ain't too much to give up to acquire the rights to Sean Payton ... so says ex-NFL exec Michael Lombardi, who tells TMZ Sports trading for big-name coaches has almost always worked out for teams in the past -- no matter the cost.

Multiple teams have already lined up interviews with Payton to try to get him on board -- but each will have to send New Orleans something in return if he agrees to come along ... as the 59-year-old retired from the Saints in 2022 with two years still left on his deal.

The price is said to be an expensive one -- the Saints are reportedly asking for at least a first-rounder in a trade -- but Lombardi told us this week teams shouldn't hesitate to make that swap.

The former Cleveland Browns general manager pointed toward the Buccaneers' trade for Jon Gruden, the Patriots' deal for Bill Belichick, and the Jets' bargain for Bill Parcells as reasons he'd give up the precious draft capital for Payton.

"I think anytime that you've gone through these coaches that have gotten traded, the team that made the trade really won," Lombardi said. "So, yeah. Whatever it costs."

Lombardi said he'd expect the fee to vary from team to team ... explaining he thinks the Saints would charge more to the division-rival Panthers than the Arizona Cardinals. But, again, he said he expects it to be worth it.

As for where Payton will ultimately end up ... Lombardi says he believes it'll be the franchise that has an owner that Sean vibes with most.

Don't be shocked if Cincinnati upsets Buffalo in their playoff game this weekend ... ex-NFL star T.J. Houshmandzadeh tells TMZ Sports he's confident his former squad will get the dub on Sunday!!!

The ex-Cincy wideout broke it down for us at LAX this week -- right after Joe Burrow and the guys beat the Baltimore Ravens in their Wild Card matchup last weekend.

"I like the Bengals' chances," he said.

The 45-year-old former Pro Bowler explained that with the way the Bengals looked against the Bills during their brief "Monday Night Football" contest earlier this month -- he's giving the edge to Cincinnati heading into the big AFC Divisional Round game.

"The way that regular-season game was going," he said, "I like the Bengals' chances."

Of course, the experts in Vegas disagree -- calling the Bills a 5.5-point favorite.

We also talked about the matchup with Houshmandzadeh's former Bengals teammate, Chad Johnson, at the L.A. airport -- and while he didn't seem as sure as his pal did about the outcome of the game, he didn't exactly pick Buffalo either.

"I think it comes down to whoever makes the fewest mistakes," Ochocinco said. "And, the offense that executes the best."

Too $hort is all for setting great examples for younger rappers and hopes his recent trip to the White House offers some inspiration to whoever needs it!!!

We linked with Short Dog in D.C. this week fresh outta the Oval Office and as expected, he said the experience was nothing short of greatness.

Short, along with E-40, Mistah F.A.B. and Sway Calloway got to meet their fellow Oakland native, Vice President Kamala Harris ... and the rap legend says he couldn't be more proud of his hometown.

The Golden State Warriors broke their boycott of the White House in light of Donald Trump no longer being the commander-in-chief and $hort says, as a lifelong fan, he was happy to support the team in person.

He has nearly 40 years in the rap game so Short knows a thing or two about perseverance ... so, we switched gears to football to ask him about Tom Brady possibly, finally retiring. Maybe.

Too $hort is in the camp of folks who say TB12 isn't hanging up his cleats just yet.

Brady and the Buccaneers just got embarrassingly bounced outta the NFL playoffs by the Dallas Cowboys -- but, Short says Tom will give us another pump fake "retirement" and be back on the field for next season.

It might be cold in Kansas City, but Gracie Hunt is on fire ... 'cause the Chiefs heiress showed support for her beloved team by sporting a bikini in the snow ahead of their big playoff game!!

Gracie -- daughter of K.C. Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt -- shared the steamy pics on Friday via Instagram ... a day before Kansas City faces the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Divisional Round at Arrowhead Stadium.

The 23-year-old was clearly enjoyin' the snow with her Chiefs-themed bathing suit on ... and considering the temps, she threw on some moon boots and a metallic jacket so she didn't freeze to death.

"Thinking warm thoughts and hoping for a Chiefs WIN!❤️‍🔥," Hunt said. "Who’s ready for game day?!🏈"

Of course, Hunt isn't camera shy -- she's been in several beauty pageants in the past ... and was named Miss Kansas USA in 2021. Gracie also finished in the top 15 in the Miss USA contest that same year.

FYI, it's supposed to rain and snow for the Jaguars-Chiefs playoff game, with temps in the 30s.

Allen Lazard's wallet won't be 10 Gs lighter after all ... the NFL rescinded the $10,609 fine it hit him with after he appeared to taunt Dolphins players in a Christmas Day game -- and the Packers star couldn't have been happier about it.

The league initially forced Aaron Rodgers' favorite target to shell out the big bucks after he counted to three following a vicious block that took out three Dolphins defenders on one play back in Green Bay's 26-20 win over Miami on Dec. 25.

Lazard delivered the hit -- which allowed his running back, Aaron Jones, to get loose -- and then celebrated afterward, pointing out how many bodies he knocked to the ground. The NFL didn't like it, and fined him days later.

But, the league changed its tune Friday ... saying in a letter to the receiver, "After reviewing the arguments and video presented to me during the appeal, I have concluded that the evidence does not warrant a fine for this violation."

The announcement was music to Lazard's ears ... who tweeted, "Guys, they aren’t going to fine me anymore for counting to 3!!!"

Authorities in Colorado say Derek Wolfe followed all the steps necessary in his hunt of a mountain lion this week ... confirming to TMZ Sports the former NFL player's killing of the animal was legal.

A spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife tells us ... Wolfe did all that was required of him in order to lawfully take down the big cat in Grant earlier this week.

According to the CPW, Wolfe obtained his mountain lion hunting license and is "in good standing" with the org. It also said Wolfe checked all the boxes necessary -- such as properly reporting the kill -- to make it all above board.

Wolfe himself insisted on his "The Drive" podcast that he did nothing wrong ... explaining, as he did in his initial post about the kill, that the male mountain lion was a menace to neighboring communities prior to its death.

"He was hiding under this lady's porch down the road," Wolfe said of what initially made him set out to kill the beast. "She told us, 'Please get rid of him. He killed my dog last year.'"

Wolfe added, "I love hunting deer and elk, and mountain lions kill deer and elk, and mature male mountain lions kill the cubs of female mountain lions to get them to go back into heat."

"I feel like I am doing my part by taking care of some of these Toms. It is not easy."

Wolfe said after an hours-long hunt for the animal, he eventually shot and killed it with a bow and arrow. He said the big cat was massive -- weighing around 200 pounds ... and spanning the entirety of his 6-foot-6 frame.

"That thing can kill anybody," Wolfe said.