Football

Sauce Gardner is doing everything in his power to ensure Aaron Rodgers is in a Jets uniform next season ... going as far as burning a cheesehead hat on camera in a recruitment pitch to the star QB.

Rodgers -- whose future with Green Bay is up in the air -- has been linked to the Jets this offseason ... and Gardner is hell-bent on making sure #12 pulls up to play with him.

Gardner got together with his teammates, Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson, on Thursday ... sending a message loud and clear to the future Hall of Fame QB with a fire and a hat Packers fans love to wear.

"Where A-Rod at, man?" Gardner asked in the video. "Let's make this happen, man. I ain't playing no games no more. I was playing at first. I'm not playing no more. You see it in my face. I need you to lock in."

"I need you to come here so we can win the Super Bowl. Don't even play no more."

The guys even fantasized about what life would be like for the Jets' offense with Rodgers under center ... with Hall and Wilson telling the Super Bowl-winning QB "you might as well make that move."

Of course, the video isn't going to sit well with Green Bay fans ... you'll recall, Sauce paraded around Lambeau Field wearing the cheesehead hat after the Jets defeated the Packers in stunning fashion, 27-10, in Week 6.

"Green Bay fans not going to hate me as much 'cause I don't own the cheese head no more," Gardner, the Defensive Rookie of the Year, joked.

Aaron Rodgers has announced his next move ... but it ain't related to his football career -- the NFL superstar is set to speak at a huge psychedelic science conference!!

The 39-year-old quarterback is one of several featured guests for the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies' "Psychedelic Science 2023" event in June ... which is being dubbed "the largest psychedelic gathering in history."

The conference -- which is expecting 10,000 attendees -- will include speeches, workshops and panel discussions about all things hallucinogens.

Of course, Rodgers has been outspoken about his passion for the plant-based psychedelic, Ayahuasca ... which he credits with helping his mental health and MVP seasons in 2020 and 2021.

Rodgers has also previously talked about his use of mushrooms ... which led to him trying out the brewed drink during his trip to South America.

Rodgers isn't the only athlete slated to speak -- Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen is also listed as a special guest for the event in Denver.

Colin Kaepernick says that his adoptive mother, Teresa Kaepernick, told him in high school his cornrow hairstyle was "not professional" and made him "look like a little thug."

Kaepernick -- who wore cornrows as a teenager like his hero Allen Iverson -- detailed the rocky relationship with his adopted parents in his new novel, "Change the Game," admitting the situation was tough to navigate.

"I know my parents loved me, but there were still very problematic things that I went through," Kaepernick told CBS. "I think it was important to show, 'No, this can happen in your own home.' And how do we move forward collectively while addressing the racism that is being perpetuated."

The 35-year-old -- who led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in his second season in the league -- recalls he and his parents getting into a fight over his hair, and his mom saying, "He's getting what rolls?"

Colin, who is biracial, said the trials and tribulations he endured as a teenager at the hands of his parents played a big role in why he sported cornrows as an adult.

Kaepernick hasn't played in the NFL since 2016 ... but he let it be known (again) that he's actively working out and staying in shape in case an opportunity presents itself.

Joe Mixon's trainer called 911 on Monday night from the NFL star's home to report hearing gunshots outside of the residence ... this according to new police audio, obtained by TMZ Sports.

Sean Pena -- a famed personal trainer who's worked out with high-profile athletes like Antonio Brown in the past -- put in the call from Mixon's Cincinnati-area house at around 8:25 PM ... police records show.

In the call, you can hear Pena say several "kids" were playing near Mixon's home ... and had, at one point, blocked off the street with their cars.

"One kid was running around brandishing a weapon and he went back to his car and it looked like it was a fake weapon," Pena said. "But then I kept watching, watching, watching and then he was screaming something and he went back to his car and he pulled out another weapon. It looked like a Kel-Tec or something and ran up the back driveway of this house that he had been going up and down, and said, 'F*** yeah.'"

That's when Pena said he heard what sounded like five gunshots.

"Then all the sudden I heard him running, running down there, and you heard 'Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop,'" Pena told dispatch.

Pena said three of the cars in the area then "sped off."

The trainer, who described the home he was in as "my athlete's house," went on to say he had been watching the group of individuals playing outside for 10-15 minutes.

Police documents show when officers arrived on the scene they found a juvenile suffering from a gunshot wound to his foot. They noted he did not want medical attention, saying his dad is a doctor. Later in the report, police noted the victim "believes he has a bullet fragment in his foot."

Police also said in the documents a shell casing had been found in the rear of Mixon's house.

The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, meanwhile, has shed little details on the incident publicly. It said in a press release Tuesday officers responded to the area for a report of shots fired. It added that officials conducted a search warrant on a home in the area -- and did confirm a residence belonging to Mixon is "part of the crime scene."

"We hope to provide a more comprehensive update to the investigation later this week," an HCSO spokesperson said.

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

Calvin Ridley is opening up for the first time on his year-long suspension for gambling on NFL games, explaining he was battling depression and anxiety. Still, the Jaguars WR isn't making excuses, flat out saying he "f***ed up."

Jacksonville's new receiver wrote a piece for The Players Tribune on Wednesday ... titled "A Letter to the Game."

"I f***ed up," the 28-year-old said. "I’m not here to sugarcoat anything. In 2021, I made the worst mistake of my life by gambling on football."

Remember, CR was suspended indefinitely for wagering on NFL games -- a huge no-no -- and ultimately missed all of last season.

Ridley says the bets started when he stepped away from the Atlanta Falcons to focus on his mental health. He was battling depression and anxiety, which he says started when he suffered a foot injury. He says his wife was also dealing with trauma from their house being burglarized. So, it was a difficult time for his family.

"I was looking for anything to take my mind off of things and make the day go by faster," Ridley wrote. "One day, I saw a TV commercial for a betting app, and for whatever reason, I downloaded it on my phone."

He says he deposited $1,500 and started placing bets on NBA games, as well as the Falcons, which he says was just his way of rooting for his team.

"I didn’t have any inside information. I wasn’t even talking to anybody on the team at the time. I was totally off the grid," Ridley said adamantly.

Of course, the NFL ultimately found out and threw the book at Calvin ... a moment he calls "probably the worst day of my life." The trash-talking and trolling didn't help either.

"I paid the price, believe me. I’ve seen all the jokes. I’ve seen all the hate," Ridley said.

"All I want is for people to understand that, when I made those bets, there was a hell of a lot more going on with me."

But, now the Florida native -- who was reinstated on Monday -- is ready to turn up with his new team in Jacksonville, and he feels stronger than ever, mentally and physically.

"It feels so good to be back home in Florida, where this dream started, with a clean slate," Ridley said.

Michael Irvin's attorney says he's finally seen the video of the interaction the NFL Hall of Famer had with his misconduct accuser last month ... and he claims the footage shows his client did nothing inappropriate with the woman whatsoever.

Levi McCathern told reporters at a press conference in Dallas on Wednesday afternoon he was able to view the Marriott footage this week after a court ordered the hotel giant to turn it over in a ruling earlier this month.

He says Marriott representatives wouldn't provide him with a copy of the vid -- nor would they allow him to record it. But, he said the clip -- which was captured on Feb. 5 at the Arizona establishment -- showed an innocuous meetup between the hotel worker and Irvin regardless.

McCathern claims you can see Irvin and the woman initially meet up behind a pole in the hotel's lobby -- before they come into clear view of the camera.

McCathern says Irvin can be seen only touching the woman four times -- once with an initial handshake, twice on the elbow, and once more with a handshake to say goodbye.

"She never acts upset," McCathern said of the woman's demeanor on the video. "She doesn't act like there's any problems at all."

McCathern then brought out two witnesses on Zoom who said they were in the lobby when the meeting went down. Both told the room of reporters they didn't see anything inappropriate between Irvin and his accuser.

Irvin, meanwhile, was present at the press conference -- and he did speak to media members ... calling the whole ordeal "sickening."

"This takes me back to a time where a white woman would accuse a Black man of something and they would take a bunch of guys that were above the law, run in the barn, put a rope around his foot and drag him through the mud and hang him by the tree," he said.

Irvin -- who later broke down in tears while the witnesses recounted their memories of the evening -- added that he has still yet to see the video of his encounter with his accuser.

He landed Barack Obama ... now, Eli Manning has his sights set on his next dream "ManningCast" guests -- Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David!!

TMZ Sports played a pivotal role (or so we tell ourselves) in helping Peyton and Eli book the former president on their alternative broadcast of "Monday Night Football" last season ... with the older bro joking Eli's interview with us back in February 2022 is what helped seal the deal.

Considering our influence, Babcock and Lucas gave Eli the opportunity to shoot his shot for his next dream guests on the ESPN2 show ... and he's got some big names in mind.

"I think now, I'm a big 'Seinfeld' fan, so I think a Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David ... something in that realm would be pretty cool," Eli told the TMZ Sports TV show (airs on FS1) at his Easter event with The Children's Place.

The pairing would be pretty great ... considering Jerry is a big Giants fan, and Larry is known as a diehard Jets backer. There are also reports the "Seinfeld" creator played a role in getting Obama to appear on the "ManningCast" last year ... so maybe it's time for him to do it as well.

Eli admits he never thought he'd be able to land a former president ... adding, "I'd never imagine when I retired from playing football I'd ever interview Barack Obama for a segment while watching a football game at the same time. That kind of blew my mind."

"I thought I'd just say something outrageous, it would never happen. I could just keep saying the answer for years to come. Obviously, I can't do that now."

Multiple cops reportedly entered Joe Mixon's Cincinnati-area home on Monday night ... hours after they launched an investigation into an alleged shooting in the NFL star's neighborhood.

The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office said its officers headed out to the 7900 block of Ayers Road -- where Mixon lives in Ohio -- at around 8:25 PM after receiving a call of gunshots being fired.

A juvenile, according to cops, had been injured and transported to the hospital.

On-the-scene reporter Chancelor Winn said deputies cordoned off Mixon's home with caution tape after arriving -- and, at one point, knocked on his door while saying, "Sheriff’s Department. Come out."

Eventually, per Winn, they gained entry into the Bengals running back's home at around 1:30 AM. They left roughly two hours later. No arrests were made.

It's unclear if Mixon had any involvement in the investigation -- but WLWT News 5 reports his sister said the 26-year-old "was not involved in the shooting Monday night that injured a teenager."

Mixon has yet to publicly comment on the matter.

Story developing ...

Gotta start 'em young ... and Patrick and Brittany Mahomes are doing just that -- 'cause their 2-year-old daughter, Sterling, is already showing off her athleticism in an adorable video!!!

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar and his wife posted footage of their oldest child's soccer session on Tuesday ... showing off her goal-scoring abilities.

Mom and Dad are happy as can be as Sterling kicks the ball around ... and she even gets creative at one point -- picking up the ball and scooping it into the net.

Sterling was certainly blessed in the genes dept. -- her family is full of athletes.

Of course, Brittany knows her way around the pitch -- she was a star at University of Texas at Tyler ... and ranks among the top in pretty much every offensive category in the school's history.

And Patrick ... well, you know about that guy.

Time sure is flying -- Patrick and Brittany's first child just celebrated her second birthday at a fun bash last month.

"My baby girl is a whole 2 years old!" Brittany said at the time. "I can’t even believe it. These have been some of the best years of my life being your mama Sterling Skye! You make everyday a good day! 💗✨"

"Now please stop growing up😭😭😭"

Daniel Jones ain't going anywhere ... he's staying in New York with the Giants -- agreeing to re-sign with the team for a WHOLE LOTTA cash!!!

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the 25-year-old quarterback will be inking a new four-year deal with the Giants worth $160 MILLION. There's also $35 million in incentives tied to the contract too, Pelissero added.

The new pact now makes Jones one of the highest-paid players in the NFL ... averaging just a few mil per year less than guys like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Patrick Mahomes.

Jones was certainly deserving of the new contract -- at least based on his play in 2022 -- he threw for 3,205 yards and 15 scores ... while rushing for 708 yards and seven more TDs.

He also led the G-Men to a playoff win over the Vikings as well.

Tom Brady may not be getting into stand-up comedy, but he's not going back to football, either ... 'cause just a day after rumors of a TB12 comeback lit up the internet, the G.O.A.T. made it clear a return to the NFL isn't happening.

"Anyone who thinks I have time to come back to the NFL has never adopted a 2 month old kitten for their daughter," Brady wrote on social media.

The talk of a return hit a fever pitch after Rich Eisen said there was talk around the NFL Combine in Indianapolis that Brady "might not be done after all," with insiders saying ... "keep an eye on Miami."

"If Tua [Tagovailoa] may not be ready to go and suddenly, there's Tom Brady sitting in Florida, where his family is located and he can easily locate himself. Keep an eye on that I was told by a couple of birdies at the Combine."

Of course, the Dolphins were one of the teams very interested in Tom's services after his first Super Bowl-winning season in Tampa Bay.

Brady retired on February 1 ... in what was a relatively understated announcement, vowing he was done for good (this time). Ten days later, the 7x Super Bowl champ officially filed his retirement papers with the league.

One of his first acts as a retired man was a trip to the animal shelter ... where he picked up two adorable Siamese kittens for his 10-year-old daughter Vivian.

Plus, why get lit up by 325 lb. defensive tackles when you can chill on your brand new 77-foot yacht, "TW12VE ANGELS."

Minnesota Vikings receiver K.J. Osborn is a straight-up hero ... the football player -- along with three others -- helped save a man from a burning car after a fiery crash on Sunday.

The 25-year-old went into details about the terrifying incident on Adam Schefter's "The Adam Schefter Podcast" Monday, saying he was in an Uber on his way home from a workout in Austin, Texas ... when he saw a car that had crashed and caught fire.

Osborn said he, his driver, and two others nearby immediately pulled over to help ... and when they realized how serious it was, all four of them rushed to the car to pull the man out of the vehicle.

"He was kind of in a daze," Osborn said. "I don't know if he was conscious but I think he felt the heat coming to his legs and obviously he just got into a big crash so he's kinda out of it."

"That's when we began to talk to him, try to get him out and he was able to a little bit, you know, muster something for himself before we were able to."

Osborn believes if he and the group didn't spring into action, the man -- who only suffered minor injuries -- would not be alive today.

"No, he doesn't live," Osborn said. "I think that car would've burned on fire. It would've been really tragic."

Osborn said he never thought in his wildest dreams that he would be a part of something like this ... but he's glad he and the other three heroes were on the scene -- calling it all, "Right Place Right Time."

"I believe God had me, us, at the right place at the exact right time," Osborn later said of the incident on his Twitter page.

Osborn's quarterback, Kirk Cousins wasn't surprised by his wideout's heroism ... saying on his social media page Tuesday, "This is totally on-brand for @KJ_Osborn. Just a tremendous person & teammate."

The Michigan native was selected by the Vikings in the 5th round of the 2020 NFL Draft. In the past two seasons, he's logged in 1,305 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.

He's also currently working on his master's degree in criminal justice at the University of Miami ... with his eyes on joining the FBI or Secret Service after his NFL career ends.

Tom Brady has a shiny toy to enjoy in retirement -- the 7-time Super Bowl champion was spotted on his brand new yacht in Florida this week!!!

TB12 was spending time aboard the 77-foot "TW12VE ANGELS" with friends in a Hollywood, Florida marina on Sunday ... and the boat is a beaut.

The Wajer 77 superyacht is a bigger version of the Wajer 55S Brady bought in 2020 ... which he named "Viva a Vida" in honor of Gisele Bundchen's environmental conservation initiative.

In May 2021, Brady announced he was upgrading to the Wajer 77 for $6 million. According to records, the boat was manufactured in 2022 ... and was officially registered at the end of February.

At the time, Brady said he was also going to name the Wajer 77 "Viva a Vida" ... but we take it he decided to call an audible after the divorce.

As we previously reported, Brady's Wajer 77 is like a hotel on water -- it can sleep 9 people comfortably, and the former Patriots and Buccaneers legend said it would be used for trips to the Bahamas.

"With a little bit bigger boat, for us, the 77 allows us to sleep overnight really comfortably and those weekend trips would be really something," Brady said in 2021. "That would be great memories for our family for years to come."

Now that he's got a lot more time on his hands, we take it Brady will be putting the floater to good use!!!

Calvin Ridley is cashing out of his suspension -- the Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver was just fully reinstated back in the NFL after getting busted for betting on games, the league announced Monday.

Ridley was banned for the entire 2022 season last March ... after investigators determined he bet on his own team while on the Non-Football Injury list as a member of the Atlanta Falcons in November 2021.

The NFL said at the time there were no signs the game was "compromised in any way" ... but handed down the punishment to prove it has zero tolerance when it comes to protecting the integrity and reputation of the sport.

Ridley also spoke out at the time ... saying he doesn't have a gambling problem, as he only bet $1,500 total.

The league says Ridley is now eligible to participate in all team activities ASAP ... which means he can finally get acquainted with his new Jags squad.

Ridley was traded to Jacksonville in November 2022 for a couple of draft picks ... but due to the ban, he has yet to suit up alongside Trevor Lawrence.

Derek Carr has found a new home ... the former Raiders quarterback is signing with the New Orleans Saints after spending the past nine seasons with Oakland/Las Vegas.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport broke the news Monday morning ... saying the Saints are giving the 31-year-old NFL veteran a new, four-year deal.

Carr confirmed the news in a tweet -- sharing a video of a raucous scene at the Superdome, while writing, "Who dat."

Carr -- a four-time Pro Bowler -- was released by the Raiders last month after being benched at the end of the season. The signal-caller finished his Raiders career with a 63-79 record.

Carr had flirted with several teams following his release -- including the New York Jets -- but ultimately landed with the Saints ... who Rapoport reported Monday were always the favorite for the QB.

Carr will be the Saints' latest attempt to replace Drew Brees ... since the future Hall of Famer's retirement, they've tried combinations of Jameis Winston, Andy Dalton and Taysom Hill without much success.

An XFL game looked more like a WWE match on Sunday -- at least for a few moments -- when several players from both teams got into a wild brawl ... and someone's helmet was tossed nearly 20 yards.

The crazy scene happened at the end of the Battlehawks vs. Defenders game in D.C. ... when St. Louis players appeared to be pissed over the way their quarterback, A.J. McCarron, was taken to the ground following a sack.

You can see in broadcast video of the game -- multiple players began piling onto each other ... before all hell broke loose.

Around 20 players shoved and pushed each other near the 15-yard line -- and at one point, a Defenders' white helmet was ripped off and thrown sky-high into the air.

"This is really unfortunate," one of the game's announcers said. "This isn't what the game's about."

The skirmish lasted roughly 30 seconds ... before, thankfully, everyone was separated.