Football

Odell Beckham Jr. is officially a Baltimore Raven ... and the star receiver wasted no time making a pitch to keep Lamar Jackson in town following the QB's trade request.

The Super Bowl champ opened up on why he signed a one-year contract with B-More during Thursday's introductory presser ... saying Jackson was a big part of his decision.

"It's the elephant in the room," the 30-year-old said. "It wasn't about so much money, it wasn't about anything. It was about they showed they wanted me."

OBJ even partied with Lamar once his next move was announced ... which came after a phone conversation that Beckham says was full of excitement.

"I don't know if he called me [or] I called him or whatever, but he was just like, obviously truzz, but he was just excited about it," Beckham said.

Of course, there are some concerns that fans won't get to see the dynamic duo hit the field together ... considering LJ asked Baltimore to trade him last month.

The Ravens placed a nonexclusive franchise tag on the former MVP ... which gives him permission to talk with other teams.

But, Beckham has "faith and hope" that it will all work out ... and sent a message to his buddy.

"Lamar, I don't know if you're watching, I would love to get to work with you," Beckham said. "I'll talk to these guys over here and hopefully, that gets done."

It's the Magic Hour in the DMV -- Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder has reportedly agreed to sell his team to Lakers legend Magic Johnson and Sixers owner Josh Harris ... and the final price tag is a whopping $6 billion!!

The two sides reached an agreement on Thursday ... with Sportico reporting Harris and Johnson's group, which also includes billionaire Mitchell Rales, was able to seal the deal.

Snyder -- who bought the team in 1999 for $750 million -- hired Bank of America to explore a potential sale back in November ... which garnered interest from Jeff Bezos and Jay-Z.

Snyder's tenure as owner of the Commanders was plagued by several controversies, especially over the last few years. In 2020, 15 former employees claimed they were sexually harassed and/or verbally abused in the workplace.

Things were allegedly so bad, Congress stepped in, with several former Commanders staffers testifying on Capitol Hill.

Once the sale is final, it will be the biggest transaction in U.S. sports history -- passing the Denver Broncos franchise, which sold to Walmart billionaire Rob Walton for $4.6 billion in 2022.

The sale adds to Magic's growing collection of professional sports teams in which he has an ownership stake -- including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Sparks and LAFC.

Harris -- who made his fortune in finance -- also owns the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils.

If the sale goes through, there will be plenty of Commanders fans thrilled with the new era for the franchise.

We reached out to the NFL regarding the report ... which declined to comment.

Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Perrion Winfrey -- a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft -- was arrested on Monday ... following allegations he got physical with his girlfriend during an argument.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, prosecutors say the incident happened at around 7 PM in Harris County, Texas ... after Winfrey and his GF quarreled "over a dog and keys to a rental car."

Prosecutors allege that at one point during their argument, Winfrey grabbed the woman ... causing her bodily injury. According to the docs, bystanders actually had to intervene to break up the dispute.

Prosecutors say the woman told authorities Winfrey had assaulted her before during a previous incident.

Winfrey was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault-family member, records show. He's due for a hearing in the case next week.

Winfrey, who starred at the Univ. of Oklahoma in 2020 and 2021, played in 13 games for the Browns as a rookie last season, recording .5 a sack and 22 combined tackles.

49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward is thanking fans for their support after his 5-month-old daughter made it out of open-heart surgery on Tuesday ... saying his baby girl is "on the road to recovery."

The Super Bowl champ revealed the serious news via his Instagram this week ... saying his baby girl, Amani Joi, had to get the procedure done, and asked everyone to "pray for my lil one!!"

The 26-year-old provided an update hours later ... saying she was out of surgery and doing well.

"Thanks everybody for the prayers & support," Ward said via IG. "Thanks for the love 💜💜."

Ward's girlfriend, Monique, gave birth to Amani last November ... which was five weeks ahead of her due date.

The cornerback was in Colorado Springs with his team at the time ... as they were on their way to play the Cardinals in Mexico City when he got the call. He then rushed to Memphis to be by Monique's side.

Ward told The Athletic after Amani was born, he held her for only a few minutes before she was placed in ICU.

Ward eventually made it to the 49ers vs. Cardinals game ... and had 10 total tackles in the 38-10 win.

"I feel like already my baby has given me more heart -- more love in my heart, more love in my body," he said to The Athletic. "Not only for her but for other people as well."

NFL draft prospect Michael Jefferson -- widely considered one of the 30 best receivers in the 2023 class -- was involved in a fatal car crash on Sunday night ... one that reportedly left him with significant injuries.

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency officials tell TMZ Sports ... the accident occurred on U.S. 43 in Mobile County, Ala. at around 7:55 PM -- when a 55-year-old man who was driving a 2014 Dodge Charger collided head-on with Jefferson's 2019 Chevrolet Impala.

Authorities say following the initial collision, a 2008 Nissan Maxima also struck the Dodge. The driver of the Dodge, officials tell us, was not wearing a seat belt and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Jefferson's agent, Jon Perzley of Sportstars, told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday his client was injured in the wreck ... and "required multiple surgeries."

It's not clear yet how it will impact the 23-year-old's football career.

ALEA officials, meanwhile, tell us troopers are still investigating the accident.

Jefferson, who began his college career at Alabama State, was a star Louisiana last season -- logging 51 catches for 810 yards and seven TDs. He showed up to the NFL's combine in Indianapolis last month and performed well, running a 4.56 40-yard dash.

Some experts had the 6-foot-3 wideout projected to be a mid-round pick in this month's draft.

A celeb jeweler who's become famous for providing diamond pieces to high-profile athletes like Floyd Mayweather is suing Antonio Brown ... claiming the ex-NFL star owes him over $1 million.

Shuki International spelled out the allegations against the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver in a new lawsuit filed in Los Angeles this week ... claiming he gave Brown several pieces of jewelry back in 2022, under the promise that AB would pay him $1,095,000 for it all.

The problem ... according to the suit, obtained by TMZ Sports, Brown never paid up.

Among the items that Shuki said he gave Brown included Shuki's famous "Shuki International" diamond fingers -- which the jeweler said cost $500K apiece.

Shuki also said he hooked Brown up with a rose gold black diamond version of the finger piece, a white gold chain, and a ring.

According to the suit, Brown got at least some of the items on Feb. 24, 2022 ... and agreed to pay the nearly $1.1 million price tag for it all by Dec. 1, 2022.

Shuki's attorney, Steven H. Stone, tells us the jeweler is expected to address the claims publicly later this week.

What's interesting ... we actually got Shuki out in L.A. days after he said he gave one of the fingers to Brown in March '22 -- and he seemed pleased with how AB was handling it all. What's even more interesting, Brown -- who's become a rapper following his NFL days -- has a song titled "Shuki Diamonds" ... a track he put out last year to pay homage to the celeb jeweler.

In fact, the two have actually hit the stage in the past year to perform the song together.

Cole Pensick -- a former offensive lineman for the Nebraska Huskers -- died in an early morning car accident in Nebraska on Saturday ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

He was 32.

Nebraska football commented on the tragic news ... "Mourning the loss of one of our own. On behalf of the Nebraska Football program, our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends & teammates of former Husker lineman Cole Pensick."

The Polk County Sherriff's Office tells us they responded to a call at 6:42 AM after receiving a report for a pickup truck that was off the roadway and in between trees.

Once they arrived, cops found Pensick, who had been driving a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado, deceased at the scene. Police say he was involved in a single-vehicle accident after failing to stop at a stop sign, and leaving the road.

Law enforcement tells us Cole was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, but added they're still investigating the accident.

Pensick was a standout at Nebraska ... he played in 13 games his senior year (starting 12) and was selected to the All-Big Ten second team by coaches around the league in 2013.

The widow of Dwayne Haskins is claiming the ex-NFL star was drugged in the hours before his death ... alleging the former Steelers and Commanders quarterback was the target of a blackmail and robbery plot.

Kalabrya Haskins spelled out the allegations in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, that was filed in Florida fewer than three weeks before the one-year anniversary of the former football player's tragic death.

In the documents, Kalabrya claims that on April 8 and the early morning hours of April 9, 2022, Dwayne visited four establishments in the Miami area ... and was drugged by a group of people planning to blackmail and rob him.

Kalabrya says Joey Smith, Meriem Yassine, Wissal Yassine and Karlee Peyton drugged the 26-year-old old at some point while he spent time at the Wyndham Hotel, a Drive Shack, a restaurant called the Blue Anchor Pub, and E11EVEN nightclub.

According to a statement released by Kalabrya's attorney, Rick Ellsley, on Monday morning, Ellsley alleges that Dwayne's "highly-expensive watch was stolen from him shortly before his death" ... although he doesn't specify who he thinks took it.

Kalabrya is suing the four for battery ... while also going after the four establishments for negligence, claiming they allowed "patrons to use drugs and to drug other patrons, including [Dwayne]."

As we reported, Dwayne died on April 9, 2022 ... after authorities say he was struck by a dump truck on a Florida highway. According to a Broward County Medical Examiner's Office investigation report, Dwayne had been on foot on the roadway after his rental car had ran out of gas.

Authorities said in the docs the QB "drank heavily" and ingested ketamine in the hours leading up to his passing. They said he had a blood alcohol level of .24 at the time of the accident.

Kalabrya is also going after several other people in her suit ... among them, the dump truck driver who hit Dwayne, the rental car company that Dwayne obtained his vehicle from, and the Florida Department of Transportation -- alleging they all share some blame for the quarterback's untimely death.

Odell Beckham Jr. and Lamar Jackson are already connecting off the field ... the two NFL superstars hit up LIV nightclub in Miami Beach after OBJ signed a multi-million dollar deal with the Ravens.

OBJ and LJ were seen on video in the famed MIA nightclub ... partying it up as music played in the background, and they were greeted with a sign that read, "Welcome Lamar & OBJ."

Odell was visibly into the moment, enjoying himself after inking the one-year, $15 million deal (which could reportedly go up to $18 million).

The more pressing question is ... how does Lamar feel?

Remember, the 2019 NFL MVP revealed he asked for a trade earlier this month after failing to reach a lucrative, long-term deal with the Ravens.

You've got to imagine Jackson loves the idea of bringing in a top-tier wideout like Odell ... and judging by the fact they're partying together on night 1, it appears that's the case.

Before hitting LIV, OBJ, wearing a Ravens hat, announced the news on social media ... dressing his son, Zydn, in Jackson's No.8 Ravens jersey, with the word "Flock" as the caption.

Jackson publicly congratulated Beckham on signing with the Ravens ... posting a photo on IG of the two on what appears to be a FaceTime call with the caption, #TRUZZ.

Ravens fans have already started daydreaming about what an LJ-OBJ connection could look like on the field ... assuming Jackson's changed his mind on wanting out of Baltimore.

Rob Gronkowski will NEVER play another down in the NFL ... at least, that's what the future Hall of Famer is now saying -- telling TMZ Sports this week there's "no chance" he comes back.

The 33-year-old hung up his spikes in June 2022 ... but many thought he could eventually make a return -- considering he had already retired and unretired once before in his career.

But, after sitting out the entire 2022 season -- and, after his good buddy, Tom Brady, called it quits this offseason -- Gronk told Michael Babcock and Mojo Muhtadi he's officially done.

"There's no chance anymore," the former Buccaneers and Patriots tight end said of a possible comeback. "I'm happily retired."

Gronk, though, says he's still using his athleticism ... telling the guys he's actually picked up pickleball in retirement -- and, according to him, he's good at it!!

"I beat my brother, Chris, who plays with pros, and my other brother, Gordon, who plays with pros too!" he said. "And I beat 'em with an average Joe -- my other brother, Glenn G., was my partner!"

"So," he added, "I'm happily retired. I'm still competing, I'm still winning, so I don't even need to go back to football."

Gronk is also spending time at his alma mater, the Univ. of Arizona, where he's slated to be a team captain for the Wildcats' spring football game on April 15.

Gronk will face off with his bro, Chris, who will also be manning the team opposite of Rob's.

Green Bay Packers superstar QB Aaron Rodgers seems to be one step closer to getting his wish of playing football in The Big Apple.

New York Jets General Manager Joe Douglas pretty much confirmed on Friday night that Rodgers would be wearing his team's Gang Green uniform, although no timeline was given for the potential trade.

Douglas made the announcement during a public appearance on stage with CBS NFL analyst and WFAN radio host Boomer Esiason, causing the crowd to go wild.

Check out video capturing the moment in which Esiason asked if Rodgers was going to join Gang Green, and Douglas bluntly replied, "He's gonna be here."

As we reported, The Packers and Jets have been haggling over a fair price for Rodgers during trade talks. Several weeks ago, Rodgers went on "The Pat McAfee Show" to say that he wanted out of Green Bay so he could move to Florham Park, New Jersey -- the site of the Jets Training Center.

Rodgers told McAfee, "My intention is to play for the New York Jets," but he also indicated he's gotten interest from other NFL teams.

He continued, "I haven't been holding anything up at this point. It's been compensation that the Packers are trying to get for me, and kinda digging their heels in."

Olivia Culpo and Christian McCaffrey are ready to spend the rest of their lives together ... TMZ Sports has learned they're engaged!!!

The 26-year-old NFL star popped the question to the 30-year-old supermodel while the two were on a recent road trip vacation ... and we're told Culpo said "yes."

Of course, her answer should surprise no one ... 'cause the two have been absolutely inseparable since they began dating back in 2019.

Despite his busy football career -- which featured a trade from the Carolina Panthers to the San Francisco 49ers this past season -- Culpo was spotted with McCaffrey often ... attending plenty of his games and hanging with him and their families in offseasons.

Our sources say McCaffrey had been planning to propose to Culpo for the last couple months -- hitting up a jeweler in New York back earlier this year to get the ring.

No word on a wedding date just yet ... but you can bet it'll be star-studded -- and lavish -- when the two eventually say "I Do."

We reached out to a rep for Olivia .. so far no word back.

Congrats!!!

Aldon Smith has just been ordered to spend the next 12 months in jail ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The former NFL star was sentenced Friday inside a Northern California courtroom ... after he pleaded no contest to a felony DUI charge stemming from a 2021 incident in Redwood City.

Prosecutors tell us the ex-Dallas Cowboys pass rusher was remanded into custody after the hearing ... and will begin his year-long sentence right away.

Smith was also given five years of supervised probation, prosecutors say.

The 33-year-old football player, who was last with the Seahawks prior to the '21 season, was initially arrested in the case on Dec. 6, 2021 ... after authorities claim he rear-ended a truck that was stopped at a stop sign on a freeway off-ramp.

Cops say when they arrived on the scene to investigate the accident, Smith appeared intoxicated. They also claim he had marijuana in his pocket, and empty bottles of rum and vodka in his car.

Authorities say the person he hit suffered injuries to their back, wrist, knee, leg and foot in the crash.

Smith was eventually charged with one felony count of drunk driving causing injury -- but he cut a deal with prosecutors on Jan. 19 to close out the case. He had been facing a sentence of up to 16 months in prison following his plea agreement.

Travis Kelce might be a future Hall of Famer on the gridiron, but he's apparently not much of one on the baseball diamond ... 'cause he just threw out the first pitch at the Guardians game -- and it was terrible.

The Kansas City Chiefs star was tapped by his home state squad to perform the ceremonial throw at Cleveland's home-opener against the Mariners ... and there were some big expectations for the toss.

After all, Kelce's one of the best NFL players on the planet ... and he was a H.S. baseball star who some thought could have had an MLB future if he stuck with the sport.

But, Kelce was anything but great on the bump Friday ... hurling the baseball straight into the ground.

The throw was so bad, Shane Bieber -- who was playing catcher -- couldn't even snag it ... and it rolled all the way to the backstop!!

Kelce was pretty embarrassed -- he raced after the pitch immediately after throwing it ... but ultimately stopped to have a laugh with Bieber over it all.

It didn't take long for Kelce's quarterback to get wind of the comically bad throw -- with Patrick Mahomes clowning him over it on Twitter.

Joe Mixon is facing a criminal charge of aggravated menacing once again ... police just announced the case against the NFL star has been refiled.

According to the Cincinnati Police Dept., "the discovery of new evidence during the investigative process" led to the refiling of the criminal charge on Friday.

Mixon was first hit with the misdemeanor in February ... after a woman claimed he threatened to shoot her during what she described as a "road rage" incident back on Jan. 21 -- the day before the Bengals' playoff game against the Buffalo Bills.

According to police documents, the 43-year-old woman claimed it all happened just after noon in Cincinnati, when Mixon "brandished a firearm and threatened to" fire on her.

A warrant for Mixon's arrest was filed on Feb. 2, but the case was dismissed a day later, after prosecutors said they needed "additional investigation before we would move forward with this case." Officials had maintained there was still a chance it could all be refiled in the future.

"To preserve a fair and impartial judicial process for all parties involved," CPD officials said in announcing the charge Friday, "no investigatory details or evidence will be disclosed outside of official court proceedings."

Tyreek Hill is one of the best receivers in the world, in the prime of his career, but the Dolphins star is plotting an exit strategy from the NFL, saying he'll walk away in a few years to pursue a career in gaming.

Hill appeared on "Totally Offensive" with Anthony Sherman and Gehrig Dieter ... where he talked about life after he hangs up his pads.

“I’m gonna finish out this contract with the Dolphins, and then I’m gonna call it quits," Hill said. "I want to go into the business side. I want to do so many things in my life, bro."

Hill -- a 5x All-Pro in his 7 NFL seasons -- says he wants to play for at least ten years and even has an interest in coaching ... but ultimately wants to pursue non-football-related endeavors.

“So I really want to get into like the gaming space," Hill said. "I really want to get huge in that, and that’s kind of what I’m doing right now. I’m using my platform, creating a gaming team, which isn’t launched yet."

"It should launch by the end of this month (Soul Runner Gaming). I’m going to just sign like different content creators, [and] different athletes. I [have] just been working that, talking to different sponsors.”

The Super Bowl champ signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the Dolphins in 2022 ... making him the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL.