Football

Saquon Barkley will enter the 2023 season without a long-term contract -- the superstar running back and New York Giants were unable to come up with a new deal before Monday's deadline ... and now, the former No. 2 overall pick is weighing in on the stalemate.

Both sides were working until the last minute in hopes of reaching an agreement ... but despite the Giants reportedly upping their offer (there are rumblings they were offering $13 million a year), they were left without a solution.

"It is what it is," Barkley tweeted shortly after the news broke ... which certainly doesn't sound like he's happy with the end result.

The Giants placed the $10 million non-exclusive franchise tag on Barkley shortly after signing quarterback Daniel Jones to an extension in March ... but there's a chance he could now sit out the entire upcoming season.

In fact, Barkley has reportedly already decided to sit out training camp ... which would not result in fines, as he has not signed his tender.

It wouldn't be the first time a player of Barkley's caliber has missed a whole season due to failed negotiations -- Le'Veon Bell skipped all of the 2018 season as a result of his own dispute.

Ohio State freshman receiver Carnell Tate's mother was tragically killed in a shooting on Sunday. She was just 40 years old.

Law enforcement says the fatal incident happened around 2 AM in the Garfield Park neighborhood in Chicago ... where a woman was shot multiple times in an alleged drive-by.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital ... where she, unfortunately, succumbed to her injuries. She was later identified as Ashley Griggs, Tate's mother.

Four others, aged 38 to 42, were also injured in the shooting. Reports say they are in fair condition.

Chicago PD says one of the injured victims claimed the shooter was "traveling in a vehicle at the time of the shooting."

Tate -- a Chicago native -- moved to Florida to play at IMG Academy, where he averaged 20.3 yards during his senior year in 2022. He was 247Sports' 22nd-ranked player in the country.

The 4-star prospect committed to OSU that December ... and is considered one of the best incoming freshman receivers.

Ashley was excited about Tate's upcoming season -- in fact, one of Griggs' last posts was about his No. 17 Buckeyes jersey going up for sale online.

Ex-NFL star Russell Okung just revealed he lost more than 50 pounds after going 40 days without food for a SECOND time ... and the results are nothing short of jaw-dropping.

The former sixth overall pick in the 2010 draft has completely transformed his life in retirement ... embarking on a mental and physical journey through long-term fasting.

Okung -- who weighed more than 300 pounds during his playing days with the Seahawks, Broncos, Chargers and Panthers -- went on his first fast earlier this year, in which he lost more than 100 pounds.

The former offensive lineman is now 192 pounds after completing his second round of fasting over the weekend ... but he makes it clear the challenge is not all about losing weight.

The 34-year-old explained his decision to go through with the process for a second time ... saying, "Ultimately, I was still transitioning out of the NFL, I had a lot of questions about the world."

"My entire worldview was completely shifting. There's still a lot of questions that I have. I don't want to say that they went away, but I do want to acknowledge that I have much more clarity, peace and acceptance that there are things that I cannot change," he added.

"There are things that I can change and I am really [interested] in bringing my entire self to every experience that I encounter. I'm very happy 'cause I feel rooted. I feel grounded. I know why I'm here."

Russell shared a video of his first meal on Sunday ... and he was overcome with emotion as he sipped juice.

D.J. Hernandez -- the older brother of Aaron Hernandez -- has been arrested after missing a court date in his ESPN brick-throwing case ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The 37-year-old former Division I football player turned himself into the Bristol Police Department at around 7 AM on Friday ... after authorities issued a warrant for his arrest following his no-show in court earlier this month.

According to police documents, D.J. was placed in handcuffs at the station ... before he was booked on a charge of failure to appear.

At one point during processing and fingerprinting, he took a mug shot ... where he was seen smiling ear-to-ear.

We broke the story, D.J. was originally hit with one misdemeanor charge of breach of peace in the case back in March ... after authorities alleged he threw a brick at ESPN's headquarters.

Officials accused D.J. of writing a note on the object that read, in part, "It's about time you all realeyes the affect media has on all family members."

"Since you're a world wide leader maybe you could lead how media and messages are delivered brick by brick. Clean it up!"

Time apparently doesn't heal all wounds for Future ... 'cause the rapper just seemingly dissed the hell outta Russell Wilson in his latest song.

The Atlanta M.C. dropped the controversial bar in his "Turn Yo Clic Up" collab with Quavo on Friday ... rapping in his verse, "I got it out the field, f*** Russell."

Future hasn't shied away from his thoughts on his ex-fiancée and mother of his child, Ciara, moving on with the NFL quarterback ... going in on the now-married couple multiple times in interviews.

Remember, Future Hendrix bashed Ciara for having Russell around Future Jr. early in their relationship ... telling "The Breakfast Club" in 2015, "You don't bring a man around your son."

"You've known this man for a few months and you're bringing him around your kid? Who does that?"

He later went in on Russell in 2019 ... saying he's not a real man in their relationship.

"He not telling her, 'Chill out with that on the internet. Don't even talk to him. I'm your husband. You better not even bring Future's name up!" he said on Apple Music.

"If that was me, she couldn't even bring his name up. She know that. She couldn't even bring her exes names up."

Russell and Ciara have been married since 2016 ... and they have two kids of their own.

Wilson has since become a father figure for Future Jr. as well ... even spending a lot of time working on their football skills together.

Russell doesn't seem bothered by Future's constant gripes -- this past Father's Day, he said, "Future, Sienna & Win ... I Love You Forever! Glad we get to raise them together Momma! @ciara."

Former Detroit Lions CB Stanley Wilson Jr. died from a pulmonary thromboembolism likely caused by deep vein thrombosis -- a blood clot in a deep vein -- according to an autopsy report obtained by TMZ Sports.

Wilson, who was 40 years old, was pronounced deceased at the Metropolitan State Hospital in Los Angeles County on February 1 ... after officials said he suddenly collapsed, never regaining consciousness.

Stanley's family, however, wasn't buying the explanation ... hiring an attorney who filed three lawsuits against the county in March, accusing them of being deceitful with the truth.

"The County has grossly misrepresented the cause and circumstances of Stanley Wilson Jr.'s death," the attorney said in the court filings at the time.

However, an autopsy conducted on February 4 by the medical examiner in L.A. concluded Wilson Jr. passed away naturally from a pulmonary thromboembolism.

According to the Mayo Clinic, that's a "blood clot that blocks and stops blood flow to an artery in the lung. In most cases, the blood clot starts in a deep vein in the leg and travels to the lung."

The report does mention "red abrasions" to the "forehead, right hand, and right knee" ... but they were described by the doctor as "superficial."

The report says Wilson Jr. was in a prescreening area of the hospital and complained of anxiety before he collapsed. Officials say medics responded to the scene, but unfortunately they weren't able to save Stanley.

Philip Rivers' family is one step closer to having their very own offspring football team -- the ex-NFL star's wife is pregnant with their 10th child!!

The former Chargers and Colts quarterback revealed the exciting news this week ... saying a baby boy is slated to arrive this fall.

"We are all fired up," Rivers told AL.com. "Everyone was pulling for a boy. Even our girls wanted a boy."

Rivers -- who currently shares nine children ranging from age 4-21 with wife Tiffany -- pointed out his mom AND dad come from families of nine kids ... and he initially thought it would be the same for his own clan, but "God decided" they would reach double digits.

As for a baby name, the 17-year veteran said they haven't figured it out just let ... but they have a lot of options to pick from.

When he's not taking care of his kids, Philip also spends his retirement as a high school football coach ... entering his third season at St. Michael Catholic in Fairhope, AL.

Alix Earle and Braxton Berrios took their romance to the red carpet on Wednesday ... hitting up the ESPYs together amid the NFL player's nasty breakup with Sophia Culpo.

The TikTok star and Miami Dolphins receiver eliminated any doubt about whether they're actually a couple at the sports award show ... with their appearance being considered a "hard launch" for their relationship.

The two initially sparked dating rumors following BB's split from Olivia Culpo's younger sister earlier this year ... which resulted in numerous cheating allegations from Sophia.

Braxton has adamantly denied being unfaithful at any point in the relationship ... and Earle insisted she is not "dating" the footballer, despite including a short snippet of them hugging in a TikTok posted to her page on June 25.

But let's be real -- they certainly looked like BF and GF as they dressed up in sharp outfits for the event ... posing for pics together before entering the Dolby Theater.

Sophia has seemingly decided to chill on posting any drama-related content surrounding Berrios and Earle's appearance ... but that could always change.

As for Earle, she shared a vid of her prep for the big night ... and revealed the couple had a 6 AM flight they'd most likely miss Thursday morning.

Shaquil Barrett paid tribute to his late daughter in a touching way this week ... getting the 2-year-old's face tattooed on his forearm -- just three months after she tragically died in a drowning accident.

The NFL star turned to Tattoo Red to get the piece of little Arrayah done ... and the homage came out perfectly.

The ink features an image of the little girl from her second birthday party ... as well as some stars and a ray of light shining through clouds.

Tattoo Red -- who's been inking athletes and musicians for 14 years -- tells TMZ Sports ... it all took about five hours to put down. The artist also said Barrett's wife, Jordanna, got a tattoo on her wrist in honor of Arrayah too.

"Knowing what an emotional piece this was for the family made me feel honored," Tattoo Red said. "I wanted to give them the best piece I could."

Jordanna -- who also has three other kids with Barrett -- recently announced they are expecting another baby ... saying in the big reveal, "Arrayah had a special hand in picking this sweet girl to add to our family!"

Forget diamond pendants ... Univ. of Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels pulled up to Big 12 Media Day with something far cooler around his neck -- a mini-TV that plays his highlights!!

The Jayhawks signal-caller paired it with a crisp, tan suit and red tie ... telling reporters his whole inspiration for the chain was to pay homage to his journey to stardom at KU.

"Just a reminder to everyone I'm walking around, this is what I do," he said as the piece showed him piling up yards. "I like to play football. I like to play quarterback. I like to score touchdowns."

TMZ Sports has learned ... Daniels got the bling from Ivy J Jeweler in Los Angeles -- after the QB's dad saw store owner Gambit wearing a similar one earlier this year.

Gambit said Daniels hit him up just after his pops told him about it ... and the jeweler got to work right away on creating the junior a custom piece.

We're told Jalon's drip is made with 18 carats of VS diamonds ... and also features his "JD6" logo. It all sits on a Cuban link ... and according to Gambit, it cost around $50K.

As for the live pendant, Gambit tells us it's interchangeable -- saying Daniels can upload up to four minutes of any video he wants on it. It all charges like an Apple watch too, Gambit added.

"You can literally have a new chain every day," he said.

Gambit said Daniels -- who threw for 2,014 yards and 17 touchdowns last season -- is the first college athlete to rock his tech chain ... though he has made several other similar pieces for NBA players and UFC stars. He's now hoping the attention Daniels' piece gets opens the door for more football-playing clients.

Lincoln Riley can cook opposing defenses with his playbook, but he still needs some serious help when it comes to preparing food ... 'cause USC's head football coach is getting ripped apart AGAIN for his most recent kitchen creation.

Two years after he was mocked to hell for his awful-looking Easter brisket, the leader of the Trojans' sideline still hasn't learned his lesson ... and this time, his victim was an innocent tuna.

The 39-year-old coach shared a pic of a cooked fish caught by his WR coach Dennis Simmons (sorry to bring ya into this, coach) this week ... and a lot of his followers struggled to figure out what it was by the time he was done with it.

"Did you smoke a red velvet cake?" one confused Twitter user said.

"Feed the team this before the Oregon game," another user added. "Will clear a locker room out faster than Rona."

There's more -- "IDC if this is filet mignon or tuna. I don't trust this dude on the grill any more than I do with a defense."

"You can afford a private chef, for the love of god get one," a pretty logical tweet pointed out.

Some users were trying to help out by suggesting different temperatures and using other seasonings... but ultimately, the general consensus is the dude is pretty much hopeless.

Despite the backlash, it doesn't seem Lincoln will be feeding into the hate anytime soon ... and who knows -- maybe you'll see him on a future episode of "Worst Cooks in America!!!"

The HBO cameras will be rolling when Aaron Rodgers gears up for his first training camp in the Big Apple -- the New York Jets have reportedly been picked to appear on the next season of "Hard Knocks."

The news broke via Adam Schefter on Wednesday ... who announced Gang Green was selected over the Saints, Bears, and Commanders, who were also eligible to participate in the annual docuseries.

Fans might be thrilled with the choice, but Jets head coach Robert Saleh previously said the squad was opposed to being followed around throughout camp.

When it comes to entertainment value, the Jets were the clear favorites for the gig ... considering Rodgers -- a 4-time MVP and Super Bowl winner -- was traded to the Jets in April, and it will be his first time on the show.

Outside of Rodgers, the team is full of personalities, including star cornerback Sauce Gardner ... who's already had some viral moments in his young career.

The Jets were also on Hard Knocks in 2010 ... which resulted in some memorable clips, including an expletive-filled speech from then-coach Rex Ryan.

Alvin Kamara has cut a deal with prosecutors in his Las Vegas assault case, TMZ Sports has learned ... and the whole episode could now be put behind the New Orleans Saints star in just a matter of weeks.

According to court documents filed in Nevada on Tuesday, Kamara has agreed to enter a no-contest plea to a lesser charge of misdemeanor breach of peace in the case.

Kamara agreed that as punishment, he'll perform 30 hours of community service, pay a $500 fine, and shell out $105,196.17 to Darnell Greene -- the man who claimed the NFL running back beat the hell out of him during an incident a The Cromwell Hotel and Casino in February 2022.

According to the docs ... prosecutors accepted Kamara's stipulations -- and in exchange, they said they'd drop the charges of felony battery and misdemeanor conspiracy to commit battery that they had initially hit him with following the incident.

The agreement has yet to be signed off by a judge -- though that is expected to happen at a hearing later this month.

In addition, Kamara also closed out his civil case with Greene on Wednesday -- according to Greene's attorney, Tony Buzbee.

In a social media post, Buzbee said the two sides "settled on confidential terms" -- while adding that Kamara signed a public mea culpa as part of the settlement that read, "Please accept my sincere apologies for the events of February 5, 2022 in Las Vegas."

Greene had initially accused Kamara of getting violent with him at an elevator near Drai's at around 6:30 AM. Greene said the altercation all started because Kamara wouldn't let him on the lift ... adding that he suffered serious facial injuries in the confrontation. He sued, and sought $10 million in compensatory and punitive damages.

Le'Veon Bell is having painful flashbacks about being swindled by Moneybagg Yo and DaBaby's artist Stunna 4 Vegas ... after he claims he paid them cold hard cash for some BS bars.

The NFL free agent made the unsolicited revelations on social media while recalling several high-profile rapper collabs ... and singled out Moneybagg and Stunna for not giving their all on the tracks and just maybe not respecting his talent!!!

LB says platinum-selling producer Tay Keith held up his end of the bargain on the Moneybagg track, but Mr. Wockesha didn't deliver and Bell thinks he and Stunna used him as a cash grab.

Drake, SZA, and Rihanna are the only artists LB says he'll let get away with sending over a lame feature without any rebuttal ... but he did go out of his way to salute both Lil Durk, Snoop Dogg, and the late Lil Keed for being stand-up guys in the studio with him.

LB says he's been holding on to the Snoop track since his early years playing with Pittsburgh after he had to choose a career, but hopes to bring it to life one day.

Aaron Hernadez's brother, D.J. Hernandez, could get hauled to jail in Connecticut once again ... TMZ Sports has learned a re-arrest has been ordered for him after he failed to show up last week for a hearing in his ESPN brick-throwing case.

According to court records, D.J. was supposed to be at a courthouse in New Britain for proceedings on Friday ... though an official tells us he didn't appear.

As a result, the rep said, a re-arrest for D.J. was ordered.

We reached out to D.J. for comment on the situation ... but so far, we haven't heard back yet.

D.J. is currently facing one misdemeanor charge of breach of peace in the case ... after authorities accused him of throwing a brick at ESPN's headquarters back on March 23.

During the alleged incident in Bristol ... cops say D.J. -- Aaron's older brother and a former Division 1 football player -- attached a note to the object which read, in part, "It's about time you all realeyes the affect media has on all family members."

"Since you're a world wide leader maybe you could lead how media and messages are delivered brick by brick. Clean it up!"

D.J. was also hit with criminal charges in a separate incident that authorities said happened just days prior to the one in Bristol. In that case, D.J. was arrested after being accused of leading cops on a wild car chase after they attempted to pull him over for a routine traffic stop.

D.J., though, reached a deal with officials in April to close out that case ... pleading guilty to one count of failure to drive in a proper lane and one count of failure to use traffic control signals. In exchange, prosecutors dropped the other charges against him -- which included reckless driving and engaging police in pursuit.

It's the offseason in Dallas but Dak Prescott is still thrilling at least one Cowboys fan ... helping her out with a sweet baby gender reveal on Saturday!!!

The cute moment all went down at the NFL star's ProCamps football event at the Ford Center in Texas ... when a mom of a participant asked the 29-year-old if he'd help her reveal the sex of her soon-to-be newborn child.

Prescott obliged ... and without wasting too much time, the Dallas quarterback pulled out a card from an envelope and told the woman she'd be having a boy!!

"Congrats!" he exclaimed after making the announcement.

Dak and the fan -- who just so happened to be wearing his No. 4 Cowboys jersey -- then shared a huge embrace ... while everyone nearby went crazy.

"That is awesome," he whispered to her, before giving her a high five.

The rest of the camp was also a joy for Prescott -- he got to teach a bunch of tykes some football moves ... and even got to show them how to do his signature hip-thrusting warmup routine as well.

Awesome stuff, Dak!