Football

Deshaun Watson is clearly fed up with the media frenzy surrounding Houston Texans training camp ... bluntly saying, "Why are y’all always filming me every day?? It’s the same s***."

Of course, reporters have been following the 25-year-old's every move since July 28 ... documenting his reps, presence/absence and everything in between.

While a star QB like Watson would usually garner most of the attention from cameras, he's especially in the spotlight amid sexual misconduct accusations from more than 20 women who claim he crossed the line during massage appointments in the past.

Watson appeared to reach a breaking point as he walked off the field on Thursday ... throwing his hands up and questioning why the media continues to focus on him.

The NFL has not suspended or taken any other action against Watson as the criminal investigations and civil lawsuits continue ... which would explain why reporters are watching his every move.

There have been reports the Texans have tried to end camp early to keep reporters from having access to Watson ... but the plan backfired and the league forced the team to continue training in front of the media.

This is one of the first times Watson has spoken with the media since the allegations came forward ... and it wasn't the best interaction.

NY Jets receiver Denzel Mims says he had a MISERABLE offseason ... spending a large portion of it vomiting and losing weight amid a violent battle with food poisoning.

The 23-year-old -- a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft -- explained the struggle to reporters on Wednesday ... saying he believes it all started after he ate some bad salmon.

Mims says once the tainted fish got into his system ... it wreaked havoc on his body -- with the wideout claiming he threw up for two straight weeks.

Mims says things got so bad ... he needed antibiotics -- and ultimately saw his weight drop from 217 pounds to 197 in a matter of days.

"It took a big toll on me," said Mims, who added he plans on never eating salmon again.

But, Mims did say his body is finally starting to come back around ... telling media members he's put back on 11 pounds, and is getting closer and closer to full strength.

"I feel like I'm catching up," Mims said, "and I'm almost there."

Deshaun Watson is no longer the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans -- at least on paper -- the team just released their newest depth chart ... with the troubled star listed as their 4th string QB.

The Texans are just three days from their first preseason game against the Green Bay Packers ... and as of right now, Tyrod Taylor will be under center when the team takes the field.

After Taylor -- who signed a one-year deal in March -- is Jeff Driskel, Davis Mills ... and then Watson at 4.

FYI -- this is considered an "unofficial depth chart" by the Texans, even though it was just updated on August 10 by their PR team.

Watson has been the Texans starter since 2017 ... but has been openly requesting a trade from the team, especially after the DeAndre Hopkins trade last March.

Plus, there are more issues than football -- Watson is facing sexual misconduct allegations from over 20 female massage therapists who claim things went overboard during their sessions with the QB.

While the NFL and police are still investigating, Watson is allowed at training camp ... and he has practiced with limited reps.

Texans head coach David Culley announced on Tuesday because of the limited amount of practice, the 3-time Pro Bowler probably won't play at the Packers game nor will he travel with the team.

After a 5-year investigation, the NCAA says Baylor's actions were "unacceptable" when dealing with football players accused of sexual assault, but the program did NOT violate any rules ... and therefore will avoid any major punishment.

Remember, head coach Art Briles was fired by the university in 2016 after allegedly failing to report numerous allegations of domestic violence or sexual assault from students made against his football players.

Since the scandal blew up, the NCAA Infraction committee launched an in-depth investigation to determine if Baylor violated any NCAA rules with its conduct. On Wednesday, Baylor finally learned its fate.

"Make no mistake, the conduct that occurred on Baylor's campus between 2010 and 2015 was unacceptable. Young people were hurt. They were hurt because the campus leaders they trusted to provide a safe campus community failed," according to the report.

"At times, these failures heavily intersected with Baylor's football program and Baylor football student-athletes. At other times, they did not. And that is perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this case—that a campus-wide culture of sexual violence went unaddressed due to ignorance and leadership failings across campus."

Bottom line ... the football program acted immorally and unethically -- but didn't necessarily violate major NCAA rules.

Baylor isn't escaping totally unscathed ... the Infractions Committee did find the university provided impermissible benefits for a football player and used a "predominantly female student-host program that did not align with NCAA recruiting rules."

For that violation, Baylor was hit with a $5,000 fine and recruiting restrictions ... such as a reduction in campus visits for recruits, as well as other recruiting-based limitations.

Aldon Smith is team-less once again ... the Seattle Seahawks have just cut the star pass rusher, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, as his battery case is still forging on in the Louisiana court system.

The 31-year-old signed a 1-year, $1.1 million deal with the 'Hawks this off-season ... and was expected to be a force on Seattle's D-line this year.

But, just days after he inked his contract in April, he was accused of beating up somebody at a coffee shop in Chalmette, LA. and was later arrested.

The incident affected Smith's role with his new team ... as he stayed away from Seattle's off-season practices following the arrest.

Smith, though, reportedly looked solid during his first workouts with the Seahawks at training camp over the last few days ... so it's unclear if the Louisiana case was the driving force behind Wednesday's release.

As we previously reported, Smith is facing up to 8 years in prison if convicted on his battery charge. He's due in court later this month for a hearing on the matter.

Smith -- who was out of football dealing with suspensions and off-field issues from 2015 through 2019 -- made a triumphant return to the NFL last season, recording 48 tackles and 5 sacks for the Dallas Cowboys.

Yup, NFL lineman Jordan Mailata can still REALLY sing ... his Eagles squadmates filmed him belting out "Tennessee Whiskey" at a team meeting this month -- and it's downright incredible!!

The 6-foot-8, 346-pound tackle has never been shy about showing off his voice ... and he did it again this week in front of teammates who couldn't have been more impressed.

Check out the video filmed by linebacker Shaun Bradley -- despite not being a rookie anymore, Mailata grabbed the mic at Philly's "Rookies Sing" event and absolutely slayed Chris Stapleton's classic tune.

There were high notes, low notes and runs ... and the Eagles peanut gallery couldn't stop gushing over the guy.

"Dayyummmm!!" Bradley wrote of the karaoke performance. "I felt that mf note in my soul."

Of course, this should come as a surprise to no one ... 'cause Mailata has performed beautifully at Eagles camps in the past.

You'll recall, the dude sang 53 seconds of Mark Lowndes' "Hold" during his rookie year in 2018 ... and, yeah, it's still amazing to listen to.

The battle scars Dak Prescott earned after having TWO major surgeries on his ankle last year were finally revealed on Tuesday night ... and the red and purple wounds are GNARLY.

The quarterback showed off the marks during the opening episode of this year's 'Hard Knocks' ... pointing out that they run in a "wishbone" pattern from the top of his foot to near his Achilles.

Of course, the procedures that caused the scars were VERY serious ... you'll recall, Dak was rushed to the operating table last October after he dislocated and broke his ankle during a game.

Prescott, though, appeared to be in great spirits while talking about the injury ... even telling the 'Hard Knocks' camera crew that everything's now all gravy with the once-disfigured leg.

"When I had the first surgery, it was an open wound," 28-year-old Dak said. "And, they just wanted to go in and do what they needed to do initially. I thought I was going to be able to start rehab and yet I had to go back under the knife."

"We kept that down, nobody knew that. And then, [the scar] became a wishbone."

Dak added, "I'm healthy. I'm completely healthy."

Prescott was later shown in the episode complaining to coaches about being taken out of practice reps ... cussing and emphasizing, "I sat enough last year."

New surveillance video, obtained by TMZ Sports, includes the sound of a woman screaming and begging for help as Ezekiel Elliott's dogs allegedly attacked her in her own backyard last May.

The footage is part of a "dangerous dog" case file on Elliott's Rottweiler, Ace ... and, according to both witnesses and officials in court documents, it shows how Ace and two of the NFL star's other dogs escaped the running back's Frisco, Texas home on May 20 and terrorized neighbors.

The clips -- totaling around 90 seconds -- appear to show a landscaper leaving Elliott's side gate open while exiting the Dallas Cowboys player's property on May 19.

It appears the gate stayed open all night long and into the morning of May 20, when Elliott's dogs are seen walking through it and into the neighborhood.

According to the docs, while in the neighborhood, one man claimed Ace and Elliott's two bulldogs attacked him, leaving him with injuries on his hand, wrist, forearm, thigh and leg.

A woman in the neighboring area says she later found the dogs in the street and brought them into her backyard to keep them safe.

The problem ... she claims the dogs then attacked her -- and says surveillance cameras in her yard captured the audio of the attack.

The woman -- who has since sued Elliott over the incident -- claimed in the court docs she suffered wounds to her finger, forearm, thigh and stomach.

The video from the case file ends with a shot of law enforcement and Elliott in a driveway.

Docs show, though, the alleged dog bites didn't stop there ... with one woman accusing Ace of biting her while trying to feed the dog while it was in quarantine following the May 20 incident.

The case file included pictures of Ace as well as one of the alleged victim's injuries.

Over the weekend, Zeke's attorney Frank Salzano gave us the following statement.

"Mr. Elliott and his representatives are aware of the lawsuit filed on July 30th, which stems from a previously reported incident from May 21st of this year.  As Mr. Elliott expressed at that time, he was - and remains concerned - for the party involved."

"However, as in most disputes, there are extenuating circumstances to this matter which will impact the legal proceedings which we are not at liberty to disclose.  As such, we have no further comment at this time."

Ray Lewis celebrated a huge fishing haul in the most Ray Lewis way ever this weekend -- by hitting his iconic "Squirrel" dance right on the boat!!!

The ex-NFL star busted out the moves on Sunday during his visit to Cleveland for the weekend's Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremonies ... and it was awesome.

Check out the footage, after Ray reeled in two fish from Lake Erie that were nearly the size of his lower body ... he threw it back to the early 2000s and shook his tailfeather!

Of course, Ray made the dance famous during his 17-year NFL career ... and it's clear as day the dude hasn't lost even the smallest of steps on the dance floor.

As for the rest of the fishing trip ... TMZ Sports has learned it went great -- the former Baltimore Raven and his crew caught more than 10 fish -- and have plans to make the event an annual one going forward.

In fact, we spoke with Ray during the outing ... and it ain't hard to see the guy LOVES catching fish.

Ben Roethlisberger will do anything for health -- that is, except try Tom Brady's infamous avocado ice cream ... saying there's NO WAY he's including that atrocity in his diet!!

The 39-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers QB has looked much slimmer leading into the new season ... with folks left wondering what the did to get in better shape.

Big Ben -- who's always been listed at 240 lbs. -- is finally speaking out on his trimmed look ... but as it turns out, he's denying he's doing anything differently from years past.

"So much was made a week or 2 [ago]," Roethlisberger told the Washington Post. "I mean, listen, as you get older ... for the last 4 or 5 years, I’ve really focused on having a trainer, my body."

"Part of it’s football. But part of it’s life. I’m not getting any younger. I’m almost 40 years old. So you’ve got to take care of yourself."

But, Ben makes it clear he's not taking any tips from his 7-time Super Bowl champion rival ... saying there are some levels he simply will not stoop to in order to stay in shape.

"And nothing against Tom [Brady], but I’m not eating avocado ice cream," Roethlisberger added. "Yeah, you have a chef and you try and eat healthy. But you’re eating healthy because you want to be and feel good."

Remember, TB12 has sworn up and down in the past that the dessert is tasty ... and even included the recipe -- consisting of avocado, cashews, coconut, dates, cacao powder and water -- in his "The TB12 Method" book.

But we spoke with Brady's bestie, Julian Edelman, in the past ... who confirmed to us it's really as bad as it sounds.

A violent shootout near a youth football game in Detroit on Sunday was captured on camera ... and the shocking footage is horrifying.

Cops say it went down at around 6 PM at a local park while children were playing in a local sports league ... when two groups pulled out guns and fired on each other after an argument.

A witness captured the chaos on their cell phone -- and the video is terrifying, showing dozens of people running for cover as multiple rounds of gunfire went off.

Officials say three males -- aging from 14 to 15 years old -- were shot in the melee ... but somehow, officials added none of the children in the area were struck by bullets.

"Very unfortunate and unnecessary situation when you've got people using gunfire to resolve whatever disputes that they are having," said Detroit Police Department's James White, who added the three teenagers were transported to a local hospital and are currently in stable condition.

"Certainly could have been a lot worst."

Police say they recovered two firearms from the scene and made several arrests -- but added the investigation is still ongoing.

"We're confident that we've got some of the shooters," White said.

Deion Sanders brought out some Prime guests during his first season as head coach at Jackson State ... with Rex Ryan and Hall of Famer Troy Aikman rolling through to check out his team, a new documentary series revealed Monday.

Coach Prime -- who took the helm at the HBCU in 2020 -- had the cameras rolling during his first season with the Tigers for a 'Hard Knocks'-esque series with Barstool Sports and SMAC Productions ... fittingly titled, "Coach Prime."

The trailer for the series just dropped minutes ago ... showing a passionate Sanders giving motivational speeches to his players ... as well as the big-time names who showed up to get a glimpse of the Tigers during the season.

The clip shows Ryan hyping up the team ... talking about the amount of courage it takes to play the sport. It's pretty intense stuff.

Sanders spoke about the decision to allow the all-access series to happen ... saying, "I am incredibly proud to share the incredible story of Jackson State University, our football program, and our student athletes."

"This docuseries serves as a platform that will help us continue the important work we are doing to level the playing field, create opportunity and raise awareness for JSU and all HBCUs. I BELIEVE!"

The 6-part series is set to debut August 29 and will be available on all platforms.

Bobby Bowden -- one of the greatest college football coaches ever -- died early Sunday morning at the age of 91 years old.

Bowden -- Florida State University's head coach from 1976 to 2009 -- was one of the most acclaimed football coaches of all-time. He won 2 National Championships ('93 & '99) and 377 games -- 2nd most all-time -- during his 40 years as a college football coach.

Bobby spent 34 seasons as FSU's head coach ... and was enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

Terry Bowden, Bobby's son, confirmed the news to the AP ... issuing the following statement about the passing of his dad.

"My father passed away peacefully early this morning with all six of his children and my mother here by his side."

"I couldn't have asked for a better personal mentor than my father. He was a wonderful husband and father, who relied on his strong Christian faith to provide the foundation for his life."

Terry continued ... "I also was fortunate to be raised by a football coach who had a reputation for coaching the right way his entire career. He was admired by everyone who played for him or coached against him."

FSU issued a statement on social media, writing ... "Today we lost a legend but you never lose a legacy. Rest In Peace Coach Bowden"

Bowden is known for his HOF coaching career ... but he also played ball back in the day. BB was a part of Alabama's football team as a freshman in 1948 ... before transferring to Howard College (now Samford University) in Birmingham.

Bobby -- who was born in Birmingham -- was a successful college quarterback.

It was just last month that Terry announced Bobby was battling a terminal illness. He later said that sickness was pancreatic cancer.

Deion Sanders, a 2x All-American under Bowden, reacted to his former coach passing, writing ... "God bless the Bowden Family, Friends & Loved ones. My Prayers are with u. I've lost 1 of the best coaches I've ever had."

Some of the top football coaches in the country also weighed in on Bobby's death ... including Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, and Dabo Swinney.

On Twitter, Meyer wrote ... "Today, we lost a legend. Bobby was a great friend and mentor to me, and his impact transcended the coaching profession in so many ways. Sending love to Ann and the entire Bowden family. Rest In Peace Coach Bowden."

A public funeral service will be held for coach Saturday on FSU's campus.

The Saints won't have to wait long to replace Drew Brees with another Hall of Fame QB ... 'cause will Will Blackmon tells TMZ Sports Aaron Rodgers is heading to New Orleans next season.

"Next year," Blackmon said, "Aaron Rodgers will be a New Orleans Saint."

Blackmon's prediction is a bold one ... but it's not necessarily uninformed -- you'll recall, the former NFL defensive back was teammates with Aaron in Green Bay from 2006 through 2009.

And, Will tells us he still has a good relationship with Aaron ... and it wouldn't surprise him if the Green Bay signal-caller ended up under center for Sean Payton in 2022, given all of the drama Rodgers has gone through with the Packers this offseason.

"I can see Aaron Rodgers being a New Orleans Saint next year," Blackmon said.

Of course, Jameis Winston is N.O.'s starter this year ... but Blackmon doesn't appear to be sure the former #1 overall draft pick will do enough to prove he should get a second year in that role.

Blackmon says cutting down the interceptions -- particularly with a depleted wide receiver group in New Orleans -- might be just too difficult for Jameis ... opening the door for a run at Rodgers.

What do the greatest cornerback of all time and a trash talkin' receiver have in common???

SMART CARS!!!

TMZ Sports has learned that ex-NFL stars Deion Sanders and Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson just copped these custom-made SMART rides from Alex Vegas's Auto Firm in FL.

We're told Deion (well, Coach Sanders) decided to get a SMART vehicle when he saw Ocho cruisin' around in one ... and they're both pretty dope!

Check out Primetime's whip -- the glossy black with dark tints featuring his jersey number '21' on the grill and Prime on the trunk.

His nickname is even on the car tires!!

Johnson went with the matte black -- with his nickname 'Ochocinco' on the tires, too!

Even though they're small, these electric cars are filled with cool stuff -- including auto parking, automatic emergency braking and wireless charging docks.

And, they're pretty fast ... that's according to Ochocinco who was doing some spinnin' moves in his new whip Friday --- challenging anyone to see him on the streets.

"Doing doughnuts in the city in luxury," Ocho said on Instagram.

"900 horses under the hood, any of you Donk riders, Hell Cats, Trackhawk or Challengers want smoke bet whatever & I’ll pull up."

Carolina Panthers receiver Robby Anderson is commemorating his journey from going undrafted to being a 6-year vet ... by getting an awesome ring decked out in diamonds!!

The 28-year-old ex-Temple standout was passed up by literally every team in the league in 2016 ... but made the most of his opportunity when the New York Jets took a chance on him.

He went on to sign a 2-year, $20 MILLION deal with Carolina in 2020 ... posting career highs in receptions (95) and yards (1,096) last season.

Now, Anderson is treating himself to a meaningful keepsake in honor of his success ... hitting up Gabriel The Jeweler to cop an INCREDIBLE ring with 16 carats of VVS diamonds!!

The piece is truly special -- Anderson's nickname, "The Chosen One," is etched on top ... with a set of prayer hands and a cross (made of emerald cut diamonds) on each side.

There's also a special message engraved on the inside of the ring ... reading, "All Glory To God."

No word on how much Anderson actually dropped for the awesome ice ... but we're told a piece like this is worth around $40k!!