Football

The Las Vegas Raiders have just released Damon Arnette ... after the former first-round pick was seen on video waving around firearms and threatening to kill somebody.

The footage of the 25-year-old -- who was taken #19 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft -- was posted on social media last week and eventually went viral over the weekend.

It featured Arnette brandishing three different kinds of guns ... all while telling someone, "I swear to God I will kill you, n****. On everything I love, I will kill you, n****. You talking crazy."

Arnette repeated several more times in the video that he would "real deal kill you, my n****."

The release ultimately ends Arnette's rocky tenure in Vegas ... and GM Mike Mayock said it was a very difficult decision, but the team could not tolerate the video.

After joining the Raiders in 2020, Arnette struggled as a rookie ... and then had trouble getting playing time this season due to his poor play.

Off the field, he hasn't had much more success ... 'cause he's been hit with two lawsuits this year -- with one alleging he injured a woman during a car crash in 2020.

In the other, Arnette was accused of spitting on a valet worker at the Aria Hotel & Casino in Vegas.

There might be an explanation for Matthew Stafford's wild interceptions Sunday night ... 'cause Paris Hilton was rocking her big ass engagement ring in a field box at the Rams game -- and that diamond was dancing!!!

Okay, so obviously, the ring had zero impact on the Rams losing big to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday Night Football ... but 40-year-old Paris had her rock on full display as she hit up SoFi Stadium with her fiancé, 40-year-old Carter Reum, to kick off their wedding week.

The game was a bit of a bummer for L.A. -- the Rams lost 28-16 -- but it's clear the underwhelming performance didn't bother the couple as they get ready to get hitched this week.

"Having so much fun seeing the @RamsNFL with my love," Paris said on Twitter. "4 Days to go!"

Paris and Carter even had custom merch to match their wedding date -- with both rocking #11 jerseys.

Naturally, Paris had to show off her ring -- which reportedly cost more than $1 million -- with a pair of leather gloves.

Houston Texans quarterback Tyrod Taylor said his team is sending their thoughts and prayers to those affected by the chaos at Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival on Friday ... saying the incident is "bigger than football."

8 people are dead and hundreds of others are injured as a result of the tragedy ... and after the Texans fell 17-9 to the Miami Dolphins, Taylor opened his postgame press conference by addressing what went down back home.

"I know something bigger than football happened back in our Houston community this past Friday at the festival," Taylor said. "Just wanted to let the city of Houston know that our organization, our team, our prayers are definitely with y’all."

"Never want to see loss of life. We'll continue to keep praying for y’all."

Las Vegas Raiders star Darren Waller says he was stunned by the news of Henry Ruggs' car crash last week -- calling the tragedy "shocking."

"Henry is somebody everybody liked," Waller said Sunday after the Raiders lost to the New York Giants -- Vegas' first game without Ruggs this season.

"Not just because he was the fastest person you've ever seen run on the field. But he was a good person and a respectful person."

Waller spoke with reporters for the first time since Ruggs was involved in a horrific wreck in Vegas last Tuesday ... and the tight end made it clear he and the rest of the Raiders were disappointed to not have Ruggs around the team anymore.

Waller called the 22-year-old "somebody you liked being around on a daily basis" ... and said Ruggs' situation -- coupled with the Jon Gruden email scandal earlier this year -- have taken a toll on the team.

"It is shocking," Waller said. "And it does hurt a little bit."

As we previously reported, Ruggs was cut by the Raiders just hours after he was accused of speeding and then slamming his Corvette into the back of Toyota -- killing a woman and her dog.

Dana White -- an absolute Las Vegas legend -- tells TMZ Sports moving to Sin City is not the reason for the Raiders' off-field woes ... explaining bad things happen in every major city.

The UFC honcho -- who's called Vegas home for years -- told us out in NYC this week he does not believe moving from Oakland to Nevada has contributed to the problems with the Raiders.

"People are going to make mistakes," White said, "and bad things happen every day, no matter what city you're in."

Dana's not wrong -- but the Raiders have had more notable issues than any team since they made the trek from NorCal to Vegas before the 2020 season.

Star running back, Josh Jacobs, was arrested and charged with DUI in January. Star receiver, Henry Ruggs, was hit with a DUI charge after a fatal car crash this week. And, cornerback, Damon Arnette, has been accused of injuring a woman in a 2020 car crash as well.

White does admit Vegas "is a rough city" to try to keep your nose clean in ... but he still believes there are more places in the U.S. that players can find similar trouble in.

"Listen, Vegas is a tough city and so is L.A.," White said. "Go spend a weekend in L.A. It's the same thing. It is what it is."

If Shawne Merriman were running the New Orleans Saints ... he tells TMZ Sports he'd sign Philip Rivers ASAP -- guaranteeing the QB is ready to play in the NFL today.

"One thing I know about Philip," said Merriman, who played with the quarterback in San Diego for years, "he's been tossin' the rock. There's no rust there."

Rivers has been linked to New Orleans after Jameis Winston tore his ACL in the Saints' game against the Buccaneers ... with the ex-Chargers QB saying this week he'd consider coming out of retirement if Sean Payton called.

But, the Saints headman said his team was going to be sticking with the signal-callers already on its roster for at least the immediate future ... something that Merriman clearly thinks is a mistake.

"He's in shape, he's ready to go," Merriman said of Rivers. "If the Saints are smart, the Saints will pick him up."

Rivers hasn't played a snap in the NFL since losing a playoff game to Buffalo last January ... but he has stuck around the game -- coaching high school football in Alabama.

And, Merriman says that gig has no doubt kept him ready for an NFL return if and when the Saints or anyone else calls.

"The truth of the matter is," Merriman said, "Philip has taken really good care of his body."

Univ. of Georgia linebacker Adam Anderson -- one of the team's best players -- has reportedly been suspended indefinitely ... after a woman says he raped her the night before the Bulldogs' game last weekend.

According to police docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, officers say a 21-year-old woman told them that after having a few drinks at an Athens, GA residence last Friday ... she awoke to Anderson having non-consensual sex with her.

No further details of the alleged incident were revealed in the docs.

Athens-Clarke County Police lieutenant Shaun Barnett told ESPN no arrests have been made despite the woman's claims ... adding that it's all "still open and under investigation."

Nonetheless, per ESPN, UGA football has barred 22-year-old Anderson from the team indefinitely while the probe continues.

For his part, Anderson has denied the allegations ... with his attorney, Steve Sadow, telling TMZ Sports the claims are "unfounded and unsupported."

"Adam hopes and prays the UGA community, and the public keep an open mind and not prejudge him based on inconsistent, unsubstantiated and baseless accusations," Sadow said.

Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart said he was aware of the woman's report and that he would be working closely with the school's administration to ensure they cooperate fully with all law enforcement and campus protocols.

Anderson, meanwhile, played in Georgia's win over Florida on Saturday -- the day after the alleged incident with the woman -- recording 7 tackles and a .5 sack.

Tom Brady and the Buccaneers have held up their end of the deal with the Bucs fan who gave back the QB's 600th TD ball ... sending the guy a BUNCH of signed swag on Friday.

The fan, Byron Kennedy, showed off the memorabilia on his social media page ... revealing two Brady jerseys, a Mike Evans uni, a Tampa Bay helmet and some cleats.

All of the gear appeared to be personally signed by both Brady and Evans -- and Kennedy was stoked to have received it all.

"Thanks for the badass gear to decorate my house with," Kennedy said.

As we previously reported, Kennedy received the historic pigskin following an Evans touchdown grab from Brady back on Oct. 24.

Evans unknowingly handed over the ball during a post-score celebration -- and when Brady wanted it back -- Kennedy obliged.

Some called him a fool for the move -- as auction experts said the ball could be worth $500,000 ... but the Bucs and Brady offered a deal to ease some of the potential wallet pain.

In addition to the jerseys, cleats and helmet ... Brady also said he was giving Kennedy a bitcoin -- and Rob Gronkowski even offered up some cryptocurrency as well.

Odell Beckham Jr.'s rollercoaster ride in Cleveland is expected to finally be over this week ... 'cause the Browns are reportedly about to cut the star receiver.

The team is working with Odell on his contract in order to officially release him, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Friday, and a move to get him off the Browns' roster could come down in a matter of hours.

Of course, the writing has been on the wall for Odell's release for the past few days -- if not months -- as the wideout has found himself embattled in drama over and over again in Cleveland.

Just this week, Odell's father posted a lowlight reel of Baker Mayfield ... showcasing all the times the quarterback has missed an open OBJ on the field.

And, Odell's made it no secret he hasn't loved his small role in Cleveland's offense too.

Since being traded from the Giants back in 2019 ... Odell has played in just 29 games and has just 7 receiving TDs -- including none this season.

When the Browns officially jettison the wideout ... he's expected to have plenty of suitors -- receiver-needy teams like the Packers, Saints, Ravens and Patriots all could make a run at him.

By the way, it's Odell's birthday Friday ... happy 29th?

More troubling news for the Las Vegas Raiders ... former 1st-round pick Damon Arnette is now being accused of injuring a woman in a violent car crash last year, but the CB is vowing to fight the allegations.

It's all spelled out in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, in which a woman says on Oct. 14, 2020 ... Arnette slammed into her car with his vehicle at around 7:29 AM in Las Vegas.

The woman says in the docs that Arnette -- who was taken by Vegas 7 picks after the Raiders took Henry Ruggs in April 2020's NFL Draft -- thought he had missed his turn into the Raiders' facility, so he swerved at around 65 MPH in order to still make the right.

The woman says the driver's side of his car hit her driver's side violently ... causing significant damage to both rides.

What's worse ... the woman claims Arnette "illegally left the scene of the crash" afterward and headed toward the Raiders' headquarters just feet away.

The woman in the docs says she suffered several injuries in the accident -- including head trauma, and is now dealing with shoulder, neck and back pain as well as depression and panic attacks.

She says she suffered damages exceeding $92,000.

Police records show Arnette was actually cited for the crash ... and in an incident report we obtained, cops say he did admit to making the unsafe right turn and crashing, but said he stayed long enough to render aid to the woman.

In the police documents, Arnette said he only left "because he was running late to a meeting at work" ... but had a friend stay at the scene to provide his contact information to authorities.

Cops claim the friend did not provide Arnette's info -- and actually tried to take the fall for the NFL player ... but cops were ultimately able to get to the bottom of it after locating Arnette at the Raiders' facility.

Arnette -- who has played sparingly for the Raiders this season despite being such a high draft pick last year -- was cited for failure to maintain travel lane as well as duty to stop a property damage accident.

As for Damon's side, his attorney Richard Schonfeld tells us ... "Mr. Arnette denies the allegations in the complaint and looks forward to addressing these claims through the court process."

Derek Carr is expressing remorse over the Henry Ruggs accident ... saying he wishes he could've done something to help prevent the crash -- questioning, "Did I not let him know that I could be there for him at 3 AM??"

The Las Vegas Raiders QB spoke with reporters Wednesday about his ex-teammate's situation ... saying, "No one ever wants to see this, whether it's a football player or not. You never wanna see something like this happen and it broke my wife and I's hearts, honestly."

Carr says he actually got a text from Ruggs hours before the tragedy ... with the 22-year-old asking him to critique his swing while at Top Golf in Vegas.

"He literally texted me at midnight a golf swing, hit me and Hunter (Renfrow), 'How's my swing look? You guys need to help me' and just seeing that and then getting the news when we woke up, I just ... I don't even know how I'm supposed to handle that. How am I supposed to react?"

Carr adds his heart goes out to the family of the 23-year-old victim ... and he hasn't reached out to Ruggs yet, but he will in due time.

"I will always be here for him," he added. "That won't change and I prove that over course of time to him, not to anybody else, but he needs people to love him right now."

Raiders interim HC Rich Bisaccia also spoke ... sharing his condolences to the victim's family and saying, "We love Henry Ruggs."

Nick Saban is pleading with his team to learn from the Henry Ruggs tragedy ... explaining to reporters he hopes the car crash reinforces to Alabama players to "make good choices."

"I think this is something that a lot of folks can learn from -- I think a lot of players on our team," said Saban, who coached Ruggs from 2017 to 2019 at 'Bama.

"When we say challenge people to make good choices and decisions -- do the right thing. Because sometimes the consequences can be devastating. And these consequences are going to probably be pretty devastating to Henry."

Saban said he and the rest of the Alabama football team are still supporting Henry -- despite allegations that the former Raiders star drove at 156 MPH with a BAC of .161 before crashing into and killing a woman and her dog in Las Vegas on Tuesday morning.

"We love him," Saban said of Ruggs. "We're going to support him through it. But we also have a lot of compassion for the victims and our thoughts and prayers are also with them."

Ruggs was a star for Saban at Alabama, piling up 1,716 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns in three seasons. He was eventually picked by Las Vegas in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Ruggs, though, was released by the Raiders following the car crash Tuesday.

UCLA is vowing to take disciplinary action against Bruins defensive lineman Jay Toia ... after the 6'3", 325-pounder was captured on video threatening to slap a woman on an elevator last weekend.

The video made rounds earlier this week ... appearing to show the freshman approach an elevator on campus full of students he thought were from USC.

Toia -- donning a UCLA hoodie -- had to be held back by his friends as he goes on an expletive-filled rant threatening to hurt any USC student.

One girl tries to clear the air, saying "we go to Santa Barbara! Nobody's a Trojan! We go to USCB!"

Toia still goes off ... yelling, "you a f***ing Trojan n****! I'll slap a b****, too! I'll slap a b****!"

Worth noting -- the 4-star recruit signed with the Trojans back in Dec. 2020 ... before transferring to UCLA this June. He was the 21st ranked defensive tackle in his class and had offers from Arizona, Cal, Michigan, Nebraska and more.

UCLA's athletic director, Martin Jarmond, and football head coach, Chip Kelly, released a statement saying they saw the clip and Toia will be disciplined.

"We're aware of a recent video in which a student-athlete made disparaging remarks. This was inappropriate and not in line with our values and expectations."

"As such, we are taking disciplinary action and working with campus partners to assist with educations for the student."

Toia already lost an NIL deal with college apparel company Campus Mogul due to the video ... but has been practicing with the team all week.

Odell Beckham ain't getting targets in games, and he certainly wasn't getting any on Wednesday ... 'cause the Browns just reportedly "excused" him from team practice, despite being ready to go.

The drama surrounding Odell has hit an all-time high this week ... with his own father ripping Baker Mayfield for consistently refusing to throw the ball to Beckham.

There have been talks OBJ could have been traded prior to Tuesday's trade deadline ... but the Browns couldn't find a deal worth their time, which might've made things a bit awkward in Berea.

The team officially ruled Odell a DNP for Wednesday's practice, citing a non-injury-related personal matter, as well as his lingering shoulder injury ... but given all the talk surrounding his status with the team, it's certainly interesting.

It's no secret, the Browns have been struggling this season -- they're currently 4-4 and dealing with a number of injuries ... and all the issues with Odell isn't making it any better.

Beckham has 17 receptions for 232 yards this season ... and ya gotta wonder how much longer the Odell experiment in Cleveland will last.

Tua Tagovailoa -- who won a national championship alongside Henry Ruggs at Alabama -- choked back tears as he addressed his ex-teammate's fatal DUI arrest after practice Wednesday ... saying, "You’d never think that this guy could hurt a soul."

The Miami Dolphins quarterback appeared emotional and upset over the tragedy ... sharing his condolences to those close to the 23-year-old woman who died as a result of the crash.

"That’s tough," Tua told reporters. "My heart goes out to the families affected by what happened, the choices and decisions."

"My heart goes out to Henry, too, and his family. Obviously, it wasn't the right choice or decision he made at that time. I know he'd wish he could have it back."

He added ... "When I heard the news, that was tough for me to hear, just knowing the kind of person that Henry is ... I'm still kind of in disbelief."

Tua and Ruggs were very close in Tuscaloosa from 2017-19 and have remained tight as pros in the NFL ... and it's clear he's been hit hard by the news.

TMZ Sports broke the story -- officials say Ruggs was driving 156 miles per hour just seconds before the accident ... and had a BAC of .161.

The Las Vegas Raiders released Ruggs shortly after the crash ... and he could be facing serious time behind bars.

The hits just keep on coming for the Saints -- 'cause just two days after the team lost quarterback Jameis Winston, it's now lost Michael Thomas too.

The star wide receiver -- who many at one point considered the best wideout in football -- announced Wednesday he's done for the season after suffering another setback with his ankle injury.

"To my displeasure," Thomas said in a statement on social media, "I will not be able to make it back in time for this season."

Thomas insinuated the injury -- which he initially suffered at the beginning of the 2020 season -- could need some kind of medical procedure, saying he and doctors "will have to address" the issue.

The 28-year-old, who signed a monster 5-year, $96 MILLION contract extension back in 2019, did vow to return as good as ever in 2022.

"I know God doesn't make mistakes so I will continue to follow in his path," Thomas said, "and I can't wait to be back on the field in front of the best fans on the planet."