Football

Is the Jaxson Dart era in New York starting too early? Justin Pugh certainly appears to think so ... as the ex-Giants star tells TMZ Sports he would have preferred it if the rookie didn't assume the QB1 role until next year.

The former Big Blue offensive lineman sat down with us just after Brian Daboll revealed he was benching Russell Wilson in favor of Dart ... and Pugh made it clear, he's got some concerns about the move.

Pugh said he's actually "nervous" that Dart's hitting field "a bit too soon" ... explaining he thinks teams that have the most success at quarterback are the ones who don't rush their young signal-callers onto the field.

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco might have a few haters on their big day, including one big-time celebrity ... the feisty Oregon Duck!

Here's the deal ... the University of Oregon is facing off against Penn State University Saturday afternoon in Happy Valley, PA with kickoff set to take place at 4:30 PM PT.

However, attendees got an early start on the festivities because the popular college football pregame show "College Gameday" set up on PSU's campus to preview the exciting matchup ... and The Oregon Duck whipped out a sign while in the crowd.

The gunman who killed multiple people at the NFL's headquarters in New York earlier this summer has been diagnosed with CTE.

The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner said in a statement on Friday that after testing Shane Tamura's brain tissue, they discovered "unambiguous diagnostic evidence" of the disease.

Tamura, of course, believed he was suffering from the ailment prior to his July 28 rampage ... and mayor Eric Adams said he was actually targeting the NFL over it.

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel just revealed defensive coordinator Terrell Williams was diagnosed with prostate cancer ... explaining the health issue is the reason behind his recent absence from the team.

Vrabel made the announcement at the beginning of his press conference on Friday ... saying Williams will undergo treatment for the disease -- while noting his diagnosis is deeply personal for him.

"They're figuring out the best plan of attack to be able to attack this, heal it and fix it and allow him to get back to better health," Vrabel said.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba let everyone watching "Thursday Night Football" know he was pissed he was flagged during a critical 4th quarter drive, calling it straight up BS ... in a moment that was captured on an open microphone.

Whoops.

The expletive was heard loud and clear, on both the stream of the game, and in the stadium, as the Seahawks star and his squad played the Cardinals in Arizona in a week 4 matchup.

If Hollywood's got a Bill Belichick script on the way, Mark Wahlberg's making it clear he's got dibs ... telling TMZ Sports he's dying to play the coach in a movie!!

The "Ted" star made no bones about it during a brief chat with us out in New York City this week -- explaining it's a goal of his because Bill's the "greatest coach of all-time."

Of course, the desire shouldn't surprise many ... as Wahlberg is one of the biggest Patriots fans on the planet -- and Belichick helped New England lift six Lombardi Trophies in the last couple decades.

Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson is devastated over his former teammate Rudi Johnson's death ... saying he wishes he had the chance to tell him he loved him one last time.

The ex-Cincinnati Bengals superstar briefly addressed the tragic news on the "Nightcap Show" with Shannon Sharpe on Wednesday ... and it's clear he was deeply impacted by loss.

"I just lost my dog yesterday, Rudi Johnson ... obviously the great memories we had playing in Cincinnati and all that good stuff."

Russell Wilson isn't ready to give up on his NFL career after losing his starting job to a rookie -- the new-New York Giants backup met with the media for the first time after being named QB2 ... and he made it clear he's still got gas left in the tank.

Wilson, 36, spoke after practice on Wednesday ... days after he threw two interceptions and zero touchdowns in the Giants' 22-9 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at MetLife Stadium on "Sunday Night Football."

The disappointing performance opened the door for Jaxson Dart ... who head coach Brian Daboll named the starter on Tuesday. Despite losing the gig, Russ isn't phased ... nor is he worried about his future.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt joined the TMZ Sports Live Stream on Tuesday ... and the Commanders star touched on a bunch of hot-button NFL topics -- including his fantasy football popularity!!

The rookie tailback sat down with Michael Babcock and Co. for the show -- which airs at 1 PM PT/4 PM ET Monday through Friday on the TMZ and TMZ Sports YouTube channels as well as other social media platforms -- and he talked ball for around 10 minutes.

He chatted about how he has "a chip on my shoulder" after going in the seventh round of April's draft, before he got into all the direct messages he's been receiving from fantasy football players looking to get roster advice.

Tom Brady is on the defensive against critics accusing him of having a "conflict of interest" with his Raiders ownership and Fox gig ... saying it's his duty to utilize his knowledge of the sport -- and anyone who doesn't see that is "paranoid and distrustful."

The legendary quarterback addressed the chatter in a newsletter on Wednesday ... when he spoke at length about the importance of doing one's job.

For him ... that means growing the game of football by sharing his experiences on Fox broadcasts while also assisting in bringing the Las Vegas Raiders back to relevance.

7:21 AM PT -- Cops tell TMZ Sports ... Rudi Johnson died by suicide in Florida just after midnight on Tuesday.

Former Cincinnati Bengals running back Rudi Johnson has died.

A family source for the ex-NFL star tells TMZ Sports ... he passed away this week.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin isn't sweating his daughter's allegiances after hard-launching her relationship with LSU star Whit Weeks just days before the teams square off ... saying despite her beau being a Tiger, she's still pulling for pops!

Coach Kiffin got in on the social media buzz after his daughter, Landry, shared a cozied-up photo with the junior linebacker this week.

"Happy :)," the caption read.

Jason Kelce was once a finalist for the "Sexiest Man Alive" ... but did you know he's got some major sax appeal too?!?

The Philadelphia Eagles legend joined the Baltimore Ravens' famous marching band on Monday night ... and he showed he's got the skills to delight thousands with a saxophone.

The former NFL center was front and center in the band as he did a bit for his gig as an ESPN "Monday Night Football" analyst ... and he looked like he knew what he was doing as he belted out the "MNF" theme song.

Tom Brady is speaking out after Dave Portnoy claimed he's getting $75 million to "unretire" and play flag football in Saudi Arabia  ... asking sarcastically, "who cares about facts right?"

It all stems from a segment on "Wake Up Barstool" Monday morning ... where Portnoy said Brady secured an insane bag to take part in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic with a bunch of former and current NFL stars.

Brady caught wind of El Presidente's report ... and asked the Barstool founder, "Are we just picking numbers out of a hat and reporting them?"

Travis Kelce has had a rough month on the gridiron … first slapped with a $14,491 fine by the NFL for making an obscene gesture -- and now clashing with KC Chiefs head coach, Andy Reid.

The latest incident went down Sunday night, when the Chiefs were battling the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium ... and tensions flared in the second quarter.

Here’s what happened … Kelce caught a pass for minus 2 yards, setting up 40-yard field goal attempt that kicker Harrison Butker missed. Moments later, Kelce headed to the sideline, where Reid was already waiting.

Madison Beer is really embracing her new role as a WAG -- the singer hit the Los Angeles Chargers game on Sunday to support her new man, Justin Herbert!!

The "Yes Baby" singer was spotted sitting in the suites at SoFi Stadium as the Bolts squared off against the Denver Broncos ... and even though she wasn't wearing a No. 10 jersey, we all know who she was there to see.

Beer, 26, was clearly having a blast ... flashing a heart-hand gesture to the crowd and sharing an Instagram Story of a young LA fan flexing for the scoreboard.