Football

Alix Earle's dad seems to approve of Tom Brady -- well, at least of his wardrobe choices ... 'cause TJ name-dropped the GOAT as one of his style inspirations after his influencer daughter was spotted getting cozy with the quarterback in St. Barths.

Ashley Earle posted the vid over the weekend, which initially started with her hubby criticizing her oversized blazer ensemble. Turns out the jacket she was rocking belonged to him … and he stole the look from TB12.

"I actually got that jacket because I saw Tom Brady wearing one like that," he said.

Tyler Loop might want to take some time away from the screen after his season-ending missed field goal ... as the trolls targeted the Baltimore Ravens kicker's Instagram account with hate following Sunday's devastating loss.

The jabs were shared under Loop's pinned post ... which announced his engagement to Julia Otto in March 2025.

Comments are now limited on the post ... but not before some fans were able to get to their words in right after Loop's 44-yard attempt went wide right to give the Pittsburgh Steelers the 26-24 win and a spot in the playoffs.

NFL Black Monday is here ... and the coaches are dropping like flies.

The Cleveland Browns are cleaning house on their sidelines once again ... electing to fire two-time NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski after finishing 5-12 in 2025.

The Orange and Brown made the news official minutes ago ... saying Andrew Berry will keep his job as general manager, and the team will lean on him to find the next head coach.

All eyes were on Stefon Diggs today, as he took the field for the first time since his personal chef claimed he choked and slapped her over a salary dispute.

While the Patriots already clinched a playoff berth and their division going into Sunday, they still have something to play for. A win against the Dolphins could secure them the number one seed in the AFC, which is still up for grabs.

As we reported ... the bombshell allegations against Stefon were laid out in an incident report which was released last week.

According to the narrative, the female employee first went to police on Dec. 16 and stated she was working as a private chef on Dec. 2 when Diggs entered her unlocked bedroom to discuss an ongoing text exchange between the two over money she believed she was owed.

Not only are the Ravens fighting to keep their season alive on Sunday, Super Bowl champ Jamal Lewis tells TMZ Sports the pressure is on John Harbaugh -- who could be coaching for his career.

We chopped it up with Lewis ahead of the last game on the NFL slate for the 2025-26 campaign ... and he says while the stakes might be high for Harbaugh, that's when he flourishes.

"Coaches make different decisions when their back is against the wall," Lewis said. "He's a great coach. He's done a great, great, great deal in Baltimore. He has a great legacy in Baltimore and he's done it, you know, he's got it done."

Lewis went on to say every good coach faces seasons with different hurdles ... it's all about how they respond to that adversity.

A parachutist at the Armed Forces Bowl ended up with an unexpected touchdown prior to the game ... or, perhaps "crash-down" is a more apt term -- since he went down hard after catching on the field goal net.

The wild moment went down before the college football game in Fort Worth, Texas Friday ... when a few parachutists leapt from planes during the flyover to land on the field -- all pretty standard fare for big-time matchups like this one.

While four of the jumpers landed safe and sound, one got a little too close to the net behind the goal post which keeps balls from landing in the crowd ... stopping his momentum and sending him plummeting to the earth.

One day after Stefon Diggs was charged for allegedly attacking his personal chef ... the Patriots' star defensive tackle, Christian Barmore, has his own legal matters to deal with -- as he is now facing domestic assault charges.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ Sports, a woman called the Mansfield Police Department on August 25 to report an alleged incident from August 8.

The woman told cops Barmore became angry with her after a disagreement over the temperature of their bedroom air conditioner. Later on, she said they argued over food the athlete claimed belonged to him.

The woman said she decided to leave and went to gather her belongings. She said she called her mother, but claimed Barmore took the phone out of her hand and ended the call. She then alleged Christian threw her to the floor.

Stefon Diggs' former personal chef claims the Patriots star slapped her and tried to choke her out over a salary dispute ... with the bombshell allegations being laid out in a newly released incident report.

According to the narrative, the female employee first went to police on Dec. 16 and stated she was working as a private chef on Dec. 2 when Diggs entered her unlocked bedroom to discuss an ongoing text exchange between the two over money she believed she was owed.

The woman claims during the conversation, Diggs became angry and smacked her across the face. She said she attempted to push him away, but he then "tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck."

She claims Diggs was behind her with his arm wrapped around her ... and she felt like she had trouble breathing and "could have blacked out" -- when she tried to pry herself away, she claims Diggs tightened his grip.

9:48 AM PT -- Attorney David Meier released a statement on the Diggs allegations ... saying they "are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated -- because they did not occur."

"The timing and motivation for making the allegations is crystal clear: they are the direct result of an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee's satisfaction."

"Stefon looks forward to establishing the truth in a court of law."

New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs has a lot more than the playoffs to worry about -- the NFL star is facing strangulation and assault charges in connection to an alleged incident earlier this month ... but he is denying any wrongdoing.

Diggs has been charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery stemming from an altercation in Dedham, Massachusetts on Dec. 2.

The Patriots beat the New York Giants on "Monday Night Football" a day prior on Dec. 1. Diggs had three catches for 26 yards in the 33-15 win.

A bad day for the Diggs family just got worse -- not long after news broke Stefon Diggs was hit with strangulation and assault charges in connection to an alleged incident earlier this month ... the Dallas Cowboys have now released his brother, Trevon Diggs, ahead of their regular season finale against the New York Giants.

The team confirmed the news on Tuesday ... which means the former first-team All-Pro will go through the waiver wire and, if he goes unclaimed, will become a free agent for anyone to scoop up.

While it's unclear what exactly led to Diggs being released ... NFL Network reported that it "was the culmination of multiple factors over time, including both performance and other elements."

When you're Taylor Swift, there's no such thing as fading into the background ... as the singer found out when fans spotted her in the corner of a holiday party pic featuring the wives and girlfriends of some of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Grammy winner hung back at Chiefs get-together earlier in December ... but she was still easily spotted among the team's women in a photo shared by offensive lineman Creed Humphrey's girlfriend, Ana Demmer.

Taylor's friend Brittany Mahomes can be seen in the opposite end of the pic in a blue dress. Unfortunately, we don't get much of a glimpse at Taylor's 'fit.

One of the biggest sports video game franchises in the world is seemingly distancing itself from D4vd as the Celeste Rivas death investigation continues ... with the singer's song getting quietly pulled from "Madden NFL 26."

The controversial artist's "What Are You Waiting For" was initially part of the popular football game's soundtrack when it was released back in August ... and was sandwiched between BIA and Alex Warren on the playlist.

Now, it's nowhere to be found.

Despite a rough year for Kansas City, Chiefs Kingdom and the Swiftes still made noise for Travis Kelce's chances in the NFL's Pro Bowl ... as the team announced Taylor Swift's fiancé led the entire league in fan voting for the second consecutive year.

The Chiefs shared the news on Tuesday morning ... hours after the submissions for the 2026 game were cut off. It hasn't been the best year for Kelce -- he has 803 yards and five touchdowns -- but we're assuming the voters weren't breaking down game footage when making their decision.

Of course ... we all know it wasn't just Chiefs backers who helped Kelce achieve that mark -- but also the work of the Swifties, who have also infiltrated the fanbase amid the Swift/Kelce romance.

Disgruntled San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk drew a lot of attention after sharing a video of himself driving by Levi's Stadium allegedly going 104 MPH ... and his actions have not just caught the eyes of those online ... but also the police.

A spokesperson for the Santa Clara Police Department tells TMZ Sports they are "aware" of the clip making rounds on social media.

"At this point, the video is being reviewed, and further details can be provided when available."

According to a local outlet, the speed limit on the road Aiyuk was seemingly flying down is 40 MPH, meaning he would have been driving 60 MPH over the legal speed limit.

Brock Purdy is in the giving mood this holiday season -- the 49ers quarterback gifted fans some brand spanking new cars and a whole bunch of cool items!!

The fourth-year quarterback teamed up with Toyota for the awesome moment ... bringing the families to the team facility to receive their new toys.

Purdy first revealed some goody bags, which included the team's new rivalry jerseys and a football.

12:18 PM -- Ryan Kennedy is coming out against the claims he reportedly used a slur towards Metcalf during Sunday's game -- with his attorney issuing a statement Monday afternoon -- denying those allegations.

"At no point before, during, or after the incident did Mr. Kennedy use racial slur or hate speech of any kind," a statement provided to TMZ Sports said. "The claims suggesting otherwise are untrue and are not supported by video evidence, eyewitness accounts, or any contemporaneous reporting."

"Despite reports in the media last night and today, Mr. Kennedy has not used such language during any interaction with Mr. Metcalf or any other players in the past."

The statement concluded by saying that, since "this matter will now likely be the subject of formal legal proceedings, Mr. Kennedy will not comment further at this time."

The Detroit Lions fan on the receiving end of a punch from Pittsburgh Steelers star DK Metcalf is speaking out ... insisting he simply called the player by his full name before the incident -- but DK is reportedly claiming something much worse was said.

The Detroit Free Press found the man in the stands after everything went down on Sunday ... and he told the outlet he was "a little shocked" by what happened.

"He doesn't like his government name. I called him that and then he grabbed me and ripped my shirt. I'm a little shocked. Like everyone's talking to me. I'm a little rattled, but I just want the Lions to win, baby."