Football

The woman who accused Matt Araiza of sexual assault has agreed to drop her lawsuit against the NFL player ... this according to the former Buffalo Bills punter's attorneys.

In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Araiza's lawyers, Dick Semerdjian and Kristen Bush, said their client and his accuser have reached an agreement that will require the woman "to dismiss her complaint against him in the next week."

"Matt is not paying the plaintiff any money," the two attorneys said ... adding, "and he is reserving his right to pursue the plaintiff's attorney, Dan Gilleon, and his law office for the harm that they have caused him."

The woman initially filed her suit back in August 2022 ... claiming that when she was 17 years old, Araiza and two of his San Diego State football teammates raped her while she was attending a 2021 Halloween party at the punter's Southern California home.

Araiza adamantly denied the allegations at the time -- and in December 2022, prosecutors announced they would not be filing criminal charges against the football player, saying, "There is no path to a potential criminal conviction."

Araiza's attorneys said Tuesday the agreement that he and his accuser reached was "bittersweet."

"Matt has been forced to defend himself for the last sixteen months against false accusations and a campaign to ruin his career in the NFL," the attorneys said. "He will never get this time in his life back."

Araiza was picked by the Bills in the 6th round of the 2022 draft ... though he was cut by the team shortly after the woman filed her lawsuit against him.

Forget pigskins ... Monday night's "ManningCast" devolved into an in-depth chat about butt skins -- and the whole conversation between Peyton, Eli and comedian Nate Bargatze was hilarious!!!

The talk about NFL players' cakes went down while the trio was helping broadcast the "Monday Night Football" doubleheader involving the Titans vs. Dolphins and the Giants vs. Packers.

At one point during the 'Fins game, Tua Tagovailoa's starting center went out ... which led to Nate asking the two former quarterbacks about their familiarity with backup centers.

The Manning bros then revealed they don't love the situation -- insisting they don't want to get too cozy with too many sets of their teammates' butt cheeks.

"It's a comfort area," Eli said. "You don't want to go around that area with too many people."

Added Peyton, "You kind of want your hands to be for one set of butt cheeks, Nate. So, you kinda don't really want to share that with several. You try to stay loyal."

Nate -- who recently hosted "Saturday Night Live" -- didn't let the conversation die there, though ... 'cause he then just had to ask if the Mannings could identify their centers' asses even if they were blindfolded.

"I could for sure," Peyton said. "I knew Jeff Saturday's butt cheeks as well as anybody."

Peyton -- who played with Saturday on the Colts from 1999 to 2011 -- continued with his butt talk, adding, "You don't want to use blindfold and butt cheeks together very often ..." before Eli eventually put a stop to it.

¡¡¡¡Travis Kelce puede haber perdido ante los Buffalo Bills el domingo, pero sigue siendo un gran ganador para su novia superestrella, Taylor Swift, quien le plantó un apasionado beso en la mejilla después del juego!!!!

Echa un vistazo a esta foto, Taylor aparece cerrando los ojos mientras sujeta la cabeza de Travis con sus manos y le da un cariñoso beso mientras él sonríe. ¡¡¡Travis es un tipo con suerte, de hecho!!!

La feliz pareja fue fotografiada en un bar para una fiesta posterior al partido de los K.C. Chiefs contra los Bills en el Arrowhead Stadium el domingo.

El estilista de famosos Patrick Regan subió la instantánea a su página de Instagram el lunes, junto con un montón de otras fotos de la victoria de los Bills 20-17 sobre los Chiefs.

Como saben, Taylor volvió a aparecer por el estadio para animar a Travis, y el fornido jugador consiguió 6 recepciones para 83 yardas. ¡No está nada mal!

De hecho, fue la sexta vez que la estrella del pop aparece para un partido de Travis - y, para aquellos que llevan la cuenta, los Chiefs tienen un récord de 4-2 victorias con Taylor observando desde las tribunas.

Travis Kelce may have lost to the Buffalo Bills Sunday ... but he's still a big winner in the eyes of his superstar girlfriend, Taylor Swift, who planted a passionate kiss on his cheek at the game!!!

Check out this photo ... Taylor closes her eyes as she holds Travis' head with both hands and delivers some major lip service to the side of his grinning face. Travis is one lucky guy, indeed!!!

The happy couple was snapped at a festive Christmas-themed bar for a postgame party after the K.C. Chiefs battled the Bills at Arrowhead Stadium Sunday.

Celeb stylist Patrick Regan uploaded the snap to his Instagram page Monday, along with a bunch of other pics from the Bills 20-17 victory over the Chiefs.

As you know, Taylor showed up again to the stadium to cheer on Travis as the hunky tight end recorded 6 catches for 83 yards. Not too shabby!

In fact, it was the sixth time the pop star popped up on gameday for Travis -- and, for those who are keeping count, the Chiefs have a 4-2 winning record with Taylor watching from the crowd.

If Chiefs fans are looking to blame anyone for the offensive offsides penalty that foiled their comeback attempt Sunday, it should be the Philadelphia Eagles ... so says Dean Blandino, who tells TMZ Sports their "Tush Push" play might have actually impacted the call during the Bills game.

The former NFL Vice President of Officiating said he believes refs are calling line of scrimmage fouls much more closely this year due to the nature of the Birds' "Brotherly Shove" play -- and that's leading to more calls like the one against Kadarius Toney at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday evening.

"You think about 2015 to 2022," Blandino said, "there were only 14 offensive offsides called in the entire league. This year already, with the Toney call, there's 13. So, it's definitely a point of emphasis this year."

That all being said, however, Blandino made it clear the flag against Toney was the right call.

"This was clearly a foul," he said. "The officials have to call it."

Of course, Patrick Mahomes vehemently disagreed -- he absolutely melted down after the flag was thrown ... calling it "f***ing terrible," while later explaining he wished the refs had just let it go.

Blandino said as a fan of the game, he understands the sentiment -- though he said that if refs call things differently based on the game's situation, it could have even more drastic implications.

"You say, 'Let the players decide the game,'" Blandino said. "The problem with that is you tell the officials that and then the officials say, 'K, we're not going to call anything in the last two minutes.'"

"The players, the coaches will understand that and say, 'Hey, we're going to get away with -- we're going to play more aggressive, we're going to push the envelope.' And then the game, it's going to be decided unfairly for a different reason."

3:38 PM PT -- Patrick Mahomes is sharing his regret over how he reacted in the closing seconds of his loss to the Bills ... admitting after going back and watching the video, it was, in fact, the correct call.

Mahomes did an interview with 610 Sports on Monday ... where he said his actions were unacceptable, especially how he treated Josh Allen after the game.

"Obviously, you don't ever want to react that way," Mahomes said. "I care, man. I love this game, I love my teammates. I want to go out there and put everything on the line to win."

"But obviously, can't do that, can't be that way toward officials or really anybody in life, so I probably regret acting like that. But, more than anything I regretted how I acted toward Josh after the game, because he had nothing to do with it."

Mahomes said he'll learn from the whole thing, as he wants to be a good role model to his young fans ... and he's ready to move on to his next opponent, the New England Patriots.

Patrick Mahomes showed a completely different side of himself after a controversial penalty eventually led to the Chiefs' loss to the Bills on Sunday ... going on a tirade on the sidelines and telling Josh Allen the call was "f***ing terrible."

Trailing 17-20 with just under 1:30 left in the game, Kansas City had a wild 25-yard touchdown play involving Travis Kelce and Kadarius Toney ... but it was called back after officials determined the latter lined up in the neutral zone prior to the snap.

The Bills went on to secure the victory ... and when Mahomes headed to the bench, he had to be held back by his teammates as he unloaded on the referees for what he thought was a BS call -- even throwing his helmet in frustration.

The tensions were just as high when Mahomes met up with Allen after the game ... 'cause instead of simply saying "good game" and trotting to the locker room, the two-time Super Bowl champ continued to rant about the penalty.

"Wildest f***ing call I've ever seen," Mahomes said while embracing Allen. "Offensive offsides in that moment, man ... f***ing terrible."

Of course, the consensus is Toney was visibly offsides prior to the start of the play ... and while Mahomes and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid aren't denying he was lined up in the neutral zone, they felt the sideline official should have either told the receiver to back up, or kept the flag in his pocket.

Mahomes' wife, Brittany, also shared her frustration with the call ... saying the ref was the real "MVP" of the game on her Instagram story.

When speaking with reporters, Mahomes said it was wrong for officials to "take away greatness like that" ... and it was "tough to swallow."

Reid echoed his quarterback ... saying it was an "embarrassing" moment for the league.

As for the refs' side of the controversy, Carl Cheffers said players can check with officials on their alignment prior to the snap ... but ultimately, it's their own responsibility -- especially because Toney's positioning was "beyond a warning."

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann have plenty of issues, and now the judge in their divorce case is cracking down ... ordering them to mediation in an attempt to hammer out a settlement.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kim and Kroy are being directed to complete a mediation session by a Jan. 31 deadline.

The judge says Kim and Kroy have "numerous unresolved issues" and thinks they could benefit from mediation through the county's alternative dispute resolution program.

Obviously, mediation does not always work or guarantee Kim and Kroy will resolve their issues ... but the court is at least forcing them to give it the old college try.

As we've told you ... Kim and Kroy are divorcing amid tons of financial woes, and there's been several police visits to their Georgia home over explosive fights.

Kim and Kroy also have 4 young children so working out custody issues through mediation may be no cakewalk.

The Wilson family just got bigger ... 'cause Ciara and Russell Wilson have welcomed their new baby girl into the world -- revealing her name is Amora Princess!

The Denver Broncos quarterback and the singer announced on their social media pages their daughter arrived on Monday ... sharing an adorable photo of the newborn.

"Amora Princess Wilson," the couple said in a caption on the IG post. "9lbs 1oz. We Love You so much!"

Their friends -- and millions of fans -- were stoked by the wonderful news ... with Serena Williams writing in the comment section on the post, "Omg i love her already."

Ciara -- who married Russell in 2016 -- broke the news that she was expecting back in August ... showing off her baby bump in a video while dancing to her hit single with Chris Brown, "How We Roll."

This is Ciara and Russ' third child together ... she had their daughter, Sienna Princess, in 2017 and their son, Win Harrison, in 2020.

Ciara also has a son from her previous relationship with rapper Future.

LeRoy Butler is loving what he's seeing from Jordan Love and his former Packers squad so much ... he tells TMZ Sports he can "absolutely" see the team making a deep run in the postseason.

We spoke with the Green Bay legend following the Pack's upset win over the Chiefs at Lambeau Field ... and he made it crystal clear to us that he's fired up about his old team's potential.

"We're so excited for Jordan Love," Butler said ... before adding, "Listen, he's on fire."

Butler then actually sent a thank you message to the New York Jets ... believing they did his Packers a favor by acquiring Aaron Rodgers in an offseason trade.

"See, now it's a band," Butler said of the Love-led Packers. "Not just a solo act. That's the difference."

Butler tells us he thinks the Packers' hot streak -- which now includes wins in four of their last five games -- will continue ... explaining he thinks the roster is too young to be affected by potential trap games or treacherous road matchups.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid says Kadarius Toney was offsides by an inch or two when he was penalized during Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills ... telling reporters his receiver failed to check with officials prior to the snap, but was hoping they would have given him a heads up.

Reid was livid following the 20-17 loss to the Bills ... saying he felt the officiating crew should have tipped Toney off before the play, calling it "embarrassing" the game ended in that fashion.

Big Red addressed the controversial call again with the media on Monday ... when he explained his frustrations came from a lack of communication with the officials, which he's grown to expect over his decades in the NFL.

Regardless, he was not using the controversial call as an excuse for how the game played out.

"I've been doing this a long time," Reid said. "This isn't an excuse. It's a working relationship. That part is so important in this thing. You see it on both sides. You give the head coach a heads-up. That's what I was really trying to get across."

Reid said he reviewed the game tape and admitted Toney was past the line of scrimmage ... and he will make sure the receiver checks with officials moving forward.

N.Y. Jets fans may have an early Christmas present under the tree ... a healthy Aaron Rodgers, who our sources tell us is expected to be cleared medically for game action before Gang Green's December 24 contest against the Commanders!

Then, it'll be up to the coaches and team execs to decide whether the 4x NFL MVP plays.

We're told barring an unexpected setback, Rodgers will be given the all-clear before the week 16 game against the NFC East team at MetLife Stadium in Jersey.

Of course, Rodgers ruptured his Achilles on September 11, just 4 plays into his Jets career. On September 13, just days later, AR had cutting-edge surgery to repair the injury in Los Angeles.

The injury typically takes professional athletes around 9 months to return to play. If Rodgers comes back on 12/24, it'll be just 104 days after sustaining the devastating injury.

Needless to say, if the Jets allow him to play, Aaron, who has been practicing with his teammates since late November, will complete the fastest-recorded recovery of a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Despite being given the go-ahead from the medical folks, it's possible the team still doesn't allow Rodgers to play ... depending on their playoff prospects.

The Jets, who beat the Texans behind Zach Wilson on Sunday, are still just 5-8 ... and are looking up at 6 teams between them and a playoff birth. The reality is the Jets likely need to win out to have a chance at the postseason.

N.Y. plays the 9-3 Dolphins on Sunday ... and whether Aaron plays the following week could come down to if the team wins or loses that game.

LSU superstar Jayden Daniels was on top of the world after winning the Heisman Trophy on Saturday ... and he ate like it, too -- hitting up a New York City hot spot to celebrate the accomplishment with a fancy dinner!!

TMZ Sports is told ... college football's top player and 12 of his closest family members and friends hit up Sei Less restaurant around 11:30 PM on Saturday ... getting a private room for the occasion.

We're told Daniels' crew chowed down on all the best food on the menu ... including king crab legs, chicken satay, rock shrimp tempura and Beijing chicken.

Our sources say Daniels and Co. also had a celebratory toast with Ace of Spade champagne ... and they were able to enjoy their night an hour past the joint's usual closing time.

The quarterback also got the superstar treatment ... putting his signature on a plate, which is a tradition at the establishment -- and posing for a pic with restaurant founder Dara Mirjahangiry.

10:02 AM PT -- A spokesperson for the Arlington Police Department tells TMZ Sports ... no arrests were made, explaining, "it does not appear either of the men involved or the vendor whose items were knocked over contacted us to file a report with us."

Two fans at the Cowboys vs. Eagles game got into a wild brawl ... and things turned so violent during the fight, the combatants almost destroyed thousands of dollars worth of memorabilia.

The scrap went down during the Cowboys' win over Philadelphia ... when a man wearing a Raiders Michael Crabtree jersey got into it with a Dallas fan.

It's unclear what started it all ... but video from the scene shows the two were throwing some serious haymakers at each other -- before they spilled into a pop-up shop full of rare, signed jerseys, photos and more.

Thankfully, while the two were going at it, none of the items appeared to be damaged.

The guys, however, continued to slug each other even after they moved on from the memorabilia tent ... punching each other in the face over and over again.

No word on if any arrests were made -- the footage of the tilt cut out before the fight concluded -- but it seems bystanders ultimately stepped in to calm things down.

As for the action on the field at AT&T Stadium -- there wasn't much of a fight there ... the Cowboys won by 20 in a game that never really felt close.

10:02 AM PT -- Un portavoz del Departamento de Policía de Arlington le dice a TMZ Sports que no hubo arrestos, explicando, "no parece que ninguno de los hombres involucrados o el vendedor cuyos artículos fueron derribados en contacto con nosotros para presentar un informe con nosotros".

Dos aficionados protagonizaron una pelea durante el juego de los Cowboys vs. Eagles y las cosas se pusieron tan violentas durante la lucha que los combatientes destruyeron miles de dólares en recuerdos.

La pelea se produjo durante la victoria de los Cowboys sobre Philadelphia, cuando un hombre que llevaba una camiseta de Michael Crabtree de los Raiders se enzarzó con un aficionado de Dallas.

No está claro lo que empezó el conflicto, pero el video de la escena muestra que los dos estaban lanzando algunos golpes antes de que la pelea se trasladara a una tienda pop-up llena de rarezas, camisetas firmadas, fotos y mucho más.

Afortunadamente ninguno de los artículos se dañó.

Los chicos, sin embargo, continuaron golpeándose incluso después de salir de la tienda de recuerdos, lastimándose la cara una y otra vez.

No se sabe si hubo detenciones (las imágenes de la pelea se cortaron antes de que concluyera), pero parece que los transeúntes acabaron interviniendo para calmar los ánimos.

En cuanto a la acción en el campo.. los Cowboys ganaron por 20 en un juego que nunca se sintió realmente cerca.

Travis Kelce may have been a loser on the field on Sunday night, but off of it, he continued his winning ways, leaving Arrowhead Stadium hand in hand with Taylor Swift.

The Chiefs superstar's girlfriend was in attendance for his game against the Buffalo Bills for the second straight weekend ... and while Kelce and Kansas City couldn't pull out the win at home, Swift was there to console him afterward.

She was spotted grabbing his hand and chatting with him following the 20-17 L ... some TLC we're sure he could use, given the controversial way the Chiefs lost.

Despite an offsides call that ruined the afternoon for the Chiefs ... the tight end still played solidly, recording six catches for 83 yards.

Swift was seen on the broadcast cheering him on often ... and, at one point during the game, announcer Tony Romo actually referred to her as Kelce's "wife" -- a verbal flub he quickly corrected.

The NFL contest was the sixth one Swift has attended this season -- and if you're keeping score at home, the Chiefs are now 4-2 with her in attendance.

Next weekend's LA Bowl will have it all -- football, food, booze ... and Rob Gronkowski singing?!?!

It's true ... at least, that's according to the ex-NFL star, who tells TMZ Sports he's slated to be on the microphone when it comes time to belt out the national anthem before the big game's kickoff.

The former Patriots tight end, though, said it won't be a solo act ... explaining to us the New Directions Veterans Choir will be there to help him get through it.

"It's kind of like I'm the quarterback," Gronkowski said, "and I have the best offensive line in front of me so they can make me look good."

Gronk says he'll certainly be in need of the assistance ... telling us that when he performed the song recently for the bowl game's committee -- which included his good pal Julian Edelman -- it was met with some rotten reviews.

"I got to keep practicing," he admitted.

Outside of Gronkowski's vocals, the game -- which will pit UCLA against Boise State at SoFi Stadium on Dec. 16 -- will feature a whole lot of other fun activities ... including a dance cam and a special Gronk-themed drink.

As for why the future Hall of Famer will be so prominently displayed during the college football matchup ... he's actually the game's host -- explaining to us that he took the role from Jimmy Kimmel after he found out the LA Bowl (formerly the Las Vegas Bowl) was the final game he played in when he was a student-athlete at U of A.