Football

It was a Seahawks reunion Wednesday night ... as Russell Wilson and many of his former star teammates in Seattle came together to celebrate Pete Carroll's excellent career the same day we found out he'd no longer be coaching the team.

The gathering happened at the Legions Sportsbar in Bellevue, WA ... several hours after the Seahawks revealed the 72-year-old would no longer serve as HC, but will be an advisor for the franchise going forward.

Wilson, who won a Super Bowl with Pete in 2014, shared a photo from the shindig with Carroll ... saying he is "grateful for all you've done for me, my family, teammates and so many others!"

Wilson -- a 3rd round draft pick in 2012 -- played 10 seasons under Carroll before being traded to the Broncos.

"One of the Greatest Ever," Wilson wrote on X.

"Keep Shooting” Coach. Grateful for the memories @PeteCarroll. Best is Ahead."

Wilson wasn't alone at the party ... Richard Sherman, Tyler Lockett, Bobby Wagner, Kam Chancellor, Sidney Rice, and Jermaine Kearse also pulled up.

Carroll told reporters during an emotional press conference Wednesday that he was grateful for his supportive wife, kids, and Seahawks organization ... and looks forward to bringing some "cool stuff" to the franchise.

Nick Saban is clearing the air on his decision to retire ... adamantly denying he is walking away from his legendary career due to the NIL era.

It's no secret -- the seven-time national championship winner was a huge critic of allowing student-athletes to cash in on their popularity ever since it was introduced in 2021 ... and now that it's resulted in massive checks for some of the top stars in the country, he felt it was just a fancy way of saying "pay for play," which could lead to tampering through the transfer protocol.

Deion Sanders' farewell post about Saban even seemingly hinted at the 72-year-old not being able to keep up with the NIL and transfer facet of his job ... saying, "The game has change so much that it chased the GOAT away."

But, Saban is shooting down that notion in an interview with ESPN on Thursday ... explaining that's not what led him to retirement.

"Don't make it about that. It's not about that," Saban said of the speculation. "To me, if you choose to coach, you don't need to be complaining about all that stuff. You need to adjust to it and adapt to it and do the best you can under the circumstances and not complain about it."

Saban feels like he's not alone in thinking the NCAA has a big issue on its hands ... adding, "I think everybody is frustrated about it."

He also pointed out Bama continued to find success in the NIL era ... but at the end of the day, it was time to move on and hand over the reins to someone else.

Saban did, however, open up on the challenges he faced this past season ... saying he didn't experience any major health issues, but seemingly suggested his age was finally catching up to him.

The good news for Bama?? Saban said he'll stick around and help with the transition ... which was made clear when he arrived on campus Thursday morning.

Aaron Rodgers está de vuelta en el programa de Pat McAfee, solo 24 horas después de que Pat anunciara que el 4x MVP de la NFL había terminado su participación por la temporada, ¡pues el jugador de los Jets hizo una aparición inesperada en las ondas de ESPN!

Pero los chicos se ciñeron a los deportes. Solo discutieron las salidas de Bill Belichick y Nick Saban de los New England y Alabama. No se habló nada de Jeffrey Epstein, Jimmy Kimmel, Anthony Fauci, COVID-19, o cualquier otro tema candente.

La visita, de unos 5 minutos probablemente, ni siquiera sería noticia si no fuera por el anuncio que McAfee hizo en el programa de ayer, donde dijo: "Los martes de Aaron Rodgers, la temporada 4, se acabó".

Pat continuó explicando que estaba aliviado de que Aaron no volviera más al programa, al menos, durante unos meses.

"Habrá un montón de gente que estará feliz con esto, yo incluido, para ser honestos con ustedes. La forma en que terminó, se puso muy ruidoso. Estoy contento de que no vaya a estar en mis menciones en el futuro, lo cual es una gran noticia".

El anuncio fue recibido con enfado por algunos aficionados, quienes percibieron que McAfee le estaba dando la espalda a Rodgers. La aparición del jueves parece poner fin a cualquier especulación de que Aaron y Pat tengan alguna disputa.

De hecho, Pat abordó algunas de las reacciones (dijo que estaba siendo "absolutamente aplastado") y aparentemente aclaró que Rodgers no iba a unirse los martes porque su temporada de fútbol había terminado y quería disfrutar de su tiempo libre.

Cuando Aaron se desconectó, Pat comentó su vínculo con Rodgers antes de seguir con su programa.

Aaron Rodgers is back on the Pat McAfee show ... just about 24 hours after Pat announced the 4x NFL MVP was done for the season, the Jets signal caller made an unannounced appearance on the ESPN airwaves!

But, the guys stuck to sports ... only discussing Bill Belichick and Nick Saban's departures in New England and Alabama. There was no talk of Jeffrey Epstein, Jimmy Kimmel, Anthony Fauci, COVID-19, or any other hot-button issues.

The 5-ish minute visit would likely not even be newsworthy if not for the announcement that McAfee made on yesterday's show, saying, "Aaron Rodgers' Tuesday, season 4, is done."

Pat went on to explain that he was relieved Aaron wouldn't be back on the show ... for a few months, at least.

“There will be a lot of people who are happy with that, myself included, to be honest with you. The way it ended, it got real loud. I am happy that he’s not going to be in my mentions going forward, which is great news.”

The announcement was met with anger by some fans who perceived McAfee as turning his back on Rodgers. Thursday's appearance would seem to put any speculation to bed that Aaron and Pat have any beef.

In fact, Pat addressed some of the reaction (he said he was getting "absolutely crushed"), seemingly clarifying that Rodgers wasn't going to join on Tuesdays because his football season's over, and he wants to enjoy his time off.

When Aaron logged off, Pat commented on his bond with AR before moving on with his show.

Robert Kraft says both he and Bill Belichick agreed to break up this week ... calling the decision to split a mutual one that was made "amicably."

Kraft just spoke with reporters about the move at a news conference in Foxborough ... saying the decision was "so hard."

"This is a very emotional day for me," the New England owner said.

Kraft told media members he was very grateful for Belichick -- a man who he employed to oversee his team for the past 24 years -- saying matter-of-factly, "he's the greatest coach of all time."

Kraft added that he'd continue to wish Belichick success ... joking that that stance would only change if and when Bill coaches against the Patriots.

Belichick also spoke at the news conference, and he confirmed that through a series of discussions with Kraft this week, they both did indeed mutually agree to separate.

Belichick thanked all of his former players, coaches and Patriots fans for their support the last two-plus decades.

Belichick did not reveal where he'll go next -- but he did say he's "excited for the future."

Neither the coach nor the owner took questions at the presser.

The 71-year-old coach first joined New England in the 2000 season ... and went on to win six Super Bowls for the org. In his Pats tenure, he piled up a 266-121 record.

The Bill Belichick era in New England is over.

The head coach and the Patriots agreed to part ways with one another after 24 seasons on Thursday, this according to multiple reports.

New England has not yet confirmed the news ... though it did announce Belichick and owner Robert Kraft will hold a press conference later Thursday afternoon, presumably to talk all about the decision.

Belichick first joined Kraft's Patriots in the 2000 season ... and it didn't take long for him to build one of the greatest dynasties in sports history.

In 2001, he won his first Super Bowl with the team. He repeated the feat twice more in 2003 and 2004. He later won three more rings with the org. too.

Almost all of his success came with Tom Brady under center -- though when the best quarterback of all-time bolted for Tampa Bay, Belichick's teams suffered.

In his first year without Tom in 2020, Belichick went 7-9. In the ensuing three years, his teams were just 22-29 (including a 4-13 record this season).

Belichick went 266-121 overall in his New England career ... and he leaves Foxborough just 14 wins away from tying Don Shula's all-time mark of 347 wins by a head coach.

No word yet where either side will go from here. Reportedly, assistant coach Jerod Mayo -- a former star with the Patriots -- is a leading candidate for the job ... though ex-New England linebacker and former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel will no doubt get a long look for the gig as well.

As for Belichick, it's unclear whether he'll retire or coach somewhere else ... though many have speculated a spot like the Los Angeles Chargers could be a good fit for him.

The designer who created the bodysuit that Jake Browning's girlfriend made famous at a Bengals game this past weekend says business has been boomin' since the 'fit went viral ... telling TMZ Sports she's now "overwhelmed" by requests!!

Stephanie Niles rocked the hell outta the all-white look while she cheered on her man at Paycor Stadium on Sunday ... and so many were obsessed with it, Taylor Damron of Elle and B Creative says she now has people beating down her door to get similar pieces made for them.

The designer -- who actually happens to be Niles' cousin -- says sales for the one-piece have been non-stop since the cameras spotted Niles in it.

"We never thought it would blow up like this," Damron said. "I'm overwhelmed with requests for similar bodysuits."

Damron -- who ended up making three Bengals bodysuits exclusively for Niles -- said the high demand is mostly coming from female gamegoers who want a similar look. She also said socialites have been hitting her up too.

Damron says the pieces take about an hour each to make ... and she's hoping one day Taylor Swift might be a customer.

"I would faint making one of Taylor," Damron said. "Maybe I'll slide in her DMs."

Taylor Swift will have to walk herself through a winter wonderland if she wants to watch Travis Kelce play on Saturday ... 'cause Arrowhead Stadium is already covered in snow -- and the forecast for the weekend isn't looking much warmer at all.

The Chiefs shared photos of their home field in Kansas City on Wednesday afternoon ... and as you can see, it's already looking awful chilly three days before their postseason kicks off.

And, according to meteorologists ... it's going to stay that way for the Dolphins game Saturday night, with temps expected to hover right around 8 degrees Fahrenheit.

There's been no official word yet if Swift will indeed make the trek through the snow to catch Kelce's playoff game ... but given that she's been to most of his tilts since September, it seems she'll find enough coats to stay warm while watching her man.

Kelce and the Chiefs, meanwhile, are 4.5-point favorites for now ... though considering the Dolphins play an up-tempo style of ball in weather that's normally closer to 70 degrees -- that number could certainly rise by the time the two squads clash.

Legendary college football coach Nick Saban is calling it a career ... he just told his Alabama players and staffers he is officially retiring, according to reports.

72-year-old Saban is undoubtedly the most dominant to ever grace the college sidelines ... winning seven national championships over the course of his career.

Saban joined the Crimson Tide program in 2007 ... going 206-29 and winning national championships in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020.

He also had massive success at LSU ... leading the Tigers to a title in 2003.

Saban briefly took his talents to the NFL in 2004 ... joining the Miami Dolphins for two seasons, where he struggled to have the same results at the professional level.

Most recently, Saban led the Tide to a 12-2 record before losing to Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

Over the course of his college coaching career -- which spanned from Toledo to MSU, LSU and Bama -- Saban led several high-profile players who went on to exceed in the pros ... including Trevon Diggs, Jalen Hurts, Najee Harris, Tua Tagovailoa, Amari Cooper, Julio Jones, Mark Ingram, Joseph Addai, Michael Clayton, Andrew Whitworth, Marcus Peters and many more.

Bama honored Saban with his own statue at the Walk of Champions outside Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2011.

2:05 PM -- Pete Carroll just spoke about the surprising move with reporters ... and he got choked up explaining how it all went down.

Pete Carroll's time as head coach of the Seahawks is over -- the team just announced the Super Bowl winner will no longer lead the Seattle sidelines ... but will remain with the organization as an advisor.

The Seahawks made the announcement minutes ago ... saying, "After thoughtful meetings and careful consideration for the best interest of the franchise, we have amicably agreed with Pete Carroll that his role will evolve from Head Coach to remain with the organization as an advisor."

"Pete is the winningest coach in Seahawks history, brought the city its first Super Bowl title, and created a tremendous impact over the past 14 years on the field and in the community."

72-year-old Carroll accumulated a 137-89-1 record at the helm since 2010 ... leading Seattle to 10 playoff appearances -- including the championship in SB XLVIII.

The move comes after the 'Hawks just barely missed the playoffs ... going 9-8 on the season despite starting quarterback Geno Smith missing time due to injury.

It's unclear if this means Carroll is done coaching for good -- if it is, he had a wildly successful career at the college and professional level ... also winning a BCS National Championship with USC in 2004.

"His expertise in leadership and building a championship culture will continue as an integral part of our organization moving forward," the team continued.

"Pete will always be a beloved member of the Seahawks family."

Aaron Rodgers' time on Pat McAfee's show is done -- for this football season, at least -- after the ESPN host announced Wednesday morning that the 4x NFL MVP would NOT be returning to his normal Tuesday morning time slot during the playoffs.

"So, Aaron Rodgers Tuesday, season 4, is done," McAfee said Wednesday morning, despite the fact Rodgers was reportedly supposed to join the show for several more weeks.

Pat continued ... “There will be a lot of people who are happy with that, myself included to be honest with you. The way it ended, it got real loud. I am happy that he’s not going to be in my mentions going forward, which is great news.”

Sources tell TMZ Sports this wasn't a network decision -- we're told Pat determines which guests appear on the show -- but ESPN is on board with the move from what we're told.

In other words ... this was McAfee's call.

Of course, the Rodgers spot on "The Pat McAfee Show" has become the most can't-miss segment on the ESPN airwaves, but it's also brought with it a ton of controversy, especially over the last two weeks when AR seemingly linked Jimmy Kimmel to Jeffrey Epstein.

Rodgers later clarified his comments, saying he wasn't implying the late-night host was a pedophile.

But, that didn't stop Kimmel from taking even more jabs at the quarterback Tuesday night.

Perhaps this indicates the war between Aaron and Jimmy is over ... as the Jets signal caller won't have Pat's massive platform to respond.

Rodgers, who has appeared on Pat's show for years, is usually a guest through the playoffs ... but that won't be the case this season.

As for whether the Rodgers spot is back for season 5 ... there's been no indication either way.

El tiempo de Aaron Rodgers en el programa de Pat McAfee ha terminado, al menos, por esta temporada de fútbol. El presentador de ESPN anunció el miércoles por la mañana que el 4x MVP de la NFL no volvería a su horario habitual de los martes durante los playoffs.

"Aaron Rodgers los martes, la temporada 4, se acabó", dijo McAfee el miércoles, a pesar de que Rodgers supuestamente iba a unirse al programa durante varias semanas más.

Pat continuó: "Habrá un montón de gente feliz con esto, yo incluido para ser honestos con ustedes. La forma en que terminó, se puso muy ruidoso. Estoy contento de que no va a estar en mis menciones en el futuro, lo cual es una gran noticia".

Las fuentes dicen a TMZ Sports que esto no fue una decisión de la red. Nos dicen que Pat determina qué invitados aparecen en el programa, pero ESPN está de acuerdo con el movimiento, según lo que nos dicen.

Por supuesto, el spot de Rodgers en "The Pat McAfee Show" se ha convertido en el segmento más imperdible en las ondas de ESPN, pero también ha traído una tonelada de controversia, especialmente en las últimas dos semanas, cuando Aaron Rodgers aparentemente vinculó a Jimmy Kimmel con Jeffrey Epstein.

Rodgers aclaró más tarde sus comentarios, diciendo que no estaba insinuando que el presentador fuera un pedófilo.

Pero eso no impidió que Kimmel criticara aún más al jugador el martes por la noche.

Tal vez esto indica que la guerra entre Aaron y Jimmy ha terminado, y ahora el jugador insigne de los Jets no tendrá la plataforma de Pat para responder.

Rodgers, quien ha aparecido en el programa de Pat por años, suele ser un invitado durante los playoffs, pero ese no será el caso esta temporada.

En cuanto a si Rodgers estará de vuelta para la temporada 5, no ha habido ninguna indicación en ese sentido.

La NFL sigue aprovechando a lo grande la historia de amor entre Travis Kelce y Taylor Swift, apodando formalmente a la estrella de los Chiefs "Travis Swift" en un video oficial publicado esta semana.

La liga lanzó el nuevo apodo para el tight end de Kansas City en un clip de YouTube que promociona la primera ronda de partidos de los playoffs entre los Chiefs contra los Dolphins.

En la grabación, que fue publicada el martes por la noche, se puede escuchar a un narrador explicando que Miami tendrá que "enfrentarse a Travis Swift Kelce" cuando se dirija al Arrowhead Stadium el sábado.

La liga luego mostró una rápida toma de Swift riendo y pasando el rato en una suite en uno de los partidos de Kelce a principios de esta temporada.

El video recibió una reacción mixta de los aficionados. Mientras algunos lo consideraron una falta de respeto, otros lo amaron por Swift.

Por supuesto, los Chiefs y la NFL han estado haciendo movimientos como estos desde que Swift apareció por primera vez en un juego de Kelce en septiembre.

The NFL is continuing to milk the Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift love story big-time ... formally dubbing the Chiefs star "Travis Swift" in an official video it put out this week.

The league dropped its nickname for the Kansas City tight end in a YouTube clip that previewed the Chiefs' upcoming wild-card round game against the Dolphins.

In the footage -- which was posted Tuesday night -- a narrator can be heard explaining that Miami will have to "take on Travis Swift Kelce" when it heads to Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday.

The league then flashed to a shot of Swift laughing and hanging out in a suite at one of Kelce's games earlier this season.

The video received a mixed reaction from fans who caught the quip ... with some calling it disrespectful -- while others loving it for Swift.

Of course, the Chiefs and the NFL have been pulling moves like these ever since Swift first showed up at a Kelce game in September ... changing their X page backgrounds and even making a Hallmark movie-themed game preview that had Swift Easter Eggs inside of it.

The Chiefs just dropped the full vid ... and it not only features a couple Taylor Swift Easter Eggs ... but it's also got cameos from Donna Kelce and K.C. stars Tommy Townsend, Trey Smith and Creed Humphrey!

The Chiefs are hoping to lure fans into their upcoming playoff run with a little bit of love ... teasing their first postseason matchup with none other than a Hallmark movie spoof!!

The NFL org. is expected to drop the full parody later Wednesday -- but on Tuesday night, they shared just a snippet of it ... and so far, it's looks pretty darn good!

In the clip, you can see Tyler Hynes -- a staple of plenty of real Hallmark movies -- working in what appears to be a Chiefs-themed store ... when an emotional Jannel Parrish strolls by and chastises him for his love for K.C.

"You're not just a fan!" she says. "It's your livelihood ... It's the Chiefs or me!"

She then adds before she storms off, "I hate football!" ... which prompts Hines to respond, "Amber, come on! Nobody hates football."

The clip then cuts out ... although the Chiefs promised in a social media post there will be more "coming soon."

As for who else will be in the flick, Travis Kelce's mom, Donna, teased that she's making an appearance ... sharing a photo of her in a white shirt with the comment, "my acting debut."

Of course, some fans are hoping the movie will somehow feature Kelce's budding love for Taylor Swift -- or at least have some themes of it.

So far, it's not quite clear what it's all exactly about ... but you can bet it'll almost certainly end in some sort of preview of K.C.'s tilt with the Dolphins on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium.

Brett Favre is Love-ing what he's seeing from Jordan Love ... telling TMZ Sports he's been wildly impressed with what the young signal-caller has done in Green Bay this year.

"All I can say is wow," Favre told us.

Love has come on strong over the last couple months to lift Green Bay to a playoff appearance -- something Aaron Rodgers couldn't do in GB last year -- and Favre says it's quite frankly blown him away.

"Right now," the Packers legend said, "he's playing as good as any quarterback in the league."

Favre openly admits he didn't believe the Packers had a chance to make the postseason prior to the start of the year ... but Love's play has obviously changed things.

Now, it's all got Favre wondering if the team could actually upset the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card-round this weekend.

"Dallas is going to be a tough opponent," Favre said, "but I'd hate to be the team that has to play the Packers in the playoffs."

Kickoff for the big game is slated for 1:30 PM -- and while the Pack are 7.5-point underdogs, it's clear Favre wouldn't be shocked to see Green Bay advance.

As for the advice he'd give to the 25-year-old QB heading into his firs-ever postseason tilt -- Brett says it'd be simple ... "Enjoy the moment."