Football

Taylor Swift stared all googly-eyed at Travis Kelce as the power couple walked hand in hand out of Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium Saturday night.

The pop superstar seemed totally enamored by her hunky beau Travis – the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, who rolled to an easy 26-7 victory with his teammates over the Miami Dolphins in the AFC wild card game.

Check out the video ... Taylor, decked out in her red Chiefs jacket, is totally glued to Travis, sporting cool sunglasses and black leather pants. In another angle from behind ... the two are holding hands as the back of Taylor's coat is in full view -- emblazoned with the name "Kelce" and his NFL number "87."

Taylor also made a grand entrance – as usual – getting escorted in a golf cart to the VIP area so she could watch Travis from her stadium suite.

Video shows her rolling up in her chauffeured cart, stepping out and strolling past security and a bunch of media types with cameras.

During the game, Taylor was filmed interacting with other Chiefs fans in the stands, cheering and high-fiving with them. She was sitting right next to Travis' mom Donna, and Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany -- who all did a little dance in the suite.

Taylor has been a regular at Travis' NFL games since they confirmed they were an item in September 2023 – and even before that when they were rumored to be dating.

Matthew Stafford better have brought his tough-guy helmet with him to Detroit this weekend ... 'cause Calvin Johnson tells TMZ Sports he's not expecting Lions fans to welcome their former QB with open arms.

Of course, Megatron says there will likely be some cheers and even some people decked out in Stafford's former No. 9 jerseys at Ford Field when the Rams visit for their much-anticipated Wild Card round game Sunday night ... but the Hall of Famer tells us, "I'm sure there will be people booing."

As for how Johnson will feel ... it seems he's feeling conflicted on how to handle it all as well.

"I'm definitely a Matthew fan -- that's my guy," said Johnson, who caught passes from Stafford from 2009 to 2015 with the Lions. "But I want him to come in here and come into the Lion's Den and not go home!"

Some Detroit fans, meanwhile, have already given a bit of a preview into how they'll respond when Stafford runs out onto the field later Sunday ... advocating a ban on wearing old No. 9 uniforms to the game -- something Matthew's wife was not pleased about.

Antics in the crowd aside, Johnson expects his old team will ultimately get the win over Stafford -- though he says the score will be very close.

Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are applauding Jake Browning's ability to fill Joe Burrow's shoes this season ... telling TMZ Sports the Bengals backup made it an "easy transition" for the whole team.

The former Washington quarterback's number was called after the team's franchise player went down with a wrist injury back in November ... and found some success under center, going 4-3 and helping Cincy finish the season with a winning record.

We spoke with the Bengals' top two targets this week about Browning ... and both guys had nothing but positive things to say about him.

"Jake came in and did his job, honestly, man," Chase said. "Him just being poised enough to get in there and have to piggyback off what Joe's doing or what he has done, it's not easy."

"Him having two elite receivers to play with is just going to make it even easier for him."

Higgins also pointed out how Browning got reps with the first stringers when Burrow went down with a calf injury in training camp ... and he did a helluva job rebuilding that chemistry mid-season.

"I felt like it was an easy transition for him and for us."

Chase added Burrow's impact was still felt even though he wasn't on the field ... as his presence alone "brings joy to guys' faces."

We also spoke with Chase about a fellow superstar LSU Tiger -- Jayden Daniels -- and he said he was thrilled to see the Heisman winner hold it down in Baton Rouge this year.

As for whether he had a better season than Burrow, Chase said there's one big thing that separates the two.

Noah Knigga is looking to give the people what they want ... telling TMZ Sports he's gotten a ton of requests to sell jerseys and merch after becoming an internet sensation -- and he wants to help make it happen!!

The two-sport junior from Lawrenceburg H.S. in Indiana went viral after the masses got wind of his unique surname (relax, it's pronounced Kuh-Nay-Guh) this week ... which, naturally, resulted in thousands of social media users chiming in on the phenomenon.

We caught up with Noah -- a three-star linebacker -- about his new fame ... and he says the whole experience has been life-changing.

The football and basketball star says his accounts have been flooded with people inquiring about getting their hands on some apparel ... and while he would love to fulfill the demand, Knigga explained he's gotta make sure anything he pursues won't hurt his eligibility with the Indiana High School Athletic Association.

FYI -- Indiana is one of the handful of states that has not allowed Name, Image and Likeness monetization at the high school level yet, so Knigga says he's looking to meet with officials before giving anything the green light.

Aside from a potentially booming business on his hands, Noah also tells us he's gotten a lot more interest from college coaches about playing ball at the next level ... naming schools like Indiana, Eastern Michigan, Kentucky, Northwestern and more that have reached out.

Tony Dungy's stirring up bad blood with the NFL's new golden goose in Taylor Swift ... essentially saying she distracts from the sport, which he thinks is a very bad thing.

In a recent interview with Fox News, the former NFL player/coach was asked how he felt about Travis Kelce's biggest fan, and he said the "Taylor Swift effect" takes away from on-field action ... going on to compare her to outside noise now infecting the game itself.

TD said, "That's the thing that's disenchanting people with sports now. There's so much on the outside coming in. Entertainment value and different things taking away from what really happens on the field."

Dungy's not some just loud-mouthed commentator either ... the guy's got credentials to back up his claims. Tony played three seasons in the NFL before embarking on a coaching career which earned him a Super Bowl title and a spot in the NFL Hall of Fame.

Of course, Taylor's been a frequent guest in Travis' suite at Chiefs games since mid-September and even showed up as recently as New Year's Eve against the Bengals. She'll reportedly hit up the playoff game in K.C. against the Dolphins tonight despite ice-cold temperatures.

We don't know if TS has seen the interview yet, but we have a pretty good idea of what her reaction might be ... if her viral Golden Globes stare-down of Jo Koy is any indication.

Remember, Taylor shot daggers at the GG host during his rough opening monologue when he said, "The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL -- on the Golden Globes we have fewer camera shots to Taylor Swift."

A seemingly harmless joke that didn't go over well, but Dungy and Koy seem to have the same point here ... Taylor herself isn't the issue. It's the NFL tearing focus away from its primary product, its own games, to grab interest from a new audience.

Gear up, Swifties ... Brett Favre tells TMZ Sports if the Chiefs don't make this year's Super Bowl -- fans WILL blame it all on Taylor Swift!!

Favre, of course, doesn't think it's right ... but he says, like it or not, it'll come if Travis Kelce and Kansas City aren't able to compete for the Lombardi Trophy next month.

"If they don't win it," Favre said, "or get to the Super Bowl, people are going to say, 'That's why.'"

Swift, needless to say, is used to it by now ... after all, people have deemed her a K.C. curse for weeks -- as her new boyfriend and the Chiefs only won five of their last 10 regular season games.

But, good news for her and the rest of Chiefs Kingdom ... Favre tells us he believes Kansas City -- despite being the No. 3 seed -- should still be considered the favorite to come out of the AFC's side of the bracket.

"Until Andy Reid is unseated as the champion," Favre said, "I have to see it to believe it."

Kansas City will begin its quest to win its second straight title later Saturday ... when it kicks off its wild card round game in frigid temperatures against the Miami Dolphins.

Browns legend Josh Cribbs has come down with Joe Flacco Fever ... but diagnosis aside, he believes the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award still belongs to Damar Hamlin ... telling TMZ Sports he believes the Bills safety earned the recognition after resuming his NFL career this season.

38-year-old Flacco has exceeded all expectations since joining the Browns in November ... leading Cleveland to a 4-1 record after Deshaun Watson and Dorian Thompson-Robinson went down with injuries.

Despite helping the Browns reach the playoffs, Cribbs -- who had nothing but praise for the former Super Bowl MVP -- says Hamlin's story is simply too special to pass on when the league recognizes players at the end of the season.

"Right now, I say it's Damar Hamlin," Cribbs told us this week. "He came back to life on the field. He came back to life to play back again in the NFL. He is a player who essentially lost his life on the football field."

Of course, Damar saw a bit of action in the 2023-24 season ... a special moment for the player and the entire NFL after he suffered cardiac arrest against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2.

"For him to have lost his life on the field and then came back, I definitely would give it to Damar Hamlin," Cribbs says.

The former return specialist gives Flacco his flowers, though ... commending the guy for going from "being on the couch with a beer" to becoming Cleveland's improbable hero.

Cribbs has full confidence in Flacco's abilities to take the Browns deep in the playoffs ... but even if they make it to the Super Bowl, he says it'll be Watson's team no matter what next season.

Cribbs backs his belief ... saying considering the Browns are paying Deshaun a massive contract, there's no way he isn't under center in 2024.

"Flacco is the now, Deshaun is no question the future," Cribbs said. "Not because of what he did in Houston, not because of what Flacco is doing right now. He's the future because he's got $230 million guaranteed. So, there is no discussion about it. He is the quarterback of the future."

Ryan Shazier is officially calling things off with Michelle Shazier ... filing for divorce from his longtime partner less than two months after she publicly accused him of cheating.

According to court records obtained by TMZ Sports, the former NFL star filed the docs on Wednesday.

No further details surrounding the matter were revealed, however, as a court has ordered the case to be sealed.

An attorney for Ryan declined to comment when we reached out on Thursday.

As we previously reported, Michelle went scorched earth on Ryan back in late November, claiming he sent raunchy texts to another woman.

The messages, she said, showed Ryan flirting ... before sending links to books filled with sexual content.

"Infidelity at its finest!" Michelle said in a caption on her post of the images of the messages. "I can't sit here and keep hiding anymore . You can have it. I deserve better. 🤍 This is Ryan… he’s a liar and a cheater!"

Ryan said in a statement to TMZ Sports at the time of the allegations, "Michelle and I have been living apart and are currently separated. As we work through what comes next for our family, I ask for privacy and prayers."

The Alabama Crimson Tide has found Nick Saban's replacement ... and it's none other than the man who nearly won Washington a national championship on Monday -- Kalen DeBoer!!!

According to multiple reports, DeBoer informed his Huskies squad on Friday that he was leaving them to take over the Tide -- just two days after Saban announced his retirement from Bama's head coaching position after 17 seasons.

Details of his contract have not yet been announced.

DeBoer began his college coaching career in 1997 -- and after head coaching stops at Sioux Falls and then Fresno State, he got the gig at Washington in 2022 ... and quickly turned the program into a powerhouse.

In his two seasons as Huskies head man, he went 25-3 ... and had a chance to win a national championship against Michigan earlier this week.

Of course, the 49-year-old will now have some of the biggest shoes ever to fill ... Saban won six national titles with the Tide -- and is widely considered the best to ever grace a college sideline.

Alabama reportedly also considered Texas' Steve Sarkisian and Florida State's Mike Norvell for the vacant gig ... but ultimately landed on DeBoer on Friday.

Cooper Kupp might've been in the middle of a playoff race, but the Rams star wasn't too busy to feed the men and women keeping L.A. safe this past Christmas season ... hooking up a bunch of Sheriff's Deputies with a massive serving of BBQ!

We're told 30-year-old Kupp swung by the Los Angeles Sherrif Department's Lost Hills station just before December 25, and he didn't arrive empty-handed. The standout wide receiver, on his dime, brought trays of food -- meat, sides, they had it all -- for the appreciative deputies.

The reason? Cooper wanted to thank the LASD for all they do.

Just dropping off the food would've been plenty, but to make the trip even better, Kupp hung out and took photos and signed autographs for anyone interested.

“Thank you Cooper Kupp for stopping by the station to bring dinner for the troops and taking the time to hang out for a bit. Your generosity was beyond appreciated. #weloveourcommunities” the LASD said.

Safe to say everyone had an awesome time.

It's not the first time Kupp’s helped his community ... he’s a charitable dude. CK has a history of giving back, even providing around 8,400 meals for food banks back in 2020!

The Michigan Wolverines' championship celebration continued at a children's hospital this week -- with Jim Harbaugh and some of the Wolverines showing off their new trophy to brighten up some patients' days.

The head coach and a few of his stars made the surprise trip on Friday to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor ... just four days after they won the natty by trouncing Washington, 34-13, in the College Football Playoff finale.

The guys had some big smiles on their faces as they brought their new hardware around the facility ... and it seems the patients were loving their visit.

One young boy who had on a J.J. McCarthy jersey seemed particularly stoked ... and it appeared they even welcomed the team with a congratulatory sign in Michigan's team colors.

The team and its fans, of course, won't stop celebrating their first title since 1997 anytime soon ... they have a championship parade slated to go down in Michigan this Saturday.

No, Travis Kelce will not stop playing football and ride off into the sunset with Taylor Swift after this season ... he just revealed he has zero intentions of retiring anytime soon.

The Kansas City Chiefs star made it clear to reporters during a news conference Thursday that he will not hang up his spikes once the final whistle blows on this year ... despite speculation from many online.

"I have no reason to stop playing football," he said. "Man, I love it."

Of course, Kelce kind of sparked the rumors himself ... when he said in an interview in 2023 that he had given thought recently to what life after football would be like.

However, Kelce shut down all that talk Thursday ... telling media members, "I just love the challenge [football] gives me every single day to try to be at my best."

Kelce is coming off of his worst statistical season since 2015, failing to record 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in seven years. He's also completely blown up off the field, starring on "Saturday Night Live" and in various commercials. And, of course, he's dating the most famous pop star on the planet.

Yet still, he says he's not ready to give up the game just yet.

Well, that didn't take long ...

Roughly 24 hours after parting ways with Bill Belichick, the New England Patriots have hired a new head coach ... Jerod Mayo!!

ESPN's Adam Schefter just reported Robert Kraft made the decision on Friday morning, explaining the team will formally announce the move at a news conference next week.

According to Schefter, the Patriots were able to bypass the NFL's normal, lengthy hiring process because they had written in Mayo's most recent contract that he'd be Belichick's successor.

37-year-old Mayo becomes the youngest current NFL head coach. He's also the Pats' first-ever Black head coach.

Mayo has spent the entirety of his football career in Foxborough -- he was picked by New England in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft ... and played eight years for the org. alongside Tom Brady.

Following his career -- which included one All-Pro selection -- he joined Belichick's staff as a linebackers coach in 2019, holding that role until The Hoodie's departure this week.

Asante Samuel is sending a message to NFL owners looking into hiring Bill Belichick ... warning them, under no circumstances, do NOT give him general manager powers!!

Samuel tells TMZ Sports given the way it all ended in New England ... Belichick's next employer shouldn't even remotely entertain the idea.

"If any owner would give Bill Belichick that power again," the former Patriots star said, "that would be crazy."

Belichick, of course, held both the head coach and GM roles for New England during his 24-year tenure in Foxborough ... and despite some of the greatest success ever during that timeframe, things ultimately flamed out recently.

Samuel made it clear he believes it all shows Tom Brady was the reason for the winning in New England ... telling us straight up, "One man, one player determined your success."

And, he says that's exactly why if Belichick ends up on a new sideline next year ... he shouldn't have a GM hat, too.

Samuel also continued his questioning of Belichick's legacy ... asking just hours after it was revealed Belichick and Robert Kraft had broken up, "How does a coach fall off?"

"Here's my thing," he said. "You're a coach. You don't have to be fast. You don't have to be strong. You don't have to be agile. All you have to do is use your mind like you always been doing and coach. So if you're so great of a coach, how do you fall off? You didn't lose anything!"

Thursday marked the end of Bill Belichick's reign in New England ... and according to Deion Branch, it also signaled the end of an era that will never, ever be duplicated.

Branch minced no words when talking about his former head coach just hours after The Hoodie and the Patriots agreed to part ways ... telling TMZ Sports, "To do the things that he's done within this era, it'll never be matched again."

Branch played for Belichick from 2002 to 2005 ... and then once more from 2010 to 2012. During that timeframe, he won two rings -- and a bevy of other games -- so he saw firsthand what the coach could do.

And, he made it clear it's something that he doesn't expect to see again in his lifetime.

"There's no arguably," the ex-wideout said. "There's nothing to argue here. There's nothing to argue. [He's] the greatest coach to ever coach the game of football."

In total, Belichick won six Super Bowls for New England, and piled up a 266-121 record.

Branch called Thursday's end "a sad day," though he said he was sure Belichick will roam another NFL sideline soon -- and catch Don Shula's all-time wins mark soon after.

"Is he going to coach? Yes," Branch said. "Is he going to be successful elsewhere? Yes."

Tom Brady is weighing in on Bill Belichick's departure from New England ... saying he's thankful he was able to play for the greatest NFL coach of all time.

TB12 shared his thoughts about the huge Patriots news in a lengthy Instagram post on Thursday ... saying Belichick was "a great leader for the organization, and for all of the players who played for him."

"We accomplished some amazing things over a long period of time, many of which will be hard to replicate."

Brady and Belichick were one of the greatest combos in NFL history -- they led the Pats to 19-straight winning seasons and 17 division titles during their time together.

They also appeared in nine Super Bowls ... taking home the Lombardi Trophy six times.

"He worked every day to help us achieve the ultimate goal, in the ultimate team sport," Brady continued. "And, although we were successful, some of the greatest lessons, I learned, were in the moments where we faced the most challenging adversities."

"I could never have been the player I was without you Coach Belichick. I am forever grateful. And I wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose next."

It seems to put an end to any speculation there could still be bad blood between the two ... as many believed Bill played a large role in Brady's departure to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.

Brady also had BB's back during the season ... saying the Pats' struggles were not his fault.

Belichick also poured his heart out at Thursday's press conference ... saying he's grateful for the 24 years in NE, the coaching staff, players and especially the fans.

"Fans here are amazing," the 71-year-old said. "So many memories of fans, the send-offs, the parades, the Sundays."