Football

The Cleveland Browns are dealing with a heartbreaking loss on Tuesday -- the team's live mascot, Swagger Jr., has passed away.

He was just five years old.

The team posted a touching message in the Bullmastiff's honor minutes ago ... saying, "We are sad to announce the passing of our beloved mascot, SJ. We are so grateful for his many years of loyal support and cherish all of the wonderful memories he helped create for fans young and old."

Oklahoma State star running back Ollie Gordon II, who scored 21 rushing touchdowns last season, was arrested over the weekend ... after authorities said they believed he was driving drunk.

In court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper wrote they pulled over Gordon's black 2024 Cadillac at around 2:30 AM on Sunday ... after they say they saw it swerving and speeding on a local interstate.

During the ensuing stop, the trooper said in the docs "an odor associated with an alcoholic beverage" emanated from Gordon's ride ... so they conducted an interview with the 20-year-old football player.

Prince Harry has key figures in his corner amid the outrage over ESPN's decision to honor him with the Pat Tillman Award for Service -- at least 2 former winners say Harry is definitely deserving.

Jake Wood, a U.S. Marine and former college football player who won the award in 2018, tells TMZ … the Duke of Sussex is a natural fit for the Tillman honor because of Harry's military service and his dedication to veterans.

Jake feels Prince Harry is a good choice because he's dedicated his life to serving and supporting the military and veterans -- Harry served 2 tours in Afghanistan -- and that should be commended because there are hundreds of different ways a British royal could live his life.

Jim Pons -- the man who created one of the New York Jets' logos -- is now suing the team and the NFL ... demanding he be paid for their use of his design.

Pons filed the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, in New York on Monday ... claiming he made the now-iconic emblem way back in the 1970s, after he had been working for the team as a film and video director.

Pons says in '78, the Jets were looking for a redesign -- and when he submitted his logo that featured a jet plane above the letters "E-T-S" ... team officials loved it, and began using it.

Jonathan Owens' day job won't keep him from watching Simone Biles in her return to the Olympics ... the gymnastics star revealed Sunday the Bears are giving her husband time off to see her in France.

Owens had been slated to report for Chicago training camp on July 19 ... and then play in the team's Hall of Fame Game against the Texans on Aug. 1. But, with Biles officially qualifying for the Paris games at the U.S. Olympic Trials over the weekend, the gymnast told USA TODAY those plans are likely to change.

"The Bears are actually granting him a couple days off from training camp, so he'll be there, yes," Biles said. "For just a short little time."

Sorry ladies, Sexy Dexy's off the market ... NY Giants star Dexter Lawrence tied the knot with fiancée Donna McCain!

Dexter looked sharp, rocking a dark suit for the festivities, while Donna stunned, looking gorgeous in a white gown at the wedding late last week.

While it was an emotional ceremony, everyone had a blast at the party! A bunch of Lawrence's current and former teammates were in attendance, including Christian Wilkins (they played together at Clemson) and Leonard Williams ... in addition to other family and friends.

Zach Wilson will soon step off the gridiron and into a stylish tux ... 'cause he just got engaged to his model girlfriend on an Italian vacation.

Nicolette Dellanno -- the lucky lady ready to settle down with ZW -- posted pics of the two together overlooking the water on an Italian cliffside just moments ago ... and check out the pics 'cause she's got a MASSIVE rock on her left hand.

Dellanno's clad in all white here -- looking pretty dang angelic, we gotta say ... and, she's engaging in a ton of PDA with Zach, holding hands and smooching under the moonlight.

Former New England tight end Pharaoh Brown says Patriots players had no idea about Bill Belichick's 23-year-old girlfriend last season ... telling TMZ Sports the coach never once brought her up.

Brown says Belichick was all ball during the pass catcher's one season in Foxborough this past year ... keeping things solely about football -- and not on how his love life with Jordon Hudson was going.

"One thing about Bill Belichick," Brown told us out in L.A. this week, "He's one of the greatest coaches 'cause he keeps it professional. He knows how to keep the main thing, the main thing, right?"

Breathe easy, 49ers fans ... Brandon Aiyuk says in spite of all the drama with his contract this offseason, he still wants to be in a San Francisco uniform in 2024.

The star wideout -- who's entering the final season of his rookie deal -- made it clear to TMZ Sports out at LAX on Friday that he's ready to suit up yet again for Kyle Shanahan ... even though he and the team have not yet agreed on a new extension.

"For sure," Aiyuk told us at the airport. "For sure!"

Kelly Stafford just seemingly took a huge swipe at some of her biggest critics ... appearing to blast them as "insecure men" -- while praising her NFL star husband, Matthew Stafford, in the process.

Kelly's been in the crosshairs of many haters this week ... after she confessed on the "Off the Vine" podcast that she dated one of Stafford's backups while at the Univ. of Georgia in order to make him jealous.

People flocked to her social media pages with mean remarks -- and after apologizing to former Bulldogs signal-caller Joe Cox for unintentionally getting him wrapped up in the drama ... she took to IG Thursday afternoon to apparently fire away at the trolls.

Trevor Lawrence is having the BEST offseason ... just days after he inked a massive contract extension with the Jaguars, the quarterback and his wife revealed they're now expecting their first child together!

Trevor and Marissa -- who got married three years ago -- made the announcement in a joint statement on their Instagram pages on Thursday ... sharing pics of them holding a sonogram.

"A little Lawrence on the way 🤍," Marissa said in the caption.

Randall Cobb's house was engulfed in flames this week, and now the veteran NFL wide receiver is sharing video of the damage, with the longtime pro saying he feared his vehicles were going to blow up!

The 33-year-old former Packers star explained what happened at his Tennessee estate ... where he, his wife Aiyda, and their three kids were at home at the time of the incident.

"First and foremost, we are all safe and healthy," Cobb said in an Instagram post. "We got out of the house and I was able to go back in and get our dog, Louie."

A sexual assault lawsuit filed against Dak Prescott earlier this year has just been dismissed.

According to online court records, a Colin County, Texas judge threw out the suit on Wednesday.

The Dallas Cowboys star's attorney, Levi McCathern, said in a statement to TMZ Sports the judge found that the suit "lacked merit."

Kelly Stafford is addressing the "media storm" that followed her confession about dating a Georgia backup QB to make Matthew Stafford jealous ... apologizing to the man some folks THOUGHT she was referencing in the anecdote.

In case you missed it ... Kelly appeared on the 'Off the Vine' podcast earlier this month, where she recalled how she landed her now-husband when she was a cheerleader in Athens. During the show, she admitted to going after his backup first to get his attention ... and, of course, the plan ultimately worked.

However, the social media commentary afterward was not about relating to Kelly and Matthew's slow start ... it was more on ID'ing the unnamed backup -- and many assumed it was Joe Cox.

University of South Florida football player Teigan Martin tragically died this week in a horrific car crash in Minnesota, officials said. He was just 20 years old.

According to the Carver County Sheriff's Office, Martin was involved in a one-vehicle wreck at around 5 AM on Monday on a roadway in Hollywood Township.

Police say when first responders arrived at the crash site ... they found a black 2013 BMW M5 that had skidded into a ditch. They ID'ed Martin as the driver ... and stated he died on the scene.