Football

Ex-NFL linebacker Jonathan Vilma is going from motivating teammates to ... restaurant owners?? Damn straight -- 'cause the Saints great teamed up with Gordon Ramsay to try and save a local business!!

The Super Bowl champion gave a football coach-esque pump-up speech on the upcoming episode of FOX's "Kitchen Nightmares: Road to Super Bowl LIX" ... having a sit-down with Bonnie, the owner of Iberville Cuisine & Oyster Bar in NOLA, to help her get ready for the thousands of football fans making their way to the area for the Big Game.

The 42-year-old -- who is co-owner of "Vilma's" in the Big Easy himself -- said the duty of being in charge of an eatery is very similar to the head coach of a football team ... and his words will have you ready to run through a brick wall.

Matthew Stafford’s toughness clearly got passed down to his daughters ... 'cause his kids braved through illness to watch the Rams' huge Wild Card victory in person on Monday.

The Super Bowl champ's wife, Kelly, documented the whole journey leading up to the playoff contest ... revealing two of her little ones were hospitalized during the Arizona trip.

One of the kids even had an oxygen mask as they made their way to State Farm Stadium for Monday's kickoff ... holding a teddy bear and yelling "Go Rams" as they rode the bus to the venue.

Olivia Ponton -- Joe Burrow's most famous "employee" -- has apparently accrued some big PTO -- because she's currently soaking up the sun on vacay in a tiny bikini in Turks and Caicos.

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model -- who told cops last month just after a burglary at Burrow's Cincinnati-area mansion that she worked for the Bengals superstar -- ditched the Midwest for some sand and blue waters ... and check out a few images she posted from the trip, she's obviously appreciating the R&R.

In a small black two-piece, Ponton enjoyed several dips in the Atlantic ... plus some pages of a romance novel. She did it all with a huge smile on her face, too.

The Eagles have identified the fan who berated a female Packers supporter at Philadelphia's playoff game over the weekend ... and TMZ Sports has learned they've now kickstarted the punishment process for the guy.

Our sources say that just two days after the man in a green Eagles jacket was seen on video unloading on a Packer backer during Philly's 22-10 Wild Card round win ... the team has found out who he is and is currently determining how they want to handle the situation.

It seems a ban is on the table ... however, we're told, for now, the Eagles are still evaluating the situation.

Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson have split after a decade of marriage ... TMZ has confirmed.

Jessica tells us ... "Eric and I have been living separately navigating a painful situation in our marriage. Our children come first, and we are focusing on what is best for them. We are grateful for all of the love and support that has been coming our way, and appreciate privacy right now as we work through this as a family."

The couple first got together way back in 2010, and got engaged that same year as well. It took a little while, but JS and EJ finally got hitched in 2014 ... and since then, they've had three children together ... 12-year-old Maxwell, 11-year-old Ace and 5-year-old Birdie.

Brett Favre is admitting he was initially terrified to learn of his Parkinson's diagnosis ... telling TMZ Sports he at first thought "it was the end of the world."

Favre got candid with us about his much-publicized health battle last week ... revealing that when docs told him he had the disease in January 2024 after having some troubles with his right hand, his initial thoughts were pessimistic ones.

He said he believed "the world was caving in on me" ... and he wondered out loud how this all happened.

Jayden Daniels led the Washington Commanders to their first postseason win in 6,495 days on Sunday, but he might just be getting started ... so says former team captain and current radio broadcaster London Fletcher, who tells TMZ Sports he truly thinks the QB can go into Detroit and get it done this weekend!!

We spoke with Fletcher following the Commanders' 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ... and naturally, he sang the No. 2 overall pick's praises for his ability to get the team in the right direction in just his rookie year.

"There's times where they mentioned him with Hall of Famers," Fletcher said. "The Peyton Mannings, the Tom Bradys, the Drew Brees with some of the things that he's accomplished ... and it wasn't them accomplishing these things as rookies, these guys accomplished these things later in their careers."

1:00 PM PT -- Jerry Jones just confirmed he and Mike McCarthy are going their separate ways ... revealing in a statement Monday afternoon the two sides never even got to the contract negotiation phase in their postseason talks.

"It became mutually clear that it would be better for each of us to head in a different direction," Jones said. "I thank Mike and wish him, his wife Jessica and their family the best."

Jones added a search for the Cowboys' next head coach will begin "immediately."

Big congrats to Brittany Mahomes -- she’s just welcomed her third little bundle of joy with hubby Patrick Mahomes!

Brittany shared the exciting news on IG minutes ago ... revealing the couple's new little girl will be called Golden Raye Mahomes. Brittany added that the newborn came sometime on Sunday.

The pair first revealed Baby No. 3 was on the way back in July, with Brittany later confessing this pregnancy was the toughest one yet -- she's been dealing with exhaustion, sickness and skin issues.

11:38 AM PT -- TMZ Sports caught up with author Jim Murphy on A.J. Brown's viral moment ... and he said he's grateful the receiver is bringing attention to the contents of his book.

Murphy said he was aware Brown got his hands on his work ... but had no idea he was holding onto it so much that he had it on him during games.

As for whether he'd like to meet up with Brown, Murphy said he doesn't want to be a distraction amid the team's playoff run ... but provided some knowledge on what they can focus on to succeed even more.

Philadelphia Eagles star A.J. Brown went viral for cracking open a book right on the bench during his team's Wild Card matchup with the Packers on Sunday ... but he says it's actually nothing new -- 'cause reading gives him a sense of peace mid-game.

Clips of Brown's impromptu book club session quickly made rounds on social media ... with some folks assuming having his nose deep in "Inner Excellence" by Jim Murphy was a sign of rebellion amid his quiet day on the field.

Brown cleared the air with reporters in the locker room after the 22-10 victory ... and he said he always has the literature by his side on gameday -- it's just the first time it's been caught on video.

Travis Kelce's got Taylor Swift on the mind even when he's talking ball ... 'cause the Kansas City Chiefs superstar dropped a clear reference to his girlfriend during an interview -- and even did a dance to bring it home!!

Kelce got the Swifties' ears perking when he hit up the "Pat McAfee Show" on Monday ... when the former Colts punter lobbed it up and asked how he was feeling coming off the first-round bye in the playoffs.

Naturally, the three-time Super Bowl champ slammed it home by reciting a line from Swift's big hit, "22."

Wolf Blitzer is enjoying the Buffalo Bills' current playoff run like it's 1994 thanks to a TV that probably broadcast the inauguration of Bill Clinton ... but one company is looking to change that with a complete entertainment makeover!!

The CNN anchor showed off his setup on social media following the team's 31-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the Wild Card round ... and while he was all smiles, people had more questions about the way he was enjoying the game.

His entertainment center features a small Sharp TV -- complete with a DVD player and VCR!! With that being said, it's a bit out of date.

Malik Nabers isn't gonna let a division rivalry stop him from cheering for his friend and former teammate ... 'cause the Giants star was losing it in the stands after Jayden Daniels led his Commanders to a huge playoff victory!!

Nabers and fellow ex-LSU receiver/Jaguars rookie Brian Thomas Jr. hit up Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for the Commanders' Wild Card matchup with the Buccaneers ... and even though N.Y. and Washington go together like oil and water, the two set aside their employers for a night to cheer on their buddy.

Their presence was understandable ... as it was the biggest game of Daniels' fresh career -- and he delivered by helping Washington secure its first postseason win since the 2005 season.

11:00 AM PT -- The Eagles tell TMZ Sports they're looking into the incident.

A man decked out in Philadelphia Eagles gear berated a female Packers fan on Sunday -- clapping in her face and calling her a "c***" -- and at least part of the ugly scene was captured on video.

The confrontation happened at some point during Green Bay's disappointing 22-10 playoff loss to Philly at Lincoln Financial Field ... when Packers content creator Alexander Basara says he and his fiancée were trying to catch the game from some upper deck seats.

In footage Basara posted to his X page late Sunday night, you can see after refs changed a ruling on the field -- a man in a green Eagles jacket got in Basara's fiancée's ear ... clapped a few times, and yelled, "Short of the goal line, you dip s***!"

Randy Moss is clearly kickin' cancer's butt ... 'cause his business partner tells TMZ Sports his spirits are high -- and there's a chance he might even make a public appearance next week!!

Brittany Tolliferreo -- a chef who's gotten into the fried chicken biz with Moss over the last few years -- told us just days before she and the Hall of Famer open up their Crisppi's Chicken shop in Miami that Randy's been doing well ... in spite of his medical situation.

Tolliferreo said the 47-year-old has been "in great spirits" -- and she hasn't noticed much of a change in his jovial personality.

If Aaron Rodgers is stuck at a fork in the road, there's a Hall of Famer ready to provide some direction ... with Brett Favre telling TMZ Sports what advice he'd share with the New York Jets quarterback as he ponders his NFL future.

Rodgers is fresh off his second season in the Big Apple ... and it was anything but redemption after suffering an Achilles tear four plays into the 2023 campaign -- going 5-12 and finishing near the bottom of the AFC.

Despite the Jets' playoff hopes dwindling right after the season kicked off, Favre tells us he knows Rodgers has more to give the sport of football -- if he wants to.