Football

The attorney representing the female masseuses in the sexual misconduct cases against Deshaun Watson is also digging in ... firing back at the QB's counsel and filing 2 more lawsuits against the NFL player on Tuesday.

Tony Buzbee -- who has now brought a total of SIXTEEN suits against Watson in the past week -- took aim at Rusty Hardin, calling B.S. on the Texans star's attorney and insisting more evidence of wrongdoing against Deshaun is on the way.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Buzbee said he'll be releasing a copy of an NDA Watson allegedly asked massage therapists to sign sometimes before and after sessions.

Buzbee insisted more court filings would be coming as well ... and also had some strong words and some questions regarding the scathing statement Hardin had released against him earlier in the day.

"Alleged sexual misconduct is serious," Buzbee said. "Attempting to criminalize or minimize those that speak out or step forward is wrong."

"I have been asked to respond to a released statement by Mr. Watson’s counsel. My first reaction is that there have been so many massage sessions from Instagram that Mr. Watson can’t keep track of them ... I can’t tell you how many people have stepped forward to report similar conduct or provide information."

"That info will be released, again in public filings -- not in the media."

Buzbee continued, "My second reaction is a question: why would his marketing agent admit Watson had sex for pay with a massage therapist, consensual or otherwise?"

"We will also provide a copy of the non-disclosure agreement that Deshaun Watson and his marketing manager repeatedly insisted that Jane Doe (and others) sign after (and sometimes before) the 'massage session,' which she refused to sign."

Buzbee concluded, "I do appreciate Mr. Hardin’s professionalism and his words of support for victims, but would respectfully suggest there are many facts here, that we will put in public filings, that Mr. Hardin might not be aware of."

As we previously reported, Hardin accused Buzbee of orchestrating "a circus-like atmosphere" with the public lawsuits against Deshaun ... and adamantly supported Watson, calling all the misconduct allegations against the 25-year-old "completely false."

Hardin also released a statement from Watson's marketing manager, Bryan Burney, in which Burney claimed that everything that had happened between Watson and one of the accusers was consensual.

Mike Evans is fresh off winning a Super Bowl, but he’s not done making great plays -- the Tampa Bay Buccaneers star just donated $50k to help those affected by the winter storm tragedy in Texas.

27-year-old Evans is originally from Galveston, Texas ... an area that was heavily impacted by the storm. In fact, there were reportedly 3 storm-related deaths in the area ... and at least 25 others in nearby Harris County.

Evans says he was inspired to help the same community that shaped him into an NFL star ... which resulted in a $50,000 check from his foundation to the United Way of Galveston.

"The Galveston community has been so supportive of me throughout my career," Evans said Monday. "After I heard about the destruction the winter storm caused, I knew I had to do something to give that same support back.”

The money given to United Way of Galveston will be distributed in two parts ... $37,500 will be given to the families in need in the form of gift cards for food and other essential items Lindsey White, executive director of United Way of Galveston said.

The remaining money will be given to the Johnny Mitchell Boys & Girls Club of Galveston and St. Vincent’s House to help underserved children and families.

“We’re so thankful that the foundation entrusted us with these much-needed funds for Galveston families," White continued.

"Their decision to support our community as we’re reeling from the compounded effects of the pandemic and the winter storm will have a huge impact on those that call Galveston home.”

The awkwardness in Detroit is dead ... Michael Brockers says he's smoothed things over with his teammate, Jared Goff, after shading the QB during a chat with TMZ Sports earlier this month.

So, here's the backstory ... back in January, the Rams made a deal to send Goff to the Detroit Lions in exchange for Matthew Stafford.

Brockers -- who was still under contract with the Rams at the time -- told TMZ Sports in early March he LOVED the move because Stafford was a "level up" from Goff and the Rams would be better off.

"Is it a level up?" Brockers asked. “In my heart, deeply, just understanding what [Stafford] brings, it’s a level up [over Goff]. It’s a level up."

But, shortly after Brockers made the comments, the Rams traded HIM to Detroit ... so yeah, AWKWARD, RIGHT!?!

Well, Brockers was asked about the situation during a media session Monday -- and explained he's already spoken to Goff ... and they're good.

"I have so much respect for him and just understanding that, you know, that wasn't any shot against him," Brockers said.

"It was just trying to pump up the Rams fanbase as I was on the Rams team."

He continued, "I didn't know I was going to be dealing with free agency. I was really just trying to boost up the move that I felt like the team was doing."

"Just trying to boost up the fan base. I don't think it was anything against Jared. I even had to go text Jared away from the camera. Just as man-to-man -- I did not mean for it to go like that. I didn't mean what I said."

"As a man, I respect you as a player. You took me to the Super Bowl, it wasn't like that ... I respect every player and every player's ability in this league."

For his part, Goff said Monday he accepted Brockers' explanation ... saying on 97.1 The Ticket that he and MB are "all good" now.

"Brock's obviously one of my good friends and teammates. Obviously, I get it," Goff added.

Robert Kraft ain't bitter Tom Brady won a Super Bowl while his Patriots sucked this season ... in fact, he's HAPPY for his former QB ... saying TB12 deserved to win it all in 2021.

Of course, both sides took the high road following their breakup ... with Kraft publicly rooting for Brady in SBLV against the Kansas City Chiefs last month.

Now that some time has passed, New England's owner was asked what he REALLY thought of Brady winning ring #7 as his Pats went 7-9 and missed the playoffs ... and Kraft remains adamant there's no bad blood.

"Well, I was really happy for him," Kraft told Sports Illustrated. "He’s a great guy and he gave us 20 wonderful years, and he made the choice to do what he wanted to do."

Kraft admits he "wasn't that happy" to watch his superstar of 20 years walk out the door ... but understands that's what happens in the industry.

Since the Pats basically had ZERO chance of winning the SB in their first season sans TB12, Kraft explains he had to root for the guy.

"... If we’re not going to win, and someone’s got to do it, I’m happy for him. He deserves it."

"I’m not normally that polite," he joked.

The Pats have been busy in free agency in hopes of returning to the playoffs -- they're shelling out $130 MILLION in guaranteed money to 8 new signings -- and Kraft makes it clear last season's struggles can't happen again.

"We gotta win," he added. "And I think we’re in a better position than we were two weeks ago to do that. But we’ll let things play out."

"Childish ... They know they messed up."

Deion Sanders was PISSED after his opponent trolled him after beating his Jackson St. football squad over the weekend ... slamming Alabama St. officials in a scorched earth rant.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer -- who took over JSU's football program just a few months ago -- suffered his first loss of the season on Saturday in a 35-28 nail-biter.

And, after the game, ASU decided to jab at Prime over the L ... posting a throwback photo of the NFL legend on its scoreboard.

Turns out ... Deion did NOT find it funny at all -- and ripped his opponent for the move.

"We’ve got to keep it on the field and make it about the kids, make it about the fans," Deion said. "It’s not about me.”

Deion had Jackson State at 3-0 heading into Saturday's game ... and nearly pulled off the comeback win over ASU -- but the storyline afterward was clearly his postgame disdain for the Hornets.

Prime was not only upset over the scoreboard bit ... he also said ASU refused to sell tickets to his JSU fan base. The 53-year-old added ASU officials did not let his team into its locker room until just a few hours before the game's kickoff as well.

"I’m going to call them out on it,” Sanders said.

For ASU's part, its head coach, Donald Hill-Eley, said after the game he had no say in the scoreboard trolling ... explaining, "I'm only in charge of the guys with the helmets."

Deshaun Watson insists the only reason he contacted massage therapists over social media is because his usual masseuse couldn't work on him due to the COVID pandemic.

Multiple sources connected to Watson tell us ... the NFL superstar is still adamant he did NOT sexually assault any of the women making claims against him.

He's obviously been following the story ... but strongly disputes the claims made by attorney Tony Buzbee, who claims to be talking with 22 women who say they were violated by Watson.

Most of the women who have filed lawsuits claim Watson first contacted them on Instagram to set up a massage -- which they found surprising considering Watson is a pro athlete who should have tons of resources at his disposal to find established therapists.

But, our sources tell us ... Watson didn't just find these women out of the blue -- insisting when his usual therapist was stopped by the COVID pandemic, he reached out to various friends, teammates and associates to get recommendations.

We're told once Watson made contact ... he put an emphasis on privacy and spelled out the areas he wanted the massage to make sure the masseuse was comfortable and to ensure things stayed professional.

Our sources tell us ... Watson insists he never crossed the line with any of the women and still strongly believes they're being led by a money-hungry attorney who's looking for a payout.

There's more ... Deshaun -- who signed a 4-year, $156 million contract extension in 2020 -- obviously has the means to pay the women off if he wanted to, but he doesn't want to give them a cent because he's adamant he didn't do anything wrong.

Of course, Buzbee said during a news conference on Friday that he has personally vetted all of the accusers he represents ... and insists he's moving forward with their cases to hold Watson accountable, not to squeeze him for money.

There are now TWELVE women making sexual misconduct allegations against Deshaun Watson -- with 10 more accusers being vetted, according to attorney Tony Buzbee.

Buzbee represents the 7 women who have already filed lawsuits against Watson -- and at a news conference on Friday, he announced 5 more lawsuits are in the works.

"We are now representing 12 women and we will file 5 more cases in due course. We have spoken to more than 10 additional women, 22 women," Buzbee said.

To clarify, Buzbee said the additional 10 women all have similar stories to the first 12 ... but he's still gathering information before filing lawsuits on their behalf.

Of the 12 accusers, Buzbee says the women did NOT know each other before coming forward with their allegations.

The women come from different racial backgrounds -- 7 of them are Black, 2 Hispanic and 3 are Caucasian.

Additionally, Buzbee says he's been contacted by the Houston Police Dept. -- which is now looking into the allegations.

Buzbee says none of the accusers had gone to police before contacting his firm -- but says the "next step" is to submit a "package" of information to police, presumably to help launch a criminal probe.

During his news conference, Buzbee also shot down conspiracy theories that the Houston Texans were driving the lawsuits as a result of a standoff between Watson and Texans ownership. Buzbee says he lives near the family that owns the Texans but does not know them personally.

There's more ... Buzbee also notes that one of the accusers claims Watson assaulted her AFTER Buzbee had already been in contact with Watson's agent to inform him about a claim from another woman.

Buzbee says he's been personally sitting down with each accuser to vet their stories -- explaining he "wanted to make damn sure" the women were truthful.

Buzbee says the first accuser's story "certainly passes the smell test" and praised her as a brave and truthful person.

Earlier in the day, Deshaun's agent, David Mulugheta, broke his silence about the allegations against Watson -- doubling down on the notion the women are making up the accusations for "financial gain."

"Sexual assault is real. Victims should be heard, offenders prosecuted," Mulugheta said in a statement Friday morning.

"Individuals fabricate stories in pursuit of financial gain often. Their victims should be heard, and those offenders also prosecuted."

"I simply hope we keep this same energy with the truth."

In other words, Mulugheta strongly believes the accusers are lying and he's extremely confident Watson will be vindicated in the end.

TMZ Sports has obtained all 7 of the lawsuits filed against Watson -- and they're all very similar.

Each of the women claims Watson reached out seeking a massage -- most of the women claim he first contacted them on Instagram.

But, when they met for the massage therapy sessions, the women claim Watson became aggressive in pursuit of a sex act.

One of the women claims Watson forced her to perform oral sex on him, against her will.

All of the accusers say they never consented and felt violated. They're all suing for civil assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Buzbee claims he has text messages and DMs from the QB which back his client's allegations ... including an apparent apology from Deshaun after a massage session gone bad.

The first woman who filed her lawsuit against the Houston Texans QB claims Watson became aggressive during a treatment in March 2020 ... which ended after he allegedly repeatedly tried to direct the woman to massage his genitals.

In her suit, the woman claims a fully-erect Watson exposed his penis and "purposely touched [Jane Doe's] hand with the tip."

The woman claims she ended the massage immediately and began to cry. Afterward, she claims Watson sent her a text message apologizing for his behavior.

On Friday, Buzbee went public with the alleged apology text from Deshaun.

"Sorry about you feeling uncomfortable. Never were the intentions. LMK if you want to work in the future. My apologies."

For his part, Watson adamantly denies the allegations -- and claims he's the victim of a shakedown by an attorney looking to score a cash grab from his lying clients.

Deshaun Watson is now being investigated by the NFL -- the league has reached out to the lawyer representing the 9 women who are making sexual misconduct claims against the QB.

Attorney Tony Buzbee posted the letter he received from NFL investigator Lisa Friel -- who previously had a lead role in the NFL's investigation of Ezekiel Elliott. A league source confirms to TMZ Sports the letter is authentic.

In her letter, Friel states the league is aware of the 3 lawsuits Buzbee has filed on behalf of the female massage therapists who claim they were sexually assaulted by Watson and she's hoping to conduct interviews with them as soon as possible.

The league has invited Buzbee to be included in the interviews, if the women agree to participate.

Unclear if the women will cooperate -- especially while their lawsuits are still pending.

As we previously reported, Buzbee claims he's representing 9 women who are all making similar allegations against Watson -- that what was supposed to be an innocent and professional massage session turned into an aggressive push for sex acts.

Watson has issued a statement denying the allegations and insisting Buzbee is only looking to score an unwarranted payday for his clients based on lies.

Watson has not been charged with a crime or even named a person of interest in a criminal investigation.

However, the NFL has made it clear they don't need a criminal conviction in order to take disciplinary action against a player ... and that's exactly what happened in the Ezekiel Elliot case.

Zeke was hit with a 6 game suspension in 2017 following a probe into domestic violence allegations ... despite the fact he was never charged with a crime.

The NFL said at the time it found enough evidence to show Zeke violated the league's personal conduct policy, which the league claims justified the punishment.

The Houston Texans have released a statement on the Watson allegations Thursday afternoon ... saying the team will fully cooperate with the league's investigation.

"The NFL informed us today that they will conduct an investigation into the allegations made in the civil lawsuits filed against Deshaun Watson," the team said. "We will stay in close contact with the league as they do."

The allegations against NFL superstar Deshaun Watson are piling up ... a third female masseuse has filed a lawsuit against the QB, claiming he forced her to perform oral sex during a Dec. 2020 encounter.

The woman, who filed her suit under the pseudonym Jane Doe to protect her identity, claims Watson reached out on Instagram to set up a session.

The woman says the two agreed to an appointment at a Houston, Texas office building on Dec. 28, 2020 at 10 a.m.

Jane Doe -- who claims she was newly engaged and had just graduated chiropractic school -- says her mother dropped her off at the job, and then she met Watson ... and that's when she claims things immediately got weird.

The woman says Watson insisted she focus on massaging his "inner thighs" and "inner glutes" -- while repeatedly telling her he's a professional football player.

She claims Watson "got more aggressive" -- and eventually "coerced [Jane Doe] to move her mouth toward his penis, forcing [Jane Doe] to perform oral sex on him."

The woman claims she never consented to the sex act ... and actually "blacked out for a few minutes from the fear."

In her suit, the woman claims she was so terrified, she defecated on herself.

The woman says Watson got up, got dressed and left as if nothing happened.

The woman is suing for sexual assault, civil assault and intentional inflection of emotional distress.

It's the third lawsuit filed against Watson by attorney Tony Buzbee ... who claims there are at least 3 other women who will be taking legal action against the Houston Texans player.

Watson has not been arrest nor charged with a crime ... and has adamantly denied all wrongdoing, insisting Buzbee is just trying to score an unwarranted payday for the women.

JOEY CHESTNUT'S STILL GOT IT!!!

The food legend proved once again he's still the king of shoveling meat down his throat -- devouring more than 30 boneless wings in 90 seconds at an FCF eating competition ... all while beating out teams of massive football players!

The face-stuffing event went down Wednesday night just outside of Atlanta at the Infinite Energy Center, where the Fan Controlled Football league hosted its first-ever eating event.

37-year-old Chestnut -- the greatest eater of all-time -- was matched up against four teams of two ... which included squads featuring hungry-ass linemen.

Chestnut, though, was able to pound down more chicken by himself than every other team ... plowing through 33 wings in the allotted 1.5 minutes.

It was no boat race ... 2nd place ate 31 and 3rd place at 28 -- and even Joey had to tip his hat to the other guys after taking the crown.

"I knew I was going slow," Chestnut said, "but they were eating!"

Props to Joey for yet another win under his belt ... now get back to the hot dogs -- 4th of July is less than four months away!

Rob Gronkowski is finally opening up about what it was like when he found his Patriots teammate Aaron Hernandez was a suspect in a murder case ... and it's clear Gronk is still shaken up about it.

FYI, Gronk and Aaron were both selected by the Patriots in the 2010 NFL Draft and spent countless hours together in meetings and workouts because they both play the same position, tight end.

Of course, Aaron's NFL career came to a screeching halt in 2013 when he was arrested for the murder of Odin Lloyd. He was found guilty of 1st-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

"I was definitely shook when I heard that," Gronk said during the "10 Questions with Kyle Brandt" podcast.

"Because, being his teammate and everything -- you really don't see that. You're not really looking into players like that ... that's who they are, or that's what they're doing."

Gronk says Hernandez was a "great football player" -- but notes in the greater scheme of things "that does not mean anything."

Hernandez was also charged in the 2012 double murder of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado -- but he was ultimately acquitted in 2017.

Dontavious Jackson -- a former star linebacker at Florida State -- says he was called a "f***ing n****r" during an altercation on a flight Wednesday ... and then he claims he was nearly arrested over it all.

Jackson spelled out the disturbing story on his Twitter page late Wednesday night ... saying he was on a United flight when a "racist family" began harassing him.

Jackson claims he was called racial slurs ... but says "flight attendants just let it happen!"

"Unacceptable!!" Jackson wrote of the incident.

But, Dontavious -- who played in 43 games for the Seminoles from 2016 through 2019 -- says when cops arrived to investigate the altercation in Miami, they nearly arrested HIM over it all.

Jackson claims the family "tried to play the victim card, telling the officers I punched/attacked them which was a lie."

Jackson says witness' statements -- and video a person had filmed from the scene on the plane -- was the only reason officers let him go.

"The officer told me if it wasn’t for the witnesses I would’ve been taken to jail," Jackson said. "@united this isn’t right & I’m not staying quiet!"

Jackson later added, "Just grateful to still be a free man smdh."

We've reached out to Jackson and United Airlines for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

Jackson was a solid player for Florida State during his 4-year career ... logging his best season as a junior in 2018, when he tallied 75 total tackles.

One of the women who accused Kellen Winslow Jr. of sexual misconduct is now suing the ex-NFL star ... with the woman claiming the football player traumatized her with some disgusting acts at a gym in 2019.

The woman -- who was 77 years old at the time of the incident -- just filed the civil suit last month ... laying out in graphic detail how she says Winslow terrorized her at 'Crunch Carlsbad' in Southern California.

The woman says on Feb. 13, 2019, she was working out when she noticed the former Cleveland Browns player masturbating near her.

She claims Winslow then approached her, "made lewd and offensive remarks," and pointed "at his erect penis" and said, “Do you see this, do you like it."

The woman says she ran off, found her husband inside the gym and left immediately.

But, less than 2 weeks later on Feb. 22, the woman says she encountered Winslow again inside of the fitness center's Jacuzzi.

In her suit, the woman says Winslow got in the water, sat close to her, and rubbed her leg and arm without her consent.

She claims she ran off and notified fitness center employees ... who she believes called law enforcement.

Winslow was eventually hit with a criminal charge of lewd conduct in public over the incident ... and a jury found him guilty of the crime -- as well as rape and other charges -- at a trial in May 2019.

DeShaun Watson has been sued by a female masseuse who claims she was sexually assaulted by the NFL superstar during a session gone bad -- but Watson is denying the allegations, claiming he's the victim of a shakedown.

The woman filed her lawsuit Tuesday. Her attorney, Tony Buzbee, told FOX 26 in Houston that Watson was getting a massage from the accuser when the QB "went too far."

In an effort to try and get ahead of the story, Watson issued a strong denial late Tuesday evening.

"As a result of a social media post by a publicity-seeking plaintiff's lawyer I recently became aware of a lawsuit that has apparently been filed against me," Watson said.

"I have not yet seen the complaint but I know this: I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect."

He continued, "The plaintiff's lawyer claims that this isn’t about money, but before filing suit he made a baseless six-figure settlement demand, which I quickly rejected."

"Unlike him, this isn't about money for me -- it’s about clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that."

We're working on hunting down the lawsuit and contacting the lawyer behind it.

The timing couldn't be worse for Watson who's currently trying to force his way out of Houston so he can continue his career with another NFL team.

The Houston Texans issued a statement Wednesday morning saying, "We became aware of a civil lawsuit involving Deshaun Watson through a social media post last night. This is the first time we heard of the matter, and we hope to learn more soon."

"We take accusations of this nature that involve anyone within the Houston Texans organization seriously. We will await further information before making any additional statements on this incident."

Michael Pittman is a man of his word -- the Colts wideout did NOT give up his #11 jersey number ... forcing Carson Wentz to now take the #2 in Indianapolis.

A Colts official tells TMZ Sports the team's newest quarterback will officially change numbers this season ... after he rocked the one-one for his entire 5-year Eagles career.

Unclear why the choice of #2 -- but perhaps it has something to do with him being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft ... or maybe 1+1=2?

As for how Wentz ended up with the new digits ... the QB had called Pittman about prying the #11 jersey away from the receiver after the Colts made the blockbuster trade for him in February.

But, Pittman told us shortly after that call he didn't want any part of giving up his uni number ... which Michael says Wentz was ultimately cool with.

"I told him I was locked in," Pittman said, "and he was like, 'That’s cool, bro, because I’m probably gonna switch anyway.'"

Michael added, "He asked me very respectfully and I just appreciated him for that. I think he’s a great dude, because lots of guys with his status, they would come in and demand and stuff like that."

Wentz not only wore the #11 in Philly ... but he also had rocked the digits during his college career at North Dakota State.

Gerald McCoy's time as a Cowboy might not be over yet ... the defensive tackle says he's open to a Dallas return in '21 after an injury robbed him of his 2020 season.

"Cowboys are definitely a possibility," the free-agent McCoy tells TMZ Sports.

The 33-year-old was Dallas' huge offseason signing last year ... but a ruptured quad tendon in training camp forced the Cowboys to cut ties with him before he could play an in-game snap.

Now, though, McCoy says he's healthy ... and ready to help Dallas if it wants him back.

"I'm healthy now," McCoy says. "I'm just not at 100 percent. But, by training camp, I'll be 100 percent."

The Cowboys would presumably have interest in bringing him back on board ... their interior D-line was one of the worst in franchise history last year, and McCoy sure could help.

But, if Dallas chooses to search elsewhere ... McCoy says he's open to anyone who will give him a look -- telling us a return to Tampa Bay is something he wouldn't mind either!

"If a team wants me on their team -- they want a guy who's going to give them everything they got," McCoy says, "who's going to lead the right way, show up to work the right way and play the game the right way, then they can sign me."

"And, that team, I promise you they won't regret it."

We also spoke with McCoy about Drew Brees' retirement -- and the big defensive lineman who had a rivalry with the QB for years had nothing but praise for Drew.

In fact, McCoy says if he ever makes it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame ... he plans to shout out Brees in his speech!

There's more ... McCoy has VERY strong opinions on the high school basketball announcer who hurled racist slurs at the players for taking a knee during a game.

Gerald explains why the announcer's excuse -- that he was experiencing a diabetic episode which caused him to say offensive things -- is complete bullcrap.