Football

It's pretty simple -- you win the natty, they back up the Brinks trucks to your driveway ... and that's exactly what happened for LSU head coach Ed Orgeron!!

Coach O and the Tigers are still basking in their glory following the 42-25 win over Clemson in the College Football Playoff championship game ... and as a result, LSU's beloved leader got a MAJOR pay raise.

How good of a raise?? O just agreed to a 6-year deal exceeding $42 MILLION.

It's not the lifetime contract Joe Burrow called for in his Heisman acceptance speech ... but THINK OF ALL THE CRAWFISH YOU CAN BUY WITH THAT KINDA MONEY!!!!

LSU athletic director Scott Woodward spoke about the decision, saying "Coach O has set a new standard at LSU."

"He has proven that he is not only a championship coach, but also a leader of a program committed to doing things the right way. He has represented our institution and our state with great pride, on and off the field of play."

"He is well-deserving of this new contract, which should make clear our commitment to Coach O and the direction of our football program."

O's initial salary when he got the gig was $3.5 million a year ... and he eventually got bumped up to $4 million earlier this year. Orgeron was tied for the 28th highest-paid coach in college ball.

Now, Orgeron will be one of the highest-paid football coaches in the NCAA ... right behind names like Dabo Swinney, Jimbo Fisher, Nick Saban and Jim Harbaugh.

Looks like O won't have to do any local Hummer commercials anymore.

AFC teams ain't going to like this ...

Chiefs legend Willie Roaf says the conference is going to have to deal with Patrick Mahomes for AT LEAST the next decade ... telling TMZ Sports the QB is going to be a star for the next 10-12 years!!

"Mahomes is like [Tom] Brady," Roaf says.

Of course, Roaf's prediction is horrible news for everyone not in Chiefs Kingdom ... because Mahomes is doing things in his second year as a starter that most QBs NEVER do.

The guy already has an MVP, he's heading to his first Super Bowl next week ... AND he's thrown 76 TDs to just 18 interceptions in his 31 career starts.

"He's one of the first in the locker room, he's the last to leave, he's a perfectionist and he wants to be the best," Roaf says of Mahomes.

"They got blessed with having him and that kid can play for another 10, 12 years at this level if he takes care of himself."

Sterling Shepard says Eli Manning is a no-doubt Hall of Famer ... telling TMZ Sports the New York Giants legend is going to Canton on the FIRST BALLOT!!!

"For sure!" Shepard says.

Of course, Sterling's a bit biased ... the star wide receiver has spent most of his career catching passes from Eli -- but he tells us Manning truly deserves the honor.

"He meant a lot [to New York]," Shepard says. "He meant a lot to me and my career."

Eli just announced his retirement after 16 seasons Wednesday ... and the debate about his Hall of Fame candidacy is already raging strong.

Some feel like his two Super Bowl MVPs punch his ticket regardless of the rest of his resume ... while others feel his up-and-down regular season plays weren't good enough.

It's all over for Eli Manning ... the NY Giants QB just announced his retirement after 16 seasons in the NFL.

Giants co-owner John Mara says, "For 16 seasons, Eli Manning defined what it is to be a New York Giant both on and off the field."

"Eli is our only two-time Super Bowl MVP and one of the very best players in our franchise’s history. He represented our franchise as a consummate professional with dignity and accountability."

"It meant something to Eli to be the Giants' quarterback, and it meant even more to us. We are beyond grateful for his contributions to our organization and look forward to celebrating his induction into the Giants Ring of Honor in the near future."

There was some talk Eli could be looking to sign with another team and try to play a few more years ... but that seems unlikely now, with Manning set to hold a farewell presser.

The next big question for Eli ... will he end up in Canton?

Besides the 2 Super Bowl victories and MVP awards -- both against Tom Brady's Patriots -- Eli was also a 4-time Pro Bowler and started at QB for 210 games, 13 seasons! He's ranked 7th all-time in career passing TDs with 366.

On the flip side, Manning is 12th all-time for career interceptions with 244.

Antonio Brown is in "desperate" need of "mental health treatment" -- so says the mother of his children who claims she's taking the kids and building a new life without the NFL star.

"Over the last few years I have stood at the side of my children’s father Antonio Brown and watched the rise and fall of an incredible man and athlete," Chelsie Kyriss said in an emotional Instagram post.

"Our children and I have distanced ourselves from him and our former home. Although we have parted ways I wish nothing but the best for him."

"Unfortunately, it seems Antonio has made questionable choices and continues to ignore the advice of those who love and support him."

Kyriss is obviously referencing the new assault allegations dogging AB -- after he allegedly attacked a moving truck driver outside of his Florida home on Tuesday.

Cops say AB is a suspect and they're working on getting an arrest warrant.

Ex-Mississippi St. star WR De'Runnya Wilson -- Dak Prescott's top target with the Bulldogs -- was found dead Tuesday ... and cops believe he might have been murdered.

Birmingham Police say 25-year-old Wilson was discovered unresponsive by a relative inside an Alabama home this week ... and once cops arrived, they say they discovered signs of foul play.

"Currently we are in the homicide investigation mode," a Birmingham PD spokesperson said. "And, there are limited details on this investigation."

A cause of death for Wilson has not yet been revealed.

Wilson was a stud at Mississippi State from 2013 to 2015 -- the same years Prescott earned Heisman Trophy candidate recognition -- scoring 22 TDs and piling up 1,936 receiving yards on 132 catches.

He left the Bulldogs early to enter the 2016 NFL Draft ... and after he wasn't picked, he later caught on with the Arena Football League.

Mississippi State said in a statement Tuesday, "Tonight, we mourn the loss of former Bulldog De’Runnya Wilson."

NFL great Asante Samuel says Darrelle Revis' critique of Richard Sherman is straight-up stupid ... 'cause the only thing that matters is winning, and the 49ers are headed to the Super Bowl.

The backstory ... 34-year-old Revis -- a 7x Pro Bowler who last played in 2017 -- took a shot at Sherman during the NFC Championship game ... blasting him after he was beaten by Packers star Davante Adams.

After the game, 31-year-old Sherman caught wind of Revis' message and fired back.

So, who's right, who's wrong? We asked another former great defensive back -- 4x Pro Bowler and 2x Super Bowl champ -- Asante Samuel.

"It's really a crazy stupid debate in my opinion. It's like, you're saying you want him to stick the best man on the team, for what? For his own selfish purpose? What are you saying?" ... Samuel tells TMZ Sports.

"They won the game. The game plan is to go out there and win. They shut 'em down. He balled out."

Asante says corners who travel all over the field, following the other team's top receiver means nothing ... 'cause what matters is production -- a.k.a. interceptions.

"Too many can't do what me and Richard Sherman doing. You understand what I'm saying? I got 50 picks in 10 years. Richard Sherman, if he wouldn't have torn his Achilles, he'd probably be right there knocking on the door."

Samuel continued ... and might've thrown a little shade Revis' way.

"If you ain't productive, that's the end of the discussion. You ain't the top if you ain't productive. They can hype you up and say whatever they want, but 20 picks, 30 picks in a career is very average."

FYI, Darrelle finished his career with 29 interceptions.

The Game went home HAPPY AF Sunday night for 2 reasons --- his beloved 49ers punched their ticket to the Super Bowl ... and he won $10,000 off of a bet!!!

TMZ Sports caught up with The Game after the Niners beat the Green Bay Packers 37 to 20 in the NFC Championship ... and the dude was clearly pumped for his team.

Of course, Game is a die-hard fan (he even has a Niners tat) ... but he was extra stoked to boast about his smart move by putting money on the line via a "hood bet."

For those unaware of what a "hood bet" is, Game describes it as "a bet with a motherf***a from the hood that you know gon' pay the money when you done."

"You can trust him cause he from the hood and if they don't pay., they gotta deal with the street code."

Game even showed us his winnings ... and explains he's gonna put up even more money for the Super Bowl

Swae Lee is making his pitch to sing the National Anthem at Super Bowl LV next year ... by showing off his falsetto.

We got one half of the hip-hop duo, Rae Sremmurd, at Beauty and Essex Sunday night and asked him about Demi Lovato singing the "Star-Spangled Banner" at next month's Super Bowl in Miami.

Swae says Demi's gonna slay it in her first live performance since suffering an overdose back in 2018. Then he puts the NFL and Roger Goodell on the clock, telling them he wants the gig come next year!!!

He's definitely got the pipes to kick things off for the biggest sporting event of the year -- ya gotta hear him sing a few bars from Francis Scott Key's banger. No autotune needed!

Seems Swae's been thinking more about the Anthem than the actual game, but we finally coax a Super Bowl pick outta him.

Great news for the Dawg Pound ... Baker Mayfield says he expects superstar Myles Garrett to return to the team by Week 1 next season ... telling TMZ Sports his teammate is "in a good place."

Garrett is currently suspended for his infamous helmet-swinging attack on Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph back in November ... and has to meet with the NFL before he can play again.

Mayfield -- who sat next to Garrett at UFC 246 on Saturday -- says his guy is doing well, which is great news for the team.

"I sat next to him during the fight, he's good, man," Mayfield tells us. "He's in a good place right now, which is good for us as a team."

We also talked to Mayfield about Garrett benching 425 pounds ... and Bake says he's trying to outdo him!!

Mayfield says he's also "very happy" about the team's new head coach, Kevin Stefanski ... as well as for Odell Beckham's butt-slap charge getting tossed.

Now that the team's got a new guy on the sidelines, we had to ask if 2020 will be the year for the Browns to get back to the postseason ... and Mayfield says he's got a bigger goal.

Tim Tebow is days away from saying "I do" to his South African bride, and it looks like he's getting familiar with her homeland through a super fancy warm-up to the big day.

The ex-NFL quarterback-turned-baseball player posted some awesome behind-the-scenes footage of his wedding rehearsal dinner this weekend with his fiancee, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters -- who was crowned Miss South Africa in 2017. No doubt about it ... it was an elegant affair.

Tim was in a burgundy suit, Demi-Leigh in a complimentary red dress. The evening included a proper run-through, complete with the seating arrangements for the reception ... as well as speeches from family and friends. His former college coach, Urban Meyer, was there too.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

That's all that was coming from Patrick Mahomes' girlfriend, Brittany Matthews, on Sunday ... 'cause the NFL superstar's lady doubled down on her new ritual of completely losing her mind in support of the Chiefs.

Kansas City held off the Tennessee Titans to lock up the AFC Championship ... and Mahomes had his biggest fan cheering him on from the VIP suites.

The yelling was well underway before kickoff ... and somehow Brittany was able to maintain her loud levels throughout the game.

Of course, Matthews is known for being outgoing at Chiefs games ... and sometimes gets on the receiving end of heckling from other fans (like at the Patriots game).

"WE'RE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWLLLLLL" Matthews yelled, alongside Patrick's little bro, Jackson.

Ex-NFL star Fred Smoot just got a slap on the wrist despite being arrested by a BUNCH of cops back in October ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story, the former Washington Redskin DB's Loudoun County, Virginia house was surrounded by cops in Oct. 2018 after they say he failed to appear for several court dates.

You can see in pics we obtained of the arrest ... the cops looked pretty serious about the case -- which all stemmed from some minor traffic violations.

But, Smoot was hardly punished for the whole ordeal ... despite being found guilty of several charges at a trial this week.

According to court records, Smoot was found guilty of failing to appear, driving without a license and driving with expired registration ... but his punishment was ultimately nothing more than fines.

Smoot WAS sentenced to 6 days in jail for the failure to appear ... but he got credit for time served from when he was initially arrested, and he will NOT have to spend any additional days behind bars.

Could Tom Brady REALLY have played his last down in New England??

TMZ Sports went straight to one of TB12's best Patriots buddies, Willie McGinest, to get the answer ... and he told us it wouldn't shock him!!

"There's a lot of us that played for the Patriots that became free agents or were traded or left the organization," Willie said. "At some point, you either retire or move on."

Translation: TIME TO PANIC, NEW ENGLAND!!

Of course, Willie left the door open for the possibility that Tom could return as well ... saying everything will hinge on a season-ending meeting between the G.O.A.T. and the Pats' brass.

If it is the end of the New England road for Brady ... McGinest says he could see the guy fitting in with the Chargers next season, telling us, "It's a good football team."

"The business side of it too [for the Chargers], you gotta sell jerseys, you gotta fill up seats, you got a new stadium you're moving into -- I wouldn't count anything out."

"He's got it. He's got the juice, bro!"

That's Michael Brockers GUARANTEEING Joe Burrow is going to be a superstar in the NFL ... telling TMZ Sports straight-up the LSU QB is that damn good!!!

Of course, Brockers is biased ... he's a former LSU stud himself -- but the L.A. Rams D-lineman swears Burrow has all that's necessary to lead a team in the league in 2020.

"I feel like he has it, man," Brockers says. "Quarterbacks have to know how to get out of pressure and stuff like that and he has the juice, bro."

Brockers points toward Burrow's insane stat line this season -- 5,671 yards and 60 TDs -- as the reason he's so confident in the QB, telling us, "You can't take none of that away from him."

In fact, Brockers says Burrow is so good ... he thinks the guy might actually come to the league with a target on his back on Day 1!!

Even though Luke Kuechly only played 8 NFL seasons, his old teammate says he's a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame ... 'cause Mike Tolbert says the linebacker did more than enough to prove he's worthy.

28-year-old Kuechly abruptly put an end to his successful career earlier this week ... saying it was time to put the game behind him.

There's been speculation that health had something to do with it, but Tolbert tells us regardless of the reason, he's proud Luke knew it was time to walk away.

"He's my guy, I love him to death," Tolbert tells TMZ Sports. "I'm happy for him. There's not a lot of guys that can say they walked away from the game the way they wanted to."

Luke was arguably the best linebacker in the league ever since entering the NFL way back in 2012 as a first-round pick out of Boston College.

We asked Tolbert -- who played with the Panthers from 2012-2016 -- if he thought Kuechly could take his talents to the sidelines as a coach ... and he says it would be a natural fit.

"I don't think there's anybody better. He's the smartest football player I've ever been around. He and Phillip Rivers I'd put 1 and 2."

Kuechly was a stud on the field with Carolina ... making 7 Pro Bowls and earning 5 first-team All-Pro honors. He was the NFL's defensive player of the year in 2013 and the defensive rookie of the year in 2012.

"I think Luke has that perfect mindset. He's not married, he doesn't have any kids. He can afford to spend those 20-22 hour days at the facility preparing. "