Jacksonville Jaguars

Star Jacksonville defensive end Arik Armstead is thrilled the Jaguars got two-way phenom Travis Hunter ... telling TMZ Sports he's super pumped to welcome his new teammate -- even if the Heisman winner doesn't spend much time on his side of the ball.

"I think this is rare air," Armstead -- who actually announced the big pick at the draft -- told us. "We have a player here who would have been a first-round pick as a receiver or a cornerback. And, you know, that's very unlikely that a prospect could be a first-round pick at two different positions."

So, where do you utilize a guy who is awesome on offense and defense? We asked Arik.

There’s buzz all over Jacksonville about the Jaguars trading up to select Travis Hunter with the No. 2 pick in the first round on Thursday ... but nobody is more excited than team legend Jimmy Smith!!

The former wideout feels Hunter is worth all the draft picks (including next year's first-round spot) the Jaguars gave up to the Cleveland Browns to select him ... because he is two superstar players in one!!

Smith also thinks the move was great for the team's identity and brand ... which has only been around since 1993 and is still seeking sustained success.

Trevor Lawrence will head into the NFL's offseason as a new father ... he and his wife just revealed their baby girl is here!!

Marissa Lawrence and her Jacksonville Jaguars star hubby announced the great news on their Instagram pages just minutes ago ... saying Shae Lynn Lawrence entered this world on Saturday at 4:01 AM.

Trevor, of course, had more time than usual to spend with his wife and his newborn ... as he remained out of the Jags' season finale on Sunday against the Colts while he continues to recover from a head injury.

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair's three-game suspension for his brutal hit on Trevor Lawrence is over ... and the the six-year NFL veteran revealed he met with commissioner Roger Goodell and other league higher-ups to own up to his actions and defend his character while serving his punishment.

The 27-year-old released a statement on X ahead of Houston's Week 18 matchup against the Tennessee Titans ... in which he stated his play on the former No. 1 overall pick and the fight that ensued "was an embarrassing and eye-opening moment for me."

"That was not the way I want to represent myself or my family and I will continue to learn and grow from that moment."

The NFL just threw the book at Texans star Azeez Al-Shaair for his Sunday hit on Trevor Lawrence ... suspending him without pay for THREE GAMES.

The league made its ruling official on Tuesday morning ... saying his past offenses for "personal fouls and sportsmanship-related rules violations" factored into the decision.

NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan scolded the Houston linebacker in a strongly-worded letter when announcing the ban for lowering his shoulder and hitting Lawrence in the head as the Jaguars QB was sliding during their weekend tilt in Jacksonville.

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair is issuing a mea culpa to Trevor Lawrence over his controversial hit on Sunday ... saying he never intended to hurt the Jaguars quarterback -- and calling out "racist" and "Islamophobic" fans in the process.

The 27-year-old released the statement on X ... claiming while he always plays with intensity, he doesn't purposely try to take anyone out of competition.

"My goal is to hit you as hard as I can then I pray you're still able to get up and play the next play," he said. "And when the game is over go home to your family unharmed because it's not personal it's just competition!"

Trevor Lawrence suffered a brutal late hit during the game Sunday ... and, his teammates quickly leapt to his defense -- brawling with the other team mid-game.

With four minutes left in the second quarter of the Jacksonville Jaguars game against the Houston Texans, Trevor Lawrence scrambled out of the pocket and made his way toward the first down marker.

As he approached the line to gain, TL went into a slide ... but, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair didn't slow his momentum enough -- smashing through the QB.

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.

People are convinced Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke let out a big ole fart during a news conference on Thursday ... and if ya listen to video from the event, it sure seems they might be right!

Baalke and Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson were meeting with media members to break down next week's NFL draft ... when, according to a whole bunch of fans online, Baalke let one rip.

The 60-year-old was talking about how deep this year's quarterback class is and how it might help them land a good, non-signal caller at pick No. 17 ... when he suddenly paused.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Zay Jones is off the hook in his domestic battery case -- the charge he was facing was dropped a day before he was scheduled to be arraigned, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to a disposition notice from the Florida Assistant State Attorney filed on Tuesday ... prosecutors declined to move forward against Jones after reviewing evidence from the alleged incident back on November 13.

As we previously reported, cops said Jones -- a 2nd round pick out of the 2017 NFL Draft -- and the mother of his child got into a heated argument that turned physical at a Jacksonville condo/apartment after she allegedly told him she was taking their child to Orlando.

Cops said in the report that they "observed several small scratches on the victim's neck, consistent with marks from a fingernail" ... and Jones was arrested for first-degree domestic battery causing bodily harm.

The team had no comment on the situation at the time.

Jones played college football at East Carolina, where he broke several school records including receptions in a game (22) ... and has suited up for the Bills, Raiders and Jags.

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper is going to have to bust out his check book -- he was just fined $300k for chucking his drink toward a group of fans during Sunday's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The billionaire hedge fund manager -- the richest owner in the league -- was spotted dumping his beverage in anger after an apparent exchange with a group of supporters amid the 26-0 blowout ... and the whole thing was caught on video.

The clip is short ... and it's unclear what led to the incident.

The NFL announced the punishment on Tuesday ... labeling the incident "unacceptable conduct."

Tepper -- who bought the Panthers in 2018 for $2.3 billion -- released a statement following the news ... saying, "I am deeply passionate about this team and regret my behavior on Sunday."

"I should have let NFL stadium security handle any issues that arose. I respect the NFL’s code of conduct and accept the League’s discipline for my behavior."

It's been a disastrous 2023 season for the Panthers -- they're 2-14 and will not have their first-round pick next season.

There's a really good explanation for why Trevor Lawrence didn't use a cart after he injured his ankle during 'MNF' ... he says he declined to get on one -- and now, he's explaining he regrets that decision.

ICYMI, the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback suffered a high-ankle sprain in the fourth quarter of their 34-31 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night ... and when he went into the locker room to get it checked out, he was seen limping the entire way to the X-ray room.

Many wondered why the Jaguars' franchise player didn't hop on a ride to avoid any further complications with his leg ... and on Wednesday, he revealed it was all his choice -- not the Jaguars'.

"I'm already on the sideline at that point -- the tunnel's right there -- I just want to get off the field, get out of there," Lawrence said. "I didn't know what was goin' on with my ankle."

"I felt like I could get off. I was like, 'Hey, you're good, just don't bring [the cart] out. I'm going in.'"

The 24-year-old, though, told media members he immediately had regrets once he realized how far the walk was going to be ... but he nonetheless kept it moving.

"They asked again if I wanted a cart, I'm like, 'No, we're going to make it the whole way,'" Lawrence said.

"I was the one that didn't choose to take one. So, you guys put that on me. Maybe that was dumb. Maybe I should've taken one. Whatever."

Trevor Lawrence's wife says dozens of Jaguars fans have reached out to throw their support behind her and her hubby after the star QB was injured Monday night ... flooding her social media inbox with positive messages.

Marissa Lawrence shared a screen recording of some of the DMs she says she received just after Trevor appeared to badly injure his ankle in the fourth quarter of Jacksonville's home tilt against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Almost all of the messages seemed to contain some kind of prayer for Trevor ... something Marissa said she was super grateful for.

"Really overwhelmed by people's kindness and love," she said in the clip of the fans' messages. "Just wanted to share something positive and thank everyone truly for your prayers and support."

Trevor went down in a heap of pain as he was trying to lead the Jaguars to a win ... and on Monday, head coach Doug Pederson said his 24-year-old signal-caller was dealing with a high-ankle sprain.

7:27 AM PT -- According to a police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, Zay Jones was arrested after he allegedly got into an argument with the mother of his child that turned physical.

Cops say in the docs the incident took place at a Jacksonville-area condo/apartment at around 2:20 PM on Monday.

The report states a woman told officers on the scene she got into a tiff with Jones after she told the NFL player she was taking their child from Jacksonville back to Orlando.

Further details surrounding the alleged altercation involving the couple were redacted by cops ... though the report does state one officer "observed several small scratches" on the woman's neck "consistent with marks from a fingernail."

Jacksonville Jaguars star wide receiver Zay Jones was arrested in Florida this week for domestic violence ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to jail records, the 28-year-old was taken into custody on Monday in the Jacksonville area at around 6 PM ... and booked on a domestic battery causing bodily harm charge.

The records show he's currently still behind bars -- awaiting a court hearing on the matter later Tuesday.

Further details surrounding his arrest were not made immediately available ... though the Jaguars said in a statement late Monday night they are aware of the arrest and "are in the midst of gathering information."

"We will have no further comment at this time," the team added.

Jones has played in three games for Jacksonville this season ... and has been one of quarterback Trevor Lawrence's favorite targets while on the field, piling up eight catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns. He has, however, had to sit out of six of his team's games this year due to a knee injury.

Good news, bad news for Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne -- The good?? He played out of his mind on Sunday. The bad?? He was going up against himself in fantasy football.

The 24-year-old former Clemson star was all over the field against the Buffalo Bills, finishing with 136 rushing yards, 48 receiving yards and 2 rushing touchdowns in the win.

In fantasy football terms, that’s a helluva day -- earning 37.4 points, and pleasing any team owner who had him in their lineup.

The only problem for Travis -- he was racking up points for his opponent ... so there's a good chance the only win he's getting this week is the one with the Jags.

By the way, NFL players are permitted to partake in fantasy football ... as long as the potential earnings don’t exceed $250.