Kansas City Chiefs

High praise from Peyton Manning ... the NFL legend says Patrick Mahomes has already done enough in his short career to eventually be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The former Indianapolis Colts QB seemed to think there wasn't much doubt about it either ... telling TMZ Sports out in Arizona on Friday, "The answer to that question is yes."

The debate is an interesting one ... Mahomes is just 27 years old and has only played for six seasons -- one of which he logged time in just one game.

But, in his five years as a full-time starter, he's made five Pro Bowls, won MVP twice, and earned a Super Bowl win. He'll have a chance for a second title when the Chiefs take on the Eagles in SB LVII on Sunday.

Clearly, no matter what happens in the game against Philly -- Manning believes Mahomes could hang it up afterward and someday have a bust in Canton.

But Manning said he knows Mahomes isn't focused on any of that -- telling us, "That's just not on his radar and it shouldn't be. He should be in the moment and kicking butt for the Chiefs."

Drake is gearing up for Super Bowl Sunday -- which means, per usual, he's playing high stakes and throwing down some serious cash on the game.

The rapper posted receipts to Instagram Thursday showing 7 bets he placed on the Kansas City Chiefs-Philadelphia Eagles matchup.

Drake's wagering nearly a million bucks on the big game -- $965K to be exact! If he wins each bet, Drake could rake in a whopping $3.57 million.

Drake knows it too ... that's why he captioned his IG post like this ... "My psychotic bets for Sunday are in @stake."

Philadelphia, as you might know, is favored to win by 1.5 points ... but Drake is going with the Chiefs all the way, plunking down $700K on the team.

Drake also made separate bets -- $50K each -- that Patrick Mahomes and Juju Smith-Schuster would score the first Chiefs touchdown. He then bet $50K the Chiefs would score in both halves of the game, and $30K the team would win all four quarters.

What's more, Drake bet $25K the Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce would be the game's MVP. He also bet $60K the MVP award would go to a tight end, which, by the way, has never happened in Super Bowl history.

As you know  ... Drake likes gambling almost as much as turning a phrase. He wins big and loses big. Last month, Drake took in $2 million on a $1 million bet that the Chiefs would defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship.

Seems Patrick Mahomes' is Rihanna's favorite quarterback, after all ... 'cause just one day after former NFL star Brandon Marshall clowned the NFL MVP, RiRi made it clear she's a huge fan of Patrick!

"I am so sorry you went through that [Patrick]. I still think you're great. [Brandon's] a hater!"

27-year-old Mahomes was at a Super Bowl media event on Wednesday when the Marshall, a 6x Pro Bowler, grabbed the mic and asked Patrick how he felt about Rihanna saying he was her favorite QB.

The only problem ... she never said it. 😂

Rihanna's reaction to the prank ... "That is so mean. [Brandon] is mean, ok? I am so sorry you went through that, okay."

Of course, it's not just Mahomes who will be busy come Sunday night.

Rihanna is performing during the highly anticipated SB halftime show ... and as PM said, there are lots of people, including his own family members, who are more pumped for RiRi than the football game.

Native American activist Amanda Blackhorse -- a social justice leader who helped force Washington's NFL team to change its name -- is now calling for the Chiefs to switch their moniker ... and she's urging Rihanna and Patrick Mahomes to join the cause this week.

Blackhorse and other Indigenous advocates have scheduled a protest at State Farm Stadium on Sunday during the Super Bowl ... in an effort to get the ball rolling on ridding K.C. of its longstanding team name.

Blackhorse and other leaders have said it -- as well as the org.'s "Tomahawk Chop" and "Big Drum" traditions -- appropriate their culture ... and they want changes ASAP.

She tells TMZ Sports ... she's hoping Sunday's boycott will raise awareness for the cause, adding that if K.C.'s star QB and the Big Game's halftime show performer pitch in, it could make a big difference.

Of course, Blackhorse was successful in her crusade to get Dan Snyder's team to make changes -- she was a key plaintiff in a lawsuit that helped pave the way for their switch to the "Commanders."

She's now clearly hopeful she can repeat that in Kansas City.

For the Chiefs' part -- they've made changes at Arrowhead Stadium in 2020 in wake of some of the cries ... banning headdresses and Native American-style face paint. They also said at the time they were looking into imposing further restrictions.

Andy Reid does NOT need a second Super Bowl title this weekend to cement his eventual place in Canton ... so says ex-NFL head coach Brad Childress, who tells TMZ Sports the Chiefs honcho is already a Hall of Fame lock.

Reid's resume is ultra-impressive -- he's been a head coach for 24 seasons and has piled up a staggering 247 wins to just 138 losses ... but, some have wondered if dropping his Super Bowl record to 1-3 Sunday could somehow hold him back from eventual enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Childress, though, told us this week there's no chance that happens ... even if the 64-year-old loses to the Philadelphia Eagles in Arizona.

"He's already a Hall of Fame guy," Childress said. "All [a win] does is put some sprinkles on top of the sundae."

In fact, Childress -- who coached for years as an assistant on several of Reid's staffs -- said he believes the K.C. head man already has a case to be on the Mt. Rushmore of all-time NFL coaches.

"His professional career is second to none," Childress said.

As for if this could possibly be the finale of Reid's career -- there's been speculation he could choose to ride off into the sunset with a win -- Childress said there's certainly a chance ... though unlikely.

Patrick Mahomes is going to enjoy a cold one with a side of foot sweat if the Chiefs win the Super Bowl on Sunday ... 'cause the K.C. star said Monday he'll chug a beer right outta Cooper Manning's boot if they get the dub over the Eagles!!!

The quarterback made the promise to the oldest Manning brother during a fun interview at Super Bowl week's opening night -- after Cooper had asked him a series of questions about cowboy boots.

Eventually, Mahomes said as long as Cooper joined him in the beer guzzling, he'd drink one down out of the footwear -- no problem.

"Post-Super Bowl, if you bring that thing there, and we get the win," Mahomes said, "I'll drink the beer out of the boot with you."

Of course, the 27-year-old signal-caller had a couple caveats. No. 1 -- it's gotta be Coors Light (everyone knows Mahomes loves his Silver Bullets), and No. 2, Cooper has to be hygienic about it all.

"I've got to make sure you wash your socks before we do that," Mahomes said.

While the two were laughing over the bet -- odds are pretty good it'll go down. After all, Mahomes was no stranger to pouring beer down his throat the last time the Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 2020.

Tom Brady clearly ain't letting himself go in retirement ... the former quarterback just shared a selfie in nothing but his undies -- and he looks GOOOOOOOD!!!!

TB12 posted the pic early Monday morning on his Twitter page ... paying off a bet he made with his clothing company way back in June.

At the time, he said he'd recreate models wearing his Brady brand underwear if the tweet got 40,000 likes. When the co. reminded him of it all Monday, he paid it off in a big way ... and we're all grateful for it.

Tom showed off some biceps, some pecs, and a set of abs -- all while his hand was conveniently placed to cover up his junk.

He mentioned Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski while revealing the pic -- asking the two, who have posed often in their undies for various brands in their lifetimes, if he was doing it right.

Of course, Tom's bod shouldn't exactly surprise anybody -- while he's a retired man now, it's only been a couple weeks since he left football.

Now batting for the Atlanta Braves ... Travis Kelce?!?

A former MLB scout tells TMZ Sports that very well could have been a possibility this year and beyond -- if only Kelce had opted to play baseball instead of football after high school.

Reggie Sanders -- who scouted for the Braves in the Ohio area as Kelce was starring at Cleveland Heights H.S. in the early 2000s -- tells us that in his several trips to see the teenager who grew up to be a Kansas City Chiefs star ... he was blown away by what he saw.

Sanders remembered the future tight end as a good hitter with blazing speed ... and noted the young Kelce, who graduated H.S. in 2008, was towering, too.

"He seemed like a big leaguer on a field of high school players," said Sanders, who worked for the Braves from 2002 to 2007. "He looks almost the same size today as he was in high school."

Sanders said after watching Kelce play, he was "certain" the guy would have ended up in the big leagues if he had stuck with it ... telling us, "I remember writing his report and I comped him to Josh Hamilton."

Of course, Kelce never stayed with baseball -- he opted to follow in his big brother's footsteps and play football at Cincinnati. The rest, as you know, is history ... and he'll be playing for his second Super Bowl championship next week.

Doug Williams tells TMZ Sports he teared up after Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts officially made the Super Bowl ... comparing the moment to when Barack Obama first got elected.

Williams, the first-ever Black starting quarterback to win the Lombardi Trophy, said the tears never quite spilled over onto his cheeks -- but he said they were there, and they were filled with happiness nonetheless.

"I had tears of joy in my eye because I had an opportunity to witness this," the former Washington signal-caller said.

"Sit there, and just look at it, and say to myself, 'Man, we got two Black quarterbacks playing in the Super Bowl.'"

Williams said he had similar feelings when Obama beat out John McCain in the 2008 Presidential Election ... and also when Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith coached against each other in the Colts vs. Bears Super Bowl XLI.

"Things like that," Williams said, "give me joy. Give me chills."

Williams became the first Black QB to win a Super Bowl in 1988, when Washington beat Denver in SB XXII. Since then, Russell Wilson and Mahomes are the only two who have accomplished the same feat.

Michael Blackson says Eli Apple is ruthless with the Twitter fingers ... telling TMZ Sports he's not one bit surprised about his nephew's trash-talking antics -- 'cause it "runs in the family!!"

Apple made headlines throughout the playoffs for speaking his mind on social media ... going after opposing teams and gloating each time the Bengals came out victorious.

The actor-comedian told us he was cheering on his kin against the Kansas City Chiefs on championship Sunday ... but admits if he were Eli, he would have waited until after he won a Super Bowl ring to get at his contemporaries.

"I was rooting for him," Blackson said. "I always believe in talking smack once you get that ring. Once you get that ring, then you can talk smack."

Michael said despite what some people say about Eli, there are a lot of cornerbacks who want to be in his position -- playing in back-to-back AFC title games and the SB last season.

Michael also told us his thoughts on the big game -- he says the first-ever Super Bowl between two black quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes, and Jalen Hurts, "means a lot."

"Finally, Black quarterbacks are getting recognized," Blackson said. "At one point, nobody thought running quarterbacks would make it to the Super Bowl."

MB expects the game to be a high-scoring affair ... and predicts the Eagles will defeat the Chiefs, 28-24, but says you can never count out Mahomes.

"Patrick Mahomes is a kid that never goes down," Blackson said. "This guy finds ways to stay in the game and finds ways to win the game. We have to contain him. He runs all over the place."

With Travis and Jason Kelce facing off in the Super Bowl, fans are petitioning to get their mom, Donna, to do the coin toss before the big game in Arizona ... and it's already got more than 15,000 signatures!!

The petition was started by Chiefs fan Amber Smith -- who is lobbying the NFL to allow Donna to participate in the tradition since the big game has been dubbed the "Kelce Bowl," according to change.org.

"What a great way to show the Super Proud mama some Amazing Appreciation and Love while giving her a once in a lifetime opportunity!! ❤️" the petition page says.

The game will be a historic moment for Travis and Jason -- they will become the first brothers to ever face off in the Super Bowl.

However, the Kelce brothers want the "Kelce Bowl" storyline to stop ... as the two feel like the narrative takes away from their teammates.

"I kinda don’t like that we’re calling it the Kelce Bowl," Jason said on their New Heights podcast. "Appreciate the support, but there’s a lot of guys involved with this. There’s major organizations involved. Unbelievable storylines in this Super Bowl."

Travis added, "Appreciate you guys calling it the Kelce Bowl, but let’s focus on the Chiefs-Eagles."

Either way ... it appears fans want to see Mama Kelce on the field.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson gave Travis Kelce a ringing endorsement ... after the NFL superstar ripped the Cincinnati mayor, calling him a "jabroni" following the Chiefs' victory over the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game!

Of course, Kansas City's 6x Pro Bowl tight end channeled The Rock during his on-field postgame interview, telling Cincinnati mayor Aftab Pureval -- who trolled the Chiefs and their QB Patrick Mahomes before the game -- to "Know your role and shut your mouth, you jabroni!"

Well, the WWE legend and A-list movie star clearly got a kick out of Kelce's clap back, going to Twitter Monday night to show his appreciation for Travis.

"My boy said what he said," The Rock wrote. "I appreciate the venomous 'shut yo' over formal 'shut your' 🤣👊🏽🏆."

Kelce's speech was brilliant ... and anyone familiar with The Rock's signature punchlines knows not everyone can pull off the impersonation!

When The Rock was a WWF/WWE Superstar, he routinely made fans laugh by calling fellow wrestlers "jabroni's" and telling opponents ... "it doesn't matter what your name is!" He'd also threaten to take them to the "Smackdown Hotel." 😅

Kelce earned the right to trash talk after his performance Sunday ... he had 7 receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown, making big plays for his team, as has become routine for the league's best pass-catching TE.

Now, the 33-year-old tight end will face off against his brother, Eagles star Jason Kelce, at Super Bowl LVII in Arizona ... a.k.a. the "Kelce Bowl", a.k.a. the "Andy Reid Bowl."

Philly legend, Ricky Watters believes the Eagles have the quarterback edge over an ailing Patrick Mahomes, who's nursing a high ankle sprain. But, it's razor close and the former NFL MVP is still incredibly dangerous!

"I think you can say that [Eagles have QB advantage], but Mahomes, he been playing, even with his ankle sprain, he's still great!" Watters told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1).

"That's what's so crazy about him. He's such a great quarterback and I think he will feel better because he will have some time to heal up and I'm sure they're gonna be working that ankle over and over all the way up to game time."

Of course, the 27-year-old Super Bowl champ was injured during the Divisional round game against the Jaguars ... still managing to throw for 326 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Bengals. Mahomes also ran critical yards in the waning moments of the game, setting up the game-winning field goal.

Speaking of the injury, Ricky says he's beyond impressed with Mahomes' toughness ... but at the end of the day, the 5x Pro Bowler played with the Eagles, so there's no question about who he's rooting for come Super Sunday.

"That's the worst ankle sprain you can have is a high ankle sprain so for [Mahomes] to do what he's doing, he's a warrior and I love him as well. I really do, so it's really hard to go against him because I love him so much, I love watching him play but you know, I gotta go with my Eagles. You know I gotta see the Eagles fly, baby."

As for Jalen Hurts, Watters is blown away by how well he's played this season.

"[Jalen] does not look like a 24-year-old, that's for sure. He looks like a well-seasoned veteran," Ricky told us ... before explaining why Hurts is so damn hard to contain.

Watters won a Super Bowl in 1995 ... so he knows what it takes to win the big game. We asked him what advice he'd give to the Philly players.

Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany, gave Eli Apple a taste of his own medicine after the Chiefs beat the Bengals on Sunday ... trolling the Cincy cornerback for running his mouth in the days leading up to the game.

Apple was oozing confidence on social media after the Bengals eliminated Buffalo last week ... channeling his inner Patrick Beverley and telling the Bills players to enjoy their early vacation as Cincy moved on in the playoffs.

As soon as the Bengals were booted from Super Bowl contention themselves, it was Brittany's time to get the last laugh.

"Cancun on 3 ✌🏼," Mahomes said on Twitter.

It wasn't just the superstar's wife going after Apple following the game ... 'cause Chiefs players unleashed on him while smoking victory cigars in the locker room.

"Eli Apple, I'mma smoke one for you!!" Juan Thornhill said on Instagram.

Even Patrick's dad had some words for the Bengals' superstar quarterback  ... saying he'll celebrate the W by "smoking on that Joe Burrow."

The Chiefs played like they were pissed off ... and Travis Kelce and others made it clear they felt disrespected by Mike Hilton referring to Arrowhead Stadium as "Burrowhead."

Travis Kelce had strong words for the Cincinnati Bengals AND their mayor after the Kansas City Chiefs secured a spot in the Super Bowl ... shutting down all "Burrowhead" talk following the AFC Championship game.

Patrick Mahomes and Co. snuck away with a nail-biting 23-20 victory on Sunday ... and the team made sure to send a message to Bengals defensive back Mike Hilton for previous comments he made about Joe Burrow "owning" Arrowhead Stadium.

Kelce interrupted Mahomes' postgame interview to respond to the bulletin board material ... shouting, "Burrowhead my ass!!" into the cameras.

"It's Mahomes' house!!"

Mahomes followed up by adding, "We showed this place, it's Arrowhead, it's not Burrowhead out here."

But, Kelce didn't stop there -- he also clapped back at Mayor Aftab Pureval for joining in on the smack talk with a social media post on Friday ... in which he asked Burrow to take a paternity test to find out if he was Mahomes' dad.

Kelce channeled The Rock to trash the disrespect ... saying, "Know your role and shut your mouth, you jabroni!!"

The Chiefs will now face off against the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12 ... and don't expect Philly players to be running their mouths -- or Kelce will have something to say.

Move over, Rob Gronkowski ... Chiefs legend Christian Okoye tells TMZ Sports it won't be long before Travis Kelce claims the title of the greatest tight end of all time!!

Okoye showered the Kanas City star with praise just a couple days before the Chiefs' AFC Championship Game against the Bengals ... saying he expects Patrick Mahomes' favorite target to have a big night against Cincy.

Okoye explained ... Kelce is "an incredible weapon" who he views as not only the Chiefs' No. 1 receiver -- but the greatest to ever do it at the TE position.

"I think he's going to end up being the best tight end in the league ever," Okoye said. "If he keeps going the way he's going, it's going to be much better than ones before him. It's just incredible."

As for the guy throwing Kelce the footballs -- Okoye heaped compliments on Mahomes too ... telling us he believes there's really not much of a comparison there between the K.C. signal-caller and Joe Burrow.

"Patrick Mahomes' numbers are way better than Burrow's," Okoye said. "That's why he's going to be the MVP of the league this year."

Both Kelce and Mahomes will try to take down the Bengals for the first time since 2018 ... and Okoye clearly thinks they'll get it done this weekend.

One of the biggest reasons? The former K.C. running back tells us the trash talk that the Bengals have been doing in the leadup to the game -- disses that included calling Arrowhead Stadium "Burrowhead" -- will play a big role in why the Chiefs come out on top on Sunday.