Las Vegas Raiders

The mystery surrounding the benching of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens Monday night in Las Vegas has finally been solved ... as Lamb says the star wideouts missed team curfew after having dinner at a nearby resort.

The Cowboys' All-Pro wide receiver made the revelation while speaking with reporters in Dallas, saying the guys grabbed some grub and a few drinks at Red Rock Casino, about 20 minutes from where the team was staying for the Raiders game.

The explanation comes after rumors were circulating online indicating Lamb was spotted not just hanging out at the Casino on game day at 7:30 AM, but also throwing up.

Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little is the new record holder for the longest field goal in NFL history after his 68-yarder against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday ... and even though that's an incredible accomplishment, he thinks it could be a short-lived title.

Little chopped it up with TMZ Sports after etching his name in the history books in Sin City ... and he broke down his historic strike to end the first half of the outing.

"I loved the way I hit it, and it turned out great," Little said.

Taylor Swift used to crushing it in packed stadiums ... but, it was Travis Kelce's Chiefs which did the crushing Sunday -- dismantling the Raiders while she watched.

The singer-songwriter -- who's kept a low-profile at her future husband's games this season -- was spotted sitting in her private box at the stadium.

It appears she's sitting with her dad, Scott Swift, too ... and, they watched a flaying by the Chiefs -- with one memorable NSFW moment from Patrick Mahomes in the 31-0 victory.

Tom Brady is on the defensive against critics accusing him of having a "conflict of interest" with his Raiders ownership and Fox gig ... saying it's his duty to utilize his knowledge of the sport -- and anyone who doesn't see that is "paranoid and distrustful."

The legendary quarterback addressed the chatter in a newsletter on Wednesday ... when he spoke at length about the importance of doing one's job.

For him ... that means growing the game of football by sharing his experiences on Fox broadcasts while also assisting in bringing the Las Vegas Raiders back to relevance.

Terry Bradshaw sees nothing wrong with Tom Brady balancing his role as a Fox broadcaster with his gig as a Raiders owner ... telling TMZ Sports it's just not a big deal to him.

Brady, of course, sparked a firestorm of sorts among NFL fans this week ... after he was seen in Las Vegas' coaching booth wearing a headset during the Raiders' "Monday Night Football" matchup with the Chargers.

Fans were even more up in arms about the scene when it was reported during the game that Brady had regular talks with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly about game plans.

Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is adamant Tom Brady does not have a huge role in the team's game planning process ... saying Thursday when the two talk ball, they keep it pretty generic.

Peter Schrager, of course, reported during "Monday Night Football" that Brady -- a Raiders co-owner who also helps broadcast NFL games for Fox -- talks with Kelly 2-3 times a week ... and occasionally goes over game plans with the assistant coach.

But Kelly -- who addressed the report for the first time during Vegas' media availability Thursday -- insisted the talks are far more casual.

Ben Johnson isn't sweating a potential conflict of interest as Tom Brady juggles his roles as a broadcaster and Raiders minority owner ... telling reporters he thinks the whole conversation is actually a nothing burger.

The first-year Bears head coach met with the media ahead of Chicago's tilt with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday ... which will see Brady serve as the commentator for the contest.

It's pretty interesting ... as Brady's Raiders will welcome Da Bears to Sin City next week.

9:34 AM PT -- The NFL just addressed all the hubbub surrounding Brady's booth visit ... saying the seven-time Super Bowl winner violated zero rules by hanging with the coaches and wearing a headset during the game.

Tom Brady proved he's super hands-on in his role with the Las Vegas Raiders -- the GOAT was spotted soaking in "Monday Night Football" from the coaches' booth ... headset and all.

The Raiders' minority owner was shown on the ESPN broadcast during the first quarter of the Silver and Black's primetime matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2 ... and while he didn't look too talkative, he did seem laser-focused on what was going on down on the field.

Brady's had to juggle his post-playing jobs -- during his first year as a Fox on-air talent, the NFL banned him from pre-production meetings, visiting team facilities or attending practices ... but the rules were amended prior to the 2025-26 season to allow him to chat with coaches and players virtually or off-site.

Henry Ruggs opened up publicly on Tuesday for the first time since he was thrown behind bars for killing a woman and her dog in a horrific 2021 car crash ... and he admitted he would still "love to" play football again once he's out of custody.

The former NFL star got candid with questioners for roughly an hour at a Hope for Prisoners event in Las Vegas ... in an effort to inspire current and former inmates during their journeys to successfully one day reenter society.

Ruggs touched on a bunch of topics in the chat -- including what led up to the November 2021 accident that changed his and so many other lives forever.

Darren Waller might be a year removed from the NFL ... but his body apparently didn't get the memo -- 'cause the former tight end looked shredded as ever at a fitness event in NYC over the weekend.

TMZ Sports obtained a video of the former Raven, Raider and Giant participating in HYROX's New York competition on Saturday ... a global fitness event that requires a bunch of different challenges -- which Lance Armstrong participated in a year prior.

In the clip, Waller executes some lunges while rocking a 20-lb bag on his shoulder ... all while his rock-hard abs make an appearance.

Pete Carroll assembled an Avengers-esque lineup of guests for his USC course this week ... with none other than Tom Brady and JuJu Watkins joining the class!!

The Las Vegas Raiders coach/professor welcomed the seven-time Super Bowl champion -- and as he noted, his new boss -- to Thursday's session via Zoom ... and students in attendance understandably lost it when TB12 popped up on the big screen.

The class, called "The Game is Life," is being taught by Carroll, USC Dean of Religious Life Varun Soni, and adjunct professor of entrepreneurship David Belasco.

The Raiders landing Pete Carroll has generated a ton of excitement for the franchise ... and even their former coach Jon Gruden is hyped up about it -- telling TMZ Sports the Silver and Black nailed the hire.

We caught up with the Super Bowl-winning coach out on the streets of NOLA ahead of Super Bowl LIX ... and he sang the 73-year-old's praises.

"He's a world champion coach," Gruden said. "He's won everywhere he's been. He won it all at USC, he won it all at Seattle and there's no reason he can't put the Silver and Black back."

Pete Carroll’s not dropping his side hustle -- despite landing the Raiders' head coaching job, the USC legend will continue to teach a course at the school, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Carroll took on a role as a co-instructor this past school year ... after ending his 13-year run as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

He teamed up with USC Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life Varun Soni and Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship David Belasco for a class called "The Game Is Life," which focuses on personal development post-grad for senior students.

At least one Super Bowl MVP thinks Pete Carroll's going to do great in his new gig ... Malcolm Smith tells TMZ Sports he's sure the Raiders just hired the right guy!!

Smith, of course, is biased ... he not only won a championship with Carroll in Seattle, but he played for him in college at USC too. Nonetheless, he told us just hours after it was revealed that Carroll was going to Las Vegas that his former boss is going to cook in the Silver and Black.

"I'm so excited for him, man," said Smith, who logged snaps at linebacker in Carroll's Seahawks defenses from 2011-2014. "I think he's going to do an incredible job."

Pete Carroll's time away from NFL sidelines is over ... he's just agreed to be the new head coach of the Raiders.

The 73-year-old is inking a three-year deal with Vegas, according to multiple reports, that will include a team option for a fourth year.

Carroll, of course, was the longtime Seahawks' head man ... but after the 2023 season, they both agreed to part ways -- leaving PC without an  NFL HC gig for the first time in over a decade.