New England Patriots

Ex-Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores is adamant he still wants a job in the NFL ... but understands his scathing lawsuit against the league could damage his chances at ever getting a gig again.

Flores -- who's suing the NFL and 3 teams over alleged racist hiring practices -- opened up in an interview with "CBS Mornings" on Wednesday ... saying his legal action is about much more than his career.

"I love coaching, I'm gifted to coach, I know that," Flores said. "The relationships I built with players, coaches, support staff, I'm gifted to coach, I love coaching and I want to coach ... This is bigger than coaching. This is much bigger than coaching."

Flores said he contacted the other 2 teams he's still interviewing with for an HC job -- the Texans and Saints -- and gave them a heads up about the lawsuit ... and added if given the opportunity, he would still happily lead an NFL team again.

"I understand the risks, and yes, it was a difficult decision," he said. "I went back and forth."

When asked about comparing the NFL to a "plantation" ... Flores explained he knew it was time to leave a lasting impact on the league.

"We didn't have to file a lawsuit for the world to know that there's a problem from a hiring standpoint in regards to minority coaches in the National Football League. The numbers speak for themselves. We filed a lawsuit so that we could create some change and that's important to me."

"I think we're at a fork in the road right now -- we're either going to keep it the way it is, or we're going to go in another direction and actually make some real change where we're actually changing the hearts and minds of those who make decisions to hire head coaches, executives, etc."

As we reported, Flores filed his lawsuit after he said he received texts from Patriots head coach Bill Belichick that revealed the New York Giants decided to hire Brian Daboll before ever giving him the chance to interview for the job.

Flores felt like he was only being interviewed to satisfy the league's Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview a minority candidate when a head coaching job opens up.

Flores also appeared on ESPN's "Get Up" just minutes ago ... saying he's willing to sacrifice his career to make a serious difference in the league.

"If I never coach again and there's change," he said, "it will be worth it."

Take a deep breath Patriot nation -- Tom Brady did not leave you out of his retirement note on purpose, so says his ex-teammate Antowain Smith ... who tells TMZ Sports the G.O.A.T. made an honest omission and still has love for the Pats.

The 44-year-old 7-time Super Bowl champ retired on Tuesday ... and he made sure to thank everyone on his way out the NFL except his former team and its head coach ... which left many Pats fans confused and annoyed.

Smith, though, tells us he thinks it was not done intentionally.

"Personally, myself, I know he has a place in his heart for Patriot nation," said Smith, who won two Super Bowls with Brady in New England. "The moment -- you know, when you speaking in the moment, sometimes you may forget something here or there."

"But, I don't think he did anything intentionally. I know that he feels a way about the Patriots fans, as well as I do."

To his credit, Brady did ultimately end up giving a head nod to the Pats ... writing in an IG story later Tuesday, "Thank you Patriots and Patriot Nation."

"Beyond grateful and love you all."

As for any potential rift between Tom and Bill Belichick, Smith said he doesn't think there's any issue between the two at all. The former running back said he believes the two buried the hatchet when Tampa Bay visited the Patriots in Week 4 of this season.

"After the game was over," Smith said, "they went to the locker room and they had a long conversation."

"They will forever be linked hip and hip and there's nothing else we can do about that."

Brian Flores is going scorched earth on the NFL and New York Giants ... filing an explosive lawsuit where the former Dolphins head coach alleges the team's hiring practices were rooted in racism, and he claims a text from Bill Belichick proves it.

The 40-year-old coach filed the class action lawsuit through attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor, Michael J. Willemin, David E. Gottlieb in district court in New York on Tuesday ... and it's shocking.

Flores says he received a text from his former boss and Patriots head coach days before he interviewed with the Giants. During the conversation, Flores says BB congratulated him on landing the new gig.

BF was confused by the comment because he had yet to go in for his scheduled interview, and asked Bill if he had an inside track to their decision.

Belichick eventually admits he misread the information he received ... and tells Flores it was actually a different Brian -- Brian Daboll -- who landed the Giants job.

Flores insists this is proof he was only brought in for an interview to satisfy the Rooney Rule -- which requires teams to interview a minority candidate when a head coaching job opens up.

FYI, Flores and Daboll both worked together under Belichick in New England.

BF claims he was then "forced to sit through a dinner" with new Giants GM Joe Schoen despite "knowing that the Giants had already selected Mr. Daboll."

And Flores says this wasn't the first time he's been subjected to a "sham interview that was held only in an effort to comply with the Rooney Rule."

The fired coach says he interviewed with then-Broncos general manager John Elway and other Denver execs in 2019 ... however, Brian says "it was clear from the substance of the interview that Mr. Flores was interviewed only because of the Rooney Rule."

Flores also claims Elway and the other Broncos execs showed up an hour late for the interview and "looked completely disheveled, and it was obvious that they had drinking heavily the night before."

Brian -- who points out there's only 1 Black head coach (Mike Tomlin) and 6 GMs -- is suing on the behalf of all prospective Black coaches and front office employees.

Flores is asking the court to fix the NFL's alleged discriminatory hiring practices, in addition to damages.

There's more ... Flores also accuses Dolphins owner Stephen Ross of offering to pay him $100K per loss -- in an effort to tank the season and get a better draft pick.

Flores says when he refused to play ball, he was labeled as being difficult to work with, and ultimately fired.

"This is reflective of an all too familiar 'angry Black man' stigma that is often casted upon Black men who are strong in their morals and convictions while white men are coined as passionate for those very same attributes," the lawsuit reads.

Flores -- who is currently without a coaching gig -- understands the lawsuit could possibly prevent him from landing a job in the future.

"God has gifted me with a special talent to coach the game of football, but the
need for change is bigger than my personal goals," Flores said in a statement released by his lawyers.

The confusion surrounding Tom Brady's future is finally over ... the quarterback just said he is officially retiring -- though he made one glaring omission in his goodbye note.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB announced on his Instagram page early Tuesday morning that he's done ... saying, "My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors, and fans deserve 100% of me, but right now, it's best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes."

Brady then thanked his family, friends, teammates, coaches and Buccaneers execs in the post ... but he notably made no mention whatsoever of the New England Patriots.

There's no note to Bill Belichick or Robert Kraft -- two guys he spent 20 years of his career with before he bolted for Tampa Bay following the 2019 season.

It's unclear if the omission signals some sort of rift between the QB and the org. -- or if he felt he had already said his appropriate goodbyes to them when he left two years ago.

Either way, Brady's announcement officially ends arguably the greatest sports career ever. Tom played in the NFL for 22 seasons and won seven Super Bowls. He also won three MVP awards and was selected to 15 Pro Bowls.

In his career, he logged 84,520 passing yards and 624 passing touchdowns. He's considered the greatest football player of all time.

As for what's next, Brady has his hands all over several business projects -- but he mentioned in his post he has no real idea what he'll do from here.

"I'm fortunate to have cofounded incredible companies like @autograph.io @bradybrand @tb12sports that I am excited to continue to help build and grow," Brady said, "but exactly what my days will look like will be a work-in-progress. As I said earlier, I am going to take it day by day."

"I know for sure I want to spend a lot of time giving others and trying to enrich other people's lives, just as so many done for me."

Tom Brady -- the most successful quarterback in NFL history -- is walking away from the game of football after 22 historic seasons.

The 44-year-old 7-time champ is retiring as the league's all-time leader in wins at quarterback, passing attempts, completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns, according to a report from Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington

Brady was the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft ... after playing at Michigan from 1996-1999.

Brady played for New England from 2001-19 ... winning 6 Super Bowls with the Patriots. He went on to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he won his 7th championship in 2021.

The Bucs went 13-4 this season and ran away with the NFC South title ... but were defeated by the Rams in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Brady married supermodel Gisele Bundchen in 2009 ... and just this week, he hinted at the possibility of hanging it up for his wife and children's sake.

He previously spoke about how he hoped to play until he was 45 years old, but was open about his struggles with being away from family during the football season.

"It pains [Gisele] to see me get hit out there, and she deserves what she needs from me as a husband and my kids deserve what they need from me as a dad," Brady said this week on his "Let's Go" podcast.

Brady threw for 84,520 yards and 624 TDs over his 22-season career.

Brady's ex-teammate, Julian Edelman, congratulated the quarterback ... saying, "Thanks for the memories, babe."

Chris Godwin -- who won a ring with Brady last season -- added, "The best ever. Congratulations bro @TomBrady grateful to have gotten to share the field with you! Much love fam."

Congrats on retirement, G.O.A.T.

Josh Allen might wanna avoid taking Bart Scott's advice and poppin' Viagra before Saturday's playoff game ... 'cause the makers of the blue pill are warning NFL players to talk to a doctor before using their product.

A rep for Viagra tells TMZ Sports the medicine should only be used for its intended purposes ... even if Scott swears it'll help with blood circulation in cold temps.

"Viagra or Revatio, both of which contain sildenafil as an active ingredient, should only be used in the approved indications and always under the supervision of a physician," the rep tells us.

Of course, Viagra is known to help men in another department ... which is why Scott's comment on ESPN's "Get Up" earlier this week had folks buzzing.

Scott's advice to Allen -- who has a history of not performing well in cold weather -- directed the QB to take the blue pill before the game against the New England Patriots to get his "circulation going."

"Take some Viagra before the game, baby," Scott said, much to the chagrin of his colleagues. "That'll get that circulation going right."

"Viagra was first a heart medicine, right?," Scott added. "So, it builds up circulation, which makes sure it gets circulation to the feet."

Allen -- who admittedly has bad circulation which leads to cold feet -- has had one of the worst completion percentages in the NFL over the last 15 years in freezing temps.

FYI, the forecast for the Bills-Pats game isn't doing Buffalo's star any favors -- the weather is expected to be in single-digits with a wind chill around -10 degrees.

Braxton Berrios' Mexican vacation just got a whole lot better (yeah, somehow that's possible!) -- the Jets receiver just learned he was named to this year's NFL All-Pro team, and his GF said he was "in shock" over the news.

The New York star is down in Cabo with his model girlfriend, Sophia Culpo, and on Friday morning, the two got the news that he was selected as this year's All-Pro kick returner.

FYI -- it's a big deal, being an All-Pro means you were the best at your position, regardless of conference.

Culpo captured video of Berrios just minutes after the honors were announced ... and you can see in the short clip, the dude is clearly on Cloud 9.

"I think someone is in shock," Culpo said as Berrios smiled ear-to-ear.

Berrios, who was drafted by the Patriots in 2018, had a breakout season this year -- scoring five total TDs and averaging 30.4 yards per kick return.

Dude couldn't be in a better place to celebrate too ... it's 83 degrees there, and he's clearly got some excellent company to party with.

Ex-NFL linebacker D.J. Williams is opening up about his time with the Denver Broncos and Josh McDaniels ... saying the only reason they were successful is because they were cheating.

Williams made the controversial statement during an interview on the "I AM ATHLETE" podcast with former NFL players Brandon Marshall, Chad Ochocinco, and LeSean McCoy ... saying the Broncos' hot start in 2009 wasn't as dominant as it looked on paper.

In the clip, Williams says he was never more prepared for a football game than during the time he played for McDaniels ... and as he continued talking, he alluded to the main reason why they were so on-point.

"Josh would lay out keys to victory on how we win the game," Williams said. "Every time we did exactly what he said, we won."

Williams said the team executed McDaniels' "strategies" to a T -- and they worked, as the Broncos started off 6-0 that season.

But, the wins weren't piling up because of McDaniels' predictive game-planning ... as Williams claims, there was some constant rule-breaking going on.

"We did that for six weeks. We get to San Francisco and we end up losing. We was supposed to beat San Francisco."

"Our film guy got caught because we had to share a stadium [in London]. Our film guy got caught filming their practice."

McDaniels was later fined $50,000 for failing to report the violation to the league ... and was eventually fired the next season after a poor start.

Of course, McDaniels is no stranger to controversy -- the current Patriots offensive coordinator was in the same role on Bill Belichick's staff when the org. got busted for "Spygate" in 2007.

D.J. firmly believes that the Broncos were only winning games thanks to what he calls "Junior Spygate" ... citing that after their camera guy got fired, they lost 6 of their last 8 games.

"We was having breakfast, like, 'Damn, we not that good.'"

"We was cheating!!!"

Ex-NFL star Bart Scott has some WILD advice on how Josh Allen can handle the freezing weather during Saturday's home playoff matchup ... saying the Bills QB needs to pop some Viagra before the game!!

The 11-year vet just gave the tip during his segment on ESPN's "Get Up" (how fitting) on Thursday ... explaining how Allen -- who's struggled while playing in the cold -- can beat the single-digit temps by popping the blue pill.

So ... why?! Let's hear him out.

"Take some Viagra before the game, baby," Scott said minutes ago. "That'll get that circulation going right."

Naturally, things got hella awkward after Scott's tidbit ... with fellow analyst Damien Woody cracking up in the middle of the segment.

But, Scott is dead serious ... explaining a ton of players during his time used it to help during cold games.

"Viagra was first a heart medicine, right?," Scott explained. "So, it builds up circulation, which makes sure it gets circulation to the feet."

"I swear, I'm not trying to be funny."

Co-star Dianna Russini says Allen will probably just elect for a space heater on the sidelines in order to keep warm ... but heck, maybe it's worth a shot??

An incredibly rare, autographed card from Tom Brady's 2000 rookie NFL season just hit the auction block ... and TMZ Sports has learned that it could sell for $2,000,000!!

The classic card features TB12's authentic signature on the front, with him in a Patriots away uniform ... and the back of the card has his stats from when he was a quarterback at Michigan.

The G.O.A.T.'s rookie autographed card is already one of the highest-valued cards in the industry ... making it one of the most coveted items a collector in the hobby could own.

Brady -- who was drafted by the Patriots org. with the 199th overall pick -- would go onto have one of the most decorated careers as a quarterback in NFL history ... winning a record-setting 7 Super Bowl championships and 3 MVP awards (and counting).

Tom also led New England to 16 division titles during his tenure with the team ... and he played in 13 AFC championship games -- winning 9 of them.

"Selling Sunset" star Emma Hernan has a secret connection to former NFL stud Julian Edelman ... she played matchmaker and is now his daughter's godmother!!!

Emma's the one who introduced Julian to Swedish model Ella Rose, and now that the two have a kid together, Emma's got a very important role in their lives.

Julian and Ella's daughter, Lily Rose, just celebrated her 5th birthday ... and Emma was there, of course, because she's the godmother.

The connection is 10 years in the making ... because it was about a decade ago when Emma and Ella met at an after-party for the Oscars before becoming roommates.

In fact, Emma introduced Ella to Julian -- she knew him because she has family ties to Boston and Julian, of course, played for the New England Patriots -- the rest is history.

Our sources say when Ella became pregnant with Julian's child, it was only natural for her to pick Emma as the godmother ... they were best friends after all.

Emma's super hands-on ... she was even in the delivery room with Ella when Lily was born -- she had her hand on Ella's leg during the birth.

Sad about the Bills' loss on Monday night? Here's a Buffalo fan who definitely feels worse than you ...

Feast your eyes on a Bills Mafia member who bungled a table-smashing effort so badly on Monday -- he ended up nearly breaking bones in his lower body!!

The terrifying/hilarious scene all went down in a parking lot tailgate near Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park just hours before the Bills took on the Patriots.

For some reason, a fan decided to climb on top of a bus to break some dining room furniture before the big AFC East showdown -- but, unfortunately for him, it didn't go so well.

Watch the clip -- as fans gassed up the Bills backer (who was dressed in Buffalo gear and, thankfully, a helmet), the dude jumped ... and, well, he didn't stick the landing.

The guy missed the table almost completely -- crashing down on HARD on his tailbone.

A witness, though, tells us somehow the guy avoided serious injury -- but he was moving around gingerly and was clearly sore.

To make matters worse, the guy's night didn't get much better after that ... 'cause the Bills went on to lose a bad one to the Patriots, 14-10.

Two Bills players were so incensed with a reporter's question following their loss to the Patriots ... one of them asked the media member straight up, "What are we doing, bro?!"

Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde -- two of Buffalo's best defensive backs -- took the podium after losing 14-10 to New England ... and it didn't take them long to become upset with a media member.

The journalist in the crowd asked the two if they felt "embarrassed" after losing the game -- 'cause, after all, the Patriots won it despite only throwing THREE TOTAL PASSES.

"I mean, what kind of question is that?" Poyer said.

"Boy," Hyde added. "What are we doing, bro?!"

The reporter, though, stood by his question -- which enraged Poyer and Hyde even more.

"All right," Hyde said. "Keep that, keep that -- all right."

Poyer eventually ended up answering the question ... but seemed to railroad his offense in the process. Hyde, meanwhile, never answered it -- choosing instead to tell the reporter, "We'll remember that."

The Patriots, meanwhile, sure were having fun over the weird way in which they won the massive AFC East showdown ... with Matthew Judon playfully clowning Mac Jones for his unique night under center.

"Hats off to the offense," the star New England pass rusher said. "Really everybody. Probably besides Mac. He really didn't do nothing besides hand the ball off."

Mac Jones is following in Tom Brady's footsteps in more ways than one ... 'cause the New England Patriots quarterback just filed to trademark his own version of "TB12's" nickname -- "MJ10."

Records show Jones' "Mac 10 Enterprises" officially filed for the phrase on November 26 ... with the intent to use it for all things clothes -- from beanies to hats to pants to athletic jackets/shorts/shirts/sweaters and more, as reported by Darren Rovell.

We get it -- Brady didn't have the most original nickname to begin with, but the similarity is hard to ignore when the guy who held Mac's job for 20 years built a whole brand around his initials and number.

Now, if Jones ends up making avocado ice cream recipes and raving about "pliability," then we'd call the guy a copycat ... but for now, it's most likely a coincidence.

The filing is probably bad news for Cam Newton's nickname for Jones -- "Mac and Cheese" -- but let's be honest, that moniker didn't really have legs, anyway.

Cam Newton could be going home -- the former MVP is reportedly set to meet with the Carolina Panthers on Thursday ... as the injury-laden team looks for serious quarterback help.

The 32-year-old has been out of the job since getting cut by the New England Patriots in September ... but recently had chats with the Seattle Seahawks after being let go.

Newton -- who led the Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2016 -- could be returning to his old stomping grounds as the team searches to replace Sam Darnold, who just went down with a shoulder injury.

Newton played 9 seasons for the Panthers ... throwing for more than 29,000 yards, 182 touchdowns ... adding 4,800 yards on the ground with 58 TDs.

But, his lone season with the Pats wasn't nearly as successful ... starting 15 games and going 7-8 under Bill Belichick.

A Newton reunion could bring some energy to a 4-5 Panthers squad ... and given he's now vaccinated, the team wouldn't have to worry nearly as much about health and safety protocols.

Cam's old coach, Ron Rivera, is now with the Washington Football Team ... but if he hits it off with Matt Rhule, Panthers fans might need to dust off those #1 jerseys!!

Bill Belichick is just like everyone else in New England, mourning the death of Boston Red Sox legend, Jerry Remy ... who passed away after a year 13-year battle with cancer over the weekend.

The Patriots coach ended his weekly interview on WEEI ... memorializing the 68-year-old former player (infielder) and broadcaster of over 3 decades.

“Before we sign off, I just wanted to say to all of our fans out there, who are mostly Red Sox fans, how much we all are saddened by Jerry’s passing and how much he meant to all of us, the connection that he was to the Red Sox, his voice in the game and (how great) it was for the fans,” Belichick told the guys.

The 6x Super Bowl-winning head coach continues ... “He meant so much to Boston sports as a player and as an announcer, and his commentary of the game and insight into the game."

"We’ll all miss him. I know our fans are Jerry Remy and Red Sox fans, too, so our sympathy goes out to the Remy family. I just want to express my and all of our appreciation for all that he did to make Boston sports enjoyable and exciting for all of us. We’ll certainly miss him.”

The Red Sox also released a statement on Remy's death, with team owner John Henry saying ... "We are saddened by the loss of a beloved player, broadcaster, and 13-year cancer warrior."

Remy -- who played 7 seasons for the Sox as a 2nd baseman -- was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in 2006.

Jerry -- who was born in Massachusetts -- was last seen at Fenway on October 5 for the Wild Card game against the New York Yankees. He threw out the first pitch to former teammate and broadcast partner, Dennis Eckersley.