New England Patriots

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft had special gifts for Elton John before his final performance at Gillette Stadium ... giving the music legend a customized football and autographed helmet!!

The team posted the touching moment on social media Thursday ... showing Kraft and Sir Elton sharing a smile and holding the presents before the second of two sold-out shows at the Patriots' home venue.

As it turns out, the two are very close friends ... and John is a big fan of the 6-time Super Bowl winners. In fact, the "Tiny Dancer" singer even served as the Pats' honorary captain when they played at Wembley Stadium in 2009.

The commemorative game football reads "Sir Elton John" and the tour's logo ... while the helmet appears to have a special hand-written message from Kraft to his buddy.

"A gift fit for the 🚀 man," the Pats said in a tweet.

Mark Wahlberg is still pulling for his guy, Baker Mayfield ... telling TMZ Sports the new Carolina Panthers quarterback has a "bright future ahead of him" -- even if it's not in Foxborough.

Remember, Wahlberg previously told us TWICE he saw #6 as Tom Brady's successor with the New England Patriots ... saying Mayfield was the "heir to the throne."

Of course, that was before a guy named Mac Jones came along ... and while he's "absolutely" still a fan of Bake, Mark is coming to terms with the fact he won't be seeing him in a Patriots uniform anytime soon.

"It's a very stacked field at the quarterback position," Wahlberg said in New York this week. "It also has to do with the coach and the team, but he's got a big, bright future ahead of him."

Mayfield was recently traded to the Panthers after a bad falling out with Cleveland ... which was sparked by the Browns' pursuit of Deshaun Watson.

Baker says he felt disrespected by the Browns' handling of the situation ... but says he's moved on and is excited for a fresh start in Charlotte.

The speculation can be put to rest -- Rob Gronkowski says his football-playing days are officially behind him ... and not even Tom Brady can change his mind.

The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer doubled down on his decision to walk away from the game just minutes ago ... saying he's excited to focus on new opportunities after 11 seasons on the field.

"Yeah, I'm done with football," Gronk said Tuesday. "Love the game. Definitely blessed with all the opportunities the game of football has given me and the relationships I’ve met, obviously, here in New England for nine seasons and down in Tampa for two."

"But, no, done with football. Stepping my feet into the business world, the business ventures and just seeing what’s out there and where I can find my place."

The comments come one week after teammate Mike Evans addressed Gronk's status ... saying he was hoping to see him back on the field for the Buccaneers in 2022, but knows it's probably for the best.

"He takes a pretty big beating," Evans told KPRC 2 Houston. "I've seen his body after some of them games and I understand why [he would retire]."

Ex-NFL star Martellus Bennett just unloaded on Jimmy Garoppolo ... saying his former QB in New England is a "bitch" -- and Julian Edelman seems to be cosigning the jab.

Martellus made the remarks when he joined his former Patriots teammates, Devin and Jason McCourty, on their "Double Coverage" podcast ... claiming no NFL team can win with Jimmy G at the helm because he believes the signal-caller is soft.

Bennett went on to explain he developed that opinion following the way Garoppolo filled in for Tom Brady during the GOAT's four-game suspension back in the 2016 season.

You'll recall, Garoppolo helped the Pats win the first two games of the season ... but he injured his non-throwing shoulder in Week 2, and sat out the ensuing two games due to the ailment -- something Bennett clearly thinks was a no-no.

"We lost two games," Bennett said. "One of them is because Jimmy Garappolo was being a bitch. He quit before us on the last -- decided not to play right before the game."

"So, we went out there, Jacoby [Brissett] came out and played with a f***ked-up thumb, [and] played his heart out. But, Jimmy was just being a bitch about it all."

Bennett added, "And he's still being -- like, that's why, you can't win with a bitch for a quarterback."

Julian Edelman, who played alongside Bennett on the Pats, was asked about Martellus' feelings toward Jimmy on a recent episode of the "I Am Athlete" podcast ... and the 3x Super Bowl champ said he felt similarly to Bennett.

"A lot of guys got mad about it," Edelman said. "I'm not going to lie, I got mad about it. I sacrifice my body all day long. I was taking shots for this, numbing up that."

"Ribs, broken ribs, shoulders. You know, Grade 3, hanging on by limbs, just to play," Edelman said. "And, you know, I can understand why Marty thinks like that."

Rob Gronkowski is once again hanging up his cleats ... the legendary tight end has just retired from football for the second time in his career.

The Tampa Bay star announced the news Tuesday ... this after he initially came out of retirement to play with Tom Brady and the Bucs in 2020.

In his two seasons with TB12 in Florida since, he won another Super Bowl ring ... and caught 100 more passes for 1,425 yards and 13 TDs.

"I want to thank the whole entire first class Buccaneers organization for an amazing ride, trusting me to come back to play and help build a championship team," Gronk said in a lengthy retirement post on his Instagram page.

"I will now be going back into my retirement home, walking away from football again with my head held high knowing I gave it everything I had, good or bad, every time I stepped out on the field."

Gronk first called it quits following the 2018 season ... saying after a 9-year stint with Brady and the New England Patriots, his body didn't feel well enough to keep going.

Gronk had toyed with the idea of coming back for a third season in Tampa Bay this offseason, telling TMZ Sports he was staying "in shape" just in case he got the itch to play again. But, apparently, that itch never came ... and he seemed sure of his decision in his announcement Tuesday.

"From retirement, back to football and winning another championship and now back to chilling out," Gronk said, "thank you to all."

What's interesting ... Gronk's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said there is at least a small chance this isn't the end of Rob's historic career ... telling ESPN's Adam Schefter, "It would not surprise me if Tom Brady calls him during the season to come back and Rob answers the call. This is just my opinion but I wouldn't be surprised if Rob comes back during the season or next season."

But, for now, it seems the 33-year-old is really done.

See ya in five years in Canton!

A Tuskegee Airman got an amazing surprise at his 100th birthday party ... New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft showed up -- and gifted the man a custom jersey!

Sgt. Victor Butler -- who's believed to be Rhode Island's last surviving Tuskegee Airman -- had the celebration on Saturday in North Providence, and just minutes into it, Kraft made a surprise appearance.

The 80-year-old shook Butler's hand, offered a bunch of praise -- and then handed over a Patriots jersey that featured Butler's name and the No. 100.

"We wanted to give you something no one else could give you," Kraft said at the event. "And, maybe it wasn't always easy, but you did what was best for America."

"So, we thank you for that."

The 6-time Super Bowl champion owner also gave Victor a signed football and took pics with the legend as those in attendance cheered, applauded and sang, "Happy Birthday."

What made the event even cooler? The former Sgt. had originally only asked that people send him birthday cards for his big day.

In addition to Kraft's gifts, others also showed up bearing presents -- and there was even a parade thrown his Butler's honor.

After 20 years of endless debate, Tom Brady is finally caving into the possibility that the controversial "tuck rule play" from the Patriots' 2001 playoff game "might have" been a fumble ... and naturally, the Raiders had something to say.

The 44-year-old took to social media to make the revelation with the help of none other than Justin Bieber on Thursday ... admitting there's a chance he may have gotten away with a fumble that the refs didn't call in the classic AFC Divisional Round game.

Here's the deal -- Bieber posted a TikTok asking his followers to tell him something honest (to promote his new single called, you guessed it, "Honest") ... which opened the door for Brady to make the public admission.

"The Tuck Rule game against the Raiders might have been a fumble," Brady said in the vid ... adding, "Keep this on the down-low please" in the accompanying tweet.

Remember, the Raiders were leading 13-10 with 1:47 left in the 4th quarter when Brady -- who started the season as Drew Bledsoe's backup -- dropped back to make a pass as defensive back, Charles Woodson, was blitzing off the edge.

Brady "lost the ball," but the refs ruled that because his arm was going forward, the play was an incomplete pass -- much to the dismay of Raiders fans.

The rest was history ... as the Pats went on to defeat the Raiders in overtime, 16-13, then march to the Super Bowl, where they beat the Rams, 20-17.

The Raiders' Twitter account had a hilarious reaction to TB12's vid ... saying, "Knew it."

While Brady has seemingly softened his stance on the play, he still believes the refs probably made the right call.

"I said might. Such a tough call. No choice but to respect the official's probably correct decision."

Sean McVay couldn't help but chuckle after the New England Patriots drafted Cole Strange with the 29th overall pick ... admitting he thought the Chattanooga center would be available MUCH later in the draft!!

The L.A. Rams coach and GM, Les Snead, chopped it up with reporters after Thursday's first round ... and the two were in really great spirits as they answered questions.

The duo cracked jokes for 5 straight minutes -- after all, with zero picks until the third round, they didn't have too much to worry about.

But, the funniest part of the media sesh came when McVay and Snead found out about the Pats drafting Strange late in the first round ... which came as a shock to them both.

"Wow, Strange just went!" McVay said. "How 'bout that?! And, we wasted our time watching him, thinking he'd be at 104, baby."

Here's the thing -- some people are taking the reaction as shade at Bill Belichick and the Pats, with the interpretation being McVay thinks they reached for the center.

But, as Snead points out, Strange is an incredible talent ... and one of the quickest linemen in the draft.

So, chances are, the guys were laughing at how off they were on the possibility of landing prospect ... but either way, the reaction is hilarious.

Vince Wilfork's son, D'Aundre Holmes-Wilfork, pleaded guilty earlier this month to stealing Super Bowl rings and other prized possessions from the New England Patriots legend ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to court documents, Holmes-Wilfork pleaded guilty to felony theft of property greater than or equal to $300,000 as part of a plea deal that he struck with prosecutors on April 20.

Holmes-Wilfork received five years of deferred community supervision as part of the agreement ... meaning the conviction will essentially go away if he keeps his nose clean for the next five years and meets all the conditions of his probation.

As we previously reported, Holmes-Wilfork was initially charged in 2021 with stealing Vince's SB rings, AFC championship rings, 2001 Miami Hurricanes national championship ring and other jewelry.

At the time, authorities said Holmes-Wilfork took the jewelry and sold it without Vince's permission in 2020. According to authorities, police said Vince told them he believed the goods were worth around $400k.

Court records show the stolen jewelry was ordered on April 20 to be returned to Vince.

Even though Tom Brady's back, Rob Gronkowski says he's not ready yet to commit to playing football again ... telling TMZ Sports he's still truly undecided about his future.

Most thought the tight end would be a shoo-in to return to Tampa Bay in 2022 after his QB unretired ... but Gronk says that's just not the case -- at least not yet.

In fact, Rob says he actually avoided catching footballs at a charity event over the weekend so he wouldn't get an urge to make a decision that he might regret later.

"I knew if I started catching some passes that my head would have started turning, like, 'Oh, crap, I got to get back out on the field,'" Gronk said. "And, right now, I'm not ready to get back out on that field. I'm not ready to commit to the game of football right now."

The 32-year-old does not have a contract yet -- and he said he won't sign a new one until he's 100 percent sure he's ready to get back on the field.

As for what he's doing in the meantime -- he told us he's enjoying his offseason ... and he announced Gronk Beach is making its return this year at the NFL draft in Las Vegas later this month.

Rob says the party will happen on April 29 -- and he promised it'll be a complete rager.

After that, it appears a football decision will ensue.

Former Raiders legend Charles Woodson is on board with the hiring of Josh McDaniels as the team's next coach ... telling TMZ Sports the "second time's a charm."

We spoke with Charles -- who spent 8 seasons with the then-Oakland Raiders -- and the ex-cornerback told us he has no worries about McDaniels his second time around.

"He’s been a head coach," Woodson said. "He’s been through it one time before. So, he’s gained the experience."

"I think he’ll be good the second time around," he added.

Las Vegas hired Josh to be signal-caller after Rich Bisaccia stepped in amid the Jon Gruden scandal ... and a lot of people were hoping RB would get the gig.

But, CW tells us the experience McDaniels gained when he was the Broncos' head coach ... will prove to be valuable during his stint with the Raiders.

As for whether Josh will be able to turn Derek Carr into the G.O.A.T. as he helped do with TB12 ... Woodson says don't count on it.

Tom Brady needs to come back home and retire as a member of the New England Patriots ... so says Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who tells TMZ Sports the legendary quarterback has "no love for Tampa Bay."

We spoke with Dave outside Saddle Ranch in West Hollywood ... and he says he truly believes the 7-time Super Bowl champ is really done -- but his final stop will be Foxborough.

Portnoy tells us, "I think he’s going to sign probably a 1-day contract with the Pats and retire as a Patriot. That's where his heart is."

Dave says all is well between Brady and the Pats after the QB initially snubbed them out of his retirement message ... calling it a "mistake" on his end.

"He apologized to me personally. He said I'm a soldier for life. The next day he created a Patriot video, and he did it two years ago ... he thanked the Patriots fans."

BTW, Portnoy is as loyal as it gets when it comes to the Pats. He was arrested back in 2015 at NFL headquarters after Brady was suspended by the league for Deflategate.

Dave seems to think that TB12's mental blunder wasn't intentional at all ... explaining he was probably forgetful in that moment -- but now he's back in his good graces.

As for Tampa, Dave says Brady's past 2 seasons pretty much meant nothing ... and it doesn't even come close to the relationships he built with the team that drafted him back in 2000.

"He has no love for Tampa Bay," Dave says ... "And he wants to retire where it all began, and where he built his legacy. And it's definitely not Tampa."

Dave says he's confident Tom could've played until he was 50 if he wanted to ... but the only way he wants to see him return is under one condition.

Tired of seeing NFL players not go all-out at the Pro Bowl? Patriots star Matthew Judon tells TMZ Sports he has the solution -- a whole new setup for the game that includes flag football and past legends!!

Judon explained his proposal outside of Tommie Hollywood in L.A. on Wednesday ... saying if people really hate the NFL's all-star game now, he's down to change it up to a flag game with former stars.

"What we should do, and it could be competitive, start an old, a washed-up, like, you know, the old pros vs. the new pros," Judon said.

"We can go out there and we can play, like, flag with them or something like that."

Of course, Judon is talking about changes to the game because people REALLY hated on the contest this past weekend.

Fans, and even past legends like Deion Sanders, criticized players for not going full speed, and not even really trying to tackle each other.

Judon says all of that was by design, explaining nobody wants to get hurt following a long season.

"You don't want anybody to get injured, man," Judon said. "The real game is the real game ... the Pro Bowl is for the experience."

Pete Davidson haters are going to love this ...

The comedian was pummeled by ex-New England Patriots star Jerod Mayo for an ad about food waste ... and it's all pretty hilarious.

The spot -- a Hellmann's Super Bowl LVI ad -- was released Monday ... showing Mayo hitting a whole bunch of people who were on the verge of throwing away perfectly usable food.

Mayo sacked a man with bread, a woman with potatoes, an elderly woman with chicken, and then a man with spinach.

Finally, the 6-foot-1, 250-pound former linebacker (who now coaches on Bill Belichick's staff in New England) confronted Pete at a house party.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Pete said to Mayo as the ex-football player charged in ... "Mom's already tackling food waste, Mayo!"

Jerod appeared to leave ... but then he came back and speared Pete to the floor.

"I get it," Pete said while on the ground after Jerod apologized for the hit. "I'm very hittable."

Here you go, Robert Kraft and Patriots fans -- Tom Brady is giving New England a proper goodbye ... sharing highlights with his team of 20 years in an emotional farewell video.

Brady posted the clip on Thursday ... featuring classic moments from his 20 years in Foxboro and 2-year stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"As I look back on my career in football, the memories we have made, and the relationships we have built are by far the most meaningful," Brady captioned the clip.

"Yes, the scoreboard was important, but the toughest times always taught me the most important lessons."

Brady added ... "I played for the name on the front of my jersey and the name on the back of my jersey."

Of course, many in New England were in their feels when the 44-year-old future Hall of Famer didn't mention the Pats in his initial retirement letter on Tuesday ... including Robert Kraft who, according to ex-player Ted Johnson, threw a fit when he was left out.

Kraft and Bill Belichick did pen a congratulatory letter, despite the omission ... and Brady later responded to both via Instagram story ... calling Bill "the greatest coach in NFL history" on Wednesday.

In Thursday's vid, Brady says he "played for my friends, my family, and our community -- every single one of you -- that have given me what I have today."

"I love you all. Thank you ALL for making this incredible journey possible."

Former Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson says Robert Kraft was so pissed about being left out of Tom Brady's retirement note ... he heard the New England owner threw a fit over it.

Johnson said shortly after Brady omitted Kraft, Bill Belichick and the Patriots from his goodbye letter to football on Tuesday, he was told the Pats honcho exploded.

"I was told earlier tonight, you guys, that Robert Kraft, it was an unpleasant day today at the executive offices in Foxboro," said Johnson, who played 10 seasons for the Patriots from 1995 to 2004.

"And that Robert Kraft, when he initially first heard the news, was very upset. And he was screaming and he was yelling. And then there was a significant temper tantrum that he threw after he read this IG post."

It's unclear why Brady left New England out from his note -- he thanked practically everyone else that he's crossed paths with in his career -- but his former teammate, Antowain Smith (who played with Johnson too), told TMZ Sports he believes the snub was unintentional.

Brady did ultimately end up acknowledging the Pats in an IG story later Tuesday, writing, "Thank you Patriots and Patriot Nation. Beyond grateful and love you all."

Kraft has not spoken publicly yet about the Brady retirement, though he did release a statement Tuesday saying, "I have the greatest respect for Tom personally and always will."