New England Patriots

New England definitely ain't gonna like these apples ...

Matt Damon -- one of the biggest die-hard Boston-area sports fans EVER -- just admitted he'd root against the Patriots in a Super Bowl!!

The Academy Award-winning actor made the shocking revelation on The Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday ... saying if it came down to Tom Brady's Buccaneers vs. the Pats in this year's Big Game, he's team TB12 all day!!

"Listen," Damon said. "I love that guy."

Damon -- who is from Cambridge, Mass. -- has been a Pats fan since forever ... but it's clear his relationship with Tom outweighs all of that.

"Go Bucs," Damon said on the show.

It's gotta hurt the Patriots ... but, hey, they do get to square off against Tom in the regular season in Foxborough in October.

"LET'S GOOOOOOOOO!!!"

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry was FIRED UP when he found out he and his wife were having a baby boy ... and the video of it all is AWESOME!!

The couple posted the amazing gender reveal footage on Instagram on Tuesday ... showing how they walked into Gillette Stadium hand-in-hand while staring at a jumbotron that read, "He or She?"

Before it was revealed, the 26-year-old Pats star said he thought it was going to be a girl ... but his wife, Parker, thought otherwise.

Turns out ... after a countdown from 3, Parker ended up being right -- and Hunter went CRAZY!!

Henry screamed, threw his hands in the air and even started fist pumpin'!

"No way!" he yelled. "That's dope!!!"

The couple -- who married in 2018 --- says #BabyHenry is due to arrive in December.

You didn't think Robert Kraft was gonna let that thing sit in the garage, did you?!

Check out the New England Patriots owner rolling through The Hamptons with his girlfriend Dana Blumberg in his brand new drop-top Bentley ... his birthday gift from Jay-Z, Meek Mill and Michael Rubin!

Remember, Kraft lost his mind when Rubin presented the ride to him earlier this month -- with Robert wondering how the hell the guys managed to get it!

"How the fudge did you get it?" Kraft said at the time.

Kraft apparently had been eyeing the Bentley -- but despite his immense power and fortune, the billionaire couldn't get it on his own.

But Jay, Meek and Michael -- who founded the REFORM Alliance with Kraft in 2019 -- clearly have some pull in the rare car world and made it happen!

Fast forward a few weeks ... and Kraft was seen driving it around his exclusive neighborhood with a big 'ol smile on his face!

Haven't seen Kraft this happy since he won the Super Bowl ... for the 6th time!

Vince Wilfork's son has been arrested and charged with stealing more than $300k-worth of jewelry from the ex-NFL star ... including his 2 Super Bowl rings.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... 39-year-old Wilfork reported his valuables stolen in May 2021, claiming his SB rings, AFC championship rings, 2001 Miami Hurricanes national championship ring and other jewelry were missing from his family home in Texas.

The 13-year NFL vet told cops he first noticed the items were missing in May 2020 ... but was unsure if they were in storage or at his home in Florida.

According to records obtained by TMZ Sports, a Patriots fan contacted Wilfork after coming across a listing for his SB rings on a Facebook page ... asking if the items were really legit.

Wilfork then had had his ex-wife reach out to the seller, who claims his business partner bought the four Patriots rings from D'Aundre Holmes-Wilfork, Vince's son, in 2020 for $62,000.

During their investigation, cops claim Holmes-Wilfork also sold 8 items -- 2 necklaces, a bracelet and 5 earrings -- to a jewelry store for $4,600 in March 2020.

FYI, D'Aundre has had legal trouble in the past -- he was kicked off the University of Houston football team in 2016 after being arrested for having 381 grams of codeine in his car.

The man who allegedly purchased the Patriots rings from D'Aundre returned them to police. It's unclear if they have been returned to Wilfork or if they're being held as evidence.

Wilfork told police he believes the alleged stolen items are worth around $400k.

The 23-year-old was arrested on May 22 and charged with theft of property worth over $300,000, a felony. His bond was set at $300,000.

It's not too often you hear Bill Belichick gush about one of his players ... but not all of his players were Adam Vinatieri.

The Patriots head coach raved about the 48-year-old kicker as the G.O.A.T. after he announced his retirement on Wednesday -- and pointed out Vinny's game-winner in the legendary "Tuck Rule" game is the greatest single kick of all time.

"Adam Vinatieri is the greatest kicker of all-time who made the greatest kick of all-time in the 2001 divisional playoffs," Belichick said.

"His consistency, mental toughness and performance under pressure was legendary. I am honored to have coached Adam, going all the way back to his rookie year in 1996 and through some of the most special moments in Patriots and league history."

"Adam is in the rarest echelon of athletes whose career accomplishments may never be matched."

Adam was obviously known for coming through big in clutch moments -- including game-winners in TWO different Super Bowls.

But, the "Tuck Rule" kick was special -- it was Jan. 19, 2002, the Pats were playing the Raiders in heavy snow.

Vinny not only hit a 45-yarder to tie up the game with seconds remaining in the 4th quarter -- but he also hit the 23-yard, game-winner in overtime to seal the victory and send the Pats to Super Bowl XXXVI.

The rest is history ...

Pats owner Robert Kraft also praised Adam in a statement ... saying, "Adam Vinatieri earned the respect of his teammates and Patriots fans everywhere in 1996 when he caught Herschel Walker from behind for a touchdown-saving tackle on a kickoff return."

It's true ... and an AMAZING moment!

"For the next 10 years, that respect and admiration grew with every clutch performance and game-winning kick, especially his iconic 48-yard field goal as time expired in Super Bowl XXXVI."

"For Patriots fans, the feeling of that first Super Bowl championship will never be replicated. As memorable as Adam's Super Bowl performances were, he will always be remembered in New England for the greatest field goal in NFL history – the game-tying 45-yarder in the snow bowl against the Raiders."

Super Bowl hero Adam Vinatieri -- one of the greatest placekickers EVER -- is finally announcing his retirement ... 25 years after making his NFL debut!

The 48-year-old appeared on the "Pat McAfee Show" on Wednesday when he was asked about his football career, considering he hasn't been on a roster since the 2019 season.

"Should we just make it real?" Adam said ... "Should we just say 'Hey, we're done?' We're riding off into the sunset. You want it to be live on your show that Vinny's officially done? Is that what you want?"

Pat -- who played with Adam on the Indianapolis Colts -- replied, "I don't want that but if it's gonna happen, happy it's happening here! I would like that to be known. Don't feel obligated."

Vinny responded, "Put it this way ... today's Wednesday. By Friday, if paperwork goes in, you heard it here first."

Translation -- it's over.

Adam will go down as an NFL legend -- finishing as the league's all-time leading scorer with 2,673 points!

There's more ... he's a 4-time Super Bowl champion and also made more field goals than anyone in NFL history with 599!

But, he'll be most famously remembered for having ICE IN HIS VEINS IN CLUTCH MOMENTS!

Remember, when he hit the game-winning field goal for the New England Patriots with seconds remaining in Super Bowl XXXVI?!

Vinny sealed the victory for the Pats -- which began the famous Tom Brady, Bill Belichick dynasty.

He also hit the game-winner in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

There's a lot more ... we don't have all day.

Adam left the Pats after the 2005 season and went on to play in Indy from 2006 to 2019.

Next stop, Canton!

Congrats!!!

There will be no Rob Gronkowski-like return for Julian Edelman -- not now nor ever -- so says the former Patriots star, who claims he's REALLY retired.

Rumors of a possible reunion with Tom Brady in Tampa at some point in the future have still swirled despite the 32-year-old's retirement announcement last month ... but JE insists he's seriously done.

Edelman -- who still certainly appears to have game left in his body -- broke it all down for Michael Irvin on The Michael Irvin Podcast this week, explaining he simply doesn't want to push his body any further.

“My knee's breaking down," he said. "I’m not going to sit here, you know, I got everything I want. I got three rings. Played in a magical dynasty with an unbelievable franchise, coach, best quarterback of all time, like, yo, I’m not a greedy guy."

Edelman continued, "I'm not going to sit out there and look like some old dude in an old BIKE knee brace and ankle braces -- you know the old guy? I don't want to look like that, man. I can't do that."

Some of Edelman's closest friends clearly are having a hard time believing him ... Gronk told TMZ Sports just a few weeks ago there was a "69% chance" Edelman joins him on the Bucs eventually.

And, even Brady joked about an Edelman reunion in Tampa during the NFL draft weekend last month too.

But, Edelman -- who's taken a gig as an analyst on Inside the NFL since announcing his retirement -- swears that just ain't happenin'.

Gotta hand it to the New England Patriots ... once again using their resources to help combat the global COVID pandemic.

This time, Robert Kraft's team sent the Patriots jet to El Salvador to deliver 500,000 doses of the COVID vaccine.

Photos show the plane at Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport on Tuesday delivering the payload ... great news for a country that's been trying to roll out the vaccine to its 6.4 million citizens.

So far, El Salvador has recorded more than 71,000 cases and 2,100 deaths. The CDC has issued the country a "3" rating, which indicates a high level of COVID, noting "travelers should avoid all nonessential travel" to El Salvador.

Officials in El Salvador have said the country is on track to reach its goal of immunizing the entire population "very soon" ... thanks, in part, to the Patriots.

Back in April 2020 -- and the beginning of the pandemic -- Kraft sent the Patriots team jet to China to bring back more than 1.2 million N95 masks to distribute to people in need in the U.S.

Sure, you can hate the team on the field ... but gotta hand it to the Patriots for making a real impact off of it.

No bad blood between Robert Kraft and Tom Brady -- in fact, the Patriots owner tells TMZ Sports he can't wait to welcome the QB back to New England!

"Excited to have him," Kraft told us Friday afternoon in Beverly Hills ... "He's a great guy and he did so much for us. I love him."

Of course, Tom will make his highly anticipated return to Boston during Week 4 of the 2021 NFL season -- the first time he'll play in Gillette Stadium as a visitor!

Tickets for the game are already in ultra-high demand -- with some ticket brokers fetching 4-figures for seats in the nosebleed section!

We asked Kraft how he feels about the big matchup -- and he told us, "We should have a fun night! But, I'm excited for Week 1 … and we play Miami."

There's more!!!

We also asked Bob about the Pats QB situation -- they recently selected Mac Jones in the 1st round of the NFL Draft after re-signing former NFL MVP Cam Newton.

So, who'll end up with the starting gig?

"We're excited to have [Mac Jones] but I'm excited to have Cam Newton, too," Kraft said ... adding, "I pay Bill Belichick a lot of money. He can decide that."

The New England Patriots just got some serious bulletin board material for their matchup against the Buccaneers ... and it's coming from none other than Tom Brady!!!

... 's dad.

Brady Sr. -- ID'd as "Tom in California" -- was candid about his son's big return to Foxborough when appearing on a local radio show Thursday ... saying he's already drooling at the thought of his son playing against the Pats in Week 4.

"I saw the schedule come out last night and I started salivating when I saw that we play the Patriots in the 4th game of the season," Brady Sr. said on "Zolak & Bertrand" on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

"We’re coming up here to make our record 4-0 after the 4th game. So, pretty fun time!"

It wasn't all smack talk, however -- Brady Sr. softened up and spoke about how it'll be special to return to Gillette Stadium and enjoy being back at their "second home" to watch their "second favorite team."

"It's a game where we get to root against nobody, we get to root for the Patriots, but our most favorite team are the Buccaneers."

And, that's when Brady Sr. dropped one more jab for good measure.

"We expect to beat the Patriots handily, frankly."

DAYUMMMM, DAD!!! How do you REALLY feel?!?!

It's worth noting -- Brady, Sr. has made it clear he has nothing but love for the Pats and Bill Belichick in the past ... saying it wasn't a "divorce" and more of a "separation."

Of course, the game is already generating a ton of buzz ... with the cheapest tickets selling for more than $1,000!!!

TB12 has also commented on the game ... saying, "It’s like when your high school friends meet your college friends."

A signed Tom Brady card PACKED with diamonds was just pulled out of a wild box break this week ... and it's got everyone wondering -- is this the greatest TB12 card ever!?

The piece came from a 2020 Flawless NFL box ... and it's absolutely insane -- with some experts putting a conservative resale price tag of $250,000 on it!!

The card -- a 1-of-1 -- features an image of Brady, the Super Bowl XXXVIII logo, Brady's signature and inscription ... plus over two dozen REAL diamonds!!

It was all pulled thanks to Bryan from Ultimate Box Breaks ... who purchased the $6,000 Panini America box this week and split it 32 ways between collectors.

Bryan tells TMZ Sports some of his followers/card enthusiasts agreed to buy in for around $160 -- and each one was then assigned 1 of the 32 NFL teams.

The deal was simple ... whatever team the player's card was on -- that collector would get the item.

Turns out, the guy who had the Patriots scored BIG TIME -- 'cause Bryan tells us the dude is just a regular Joe who so happens to be a huge New England and Brady fan!

As for his plans for the card now, Bryan says it's unclear whether the guy will sell it or hold it ... but it is clear the card could be worth a small fortune nonetheless.

Remember, Tom's rare cards ALWAYS resale for big numbers ... in fact, one of his rookie pieces just netted $1.72 MILLION at an auction last month.

It's a wrap for Julian Edelman -- the New England Patriots WR is officially retiring after a stellar 12-year run in the NFL.

... but it begs the question -- does he belong in Canton?!

Edelman was a 7th-round pick out of Kent State in the 2009 NFL Draft -- and went on to become a 3-time Super Bowl champion and the MVP of Super Bowl LIII. Pretty impressive, huh?!

34-year-old Edelman had been dealing with some knee issues lately and underwent surgery for an undisclosed ailment back in October.

Unfortunately for Julian, the latest injury proved too much to overcome -- and he decided to hang up his cleats.

Edelman finishes his career with 620 catches for 6,822 receiving yards and 36 TDs -- a pretty solid stat line for any NFL player.

Worth noting ... most WRs currently in the Hall averaged over 800 career receptions, with more than 10,000 yards receiving and around 100 TDs each.

But, is Edelman's postseason prowess enough to get voters to look past the stats?

In the post-season, he's racked up 118 catches -- 2nd all-time behind Jerry Rice, who caught 151.

He also has 1,442 receiving yards in the post-season -- again, 2nd behind Jerry Rice, who has 2,245.

Edelman's career has been debated for years -- with his former Patriots teammate Deion Branch saying, in 2019, he thinks JE had locked up a HOF spot back then!

"He knows I'm all for it," Branch said at the time ... "Put my brother in. He has earned it."

So, will the voters get behind Julian? Either way, congrats on a solid career.

New England Patriots offensive lineman Justin Herron was heralded as a hero Wednesday ... after cops say he helped stop a sexual assault at a park in Arizona over the weekend.

The story is terrifying ... Herron says he was walking around Kiwanis Park at 11 AM on Saturday in Tempe -- when all of a sudden, he heard screams coming from the middle of a field.

Herron says as he approached the scene ... he saw a man on top of a woman -- and acted quickly.

"I just knew that in that moment I had to go and had to put a stop to it," 25-year-old Herron said.

The 6-foot-5, 305-pound lineman -- who was in Arizona training after wrapping up his rookie season -- says he screamed at the man to get off, before he physically pulled the guy away from the woman.

"Then I told him to sit down," said Herron, who cops say was also joined by another good Samaritan, Murry Rogers, in putting a stop to the alleged crime. "And, he just sat down and waited."

Cops say when they arrived on the scene, they identified the suspect as 30-year-old Kevin Caballero.

The victim, police say, was a 71-year-old who Caballero had pushed to the ground and attempted to sexually assault.

Cops awarded both Herron and Rogers Outstanding Service Awards for their actions ... and Rogers said the alleged victim called the two men "her angels."

Robert Kraft ain't bitter Tom Brady won a Super Bowl while his Patriots sucked this season ... in fact, he's HAPPY for his former QB ... saying TB12 deserved to win it all in 2021.

Of course, both sides took the high road following their breakup ... with Kraft publicly rooting for Brady in SBLV against the Kansas City Chiefs last month.

Now that some time has passed, New England's owner was asked what he REALLY thought of Brady winning ring #7 as his Pats went 7-9 and missed the playoffs ... and Kraft remains adamant there's no bad blood.

"Well, I was really happy for him," Kraft told Sports Illustrated. "He’s a great guy and he gave us 20 wonderful years, and he made the choice to do what he wanted to do."

Kraft admits he "wasn't that happy" to watch his superstar of 20 years walk out the door ... but understands that's what happens in the industry.

Since the Pats basically had ZERO chance of winning the SB in their first season sans TB12, Kraft explains he had to root for the guy.

"... If we’re not going to win, and someone’s got to do it, I’m happy for him. He deserves it."

"I’m not normally that polite," he joked.

The Pats have been busy in free agency in hopes of returning to the playoffs -- they're shelling out $130 MILLION in guaranteed money to 8 new signings -- and Kraft makes it clear last season's struggles can't happen again.

"We gotta win," he added. "And I think we’re in a better position than we were two weeks ago to do that. But we’ll let things play out."

Rob Gronkowski is finally opening up about what it was like when he found his Patriots teammate Aaron Hernandez was a suspect in a murder case ... and it's clear Gronk is still shaken up about it.

FYI, Gronk and Aaron were both selected by the Patriots in the 2010 NFL Draft and spent countless hours together in meetings and workouts because they both play the same position, tight end.

Of course, Aaron's NFL career came to a screeching halt in 2013 when he was arrested for the murder of Odin Lloyd. He was found guilty of 1st-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

"I was definitely shook when I heard that," Gronk said during the "10 Questions with Kyle Brandt" podcast.

"Because, being his teammate and everything -- you really don't see that. You're not really looking into players like that ... that's who they are, or that's what they're doing."

Gronk says Hernandez was a "great football player" -- but notes in the greater scheme of things "that does not mean anything."

Hernandez was also charged in the 2012 double murder of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado -- but he was ultimately acquitted in 2017.

Cam Newton's time in New England ain't over yet ... the QB is finalizing a deal to return to the Patriots -- and the new contract could reportedly be worth nearly $14 MIL for 1 year!!

The surprising re-signing is expected to come later this month, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter ... with the dollar amount a staggering figure considering Cam's up-and-down 2020 season.

Newton joined the Pats last summer on a 1-year contract -- his base salary was just $1 million with millions in incentives, but unclear how much he ultimately pocketed from the deal.

And, despite a good opening stretch of games, the 31-year-old finished the season with just 8 TD passes and 10 interceptions.

The year was so rocky for Newton -- who battled a mid-season bout with COVID and ultimately went 7-8 as the team's starter -- most thought the Patriots would move on this offseason.

Clearly, though, the Pats saw enough from Cam to want him back ... and the big money suggests he'll be their starter in 2021.

Of course, the news has to be music to Newton's ears ... the former MVP has spoken VERY highly of his time in New England.

In fact, Cam recently called Bill Belichick "misunderstood" and "dope as s***" on a recent edition of the "I AM ATHLETE" podcast.

By the way, if you're wondering what kind of shape Cam is in this offseason ... it's pretty good -- check out the dude's moves at a roller rink in Atlanta last month.