New England Patriots

9:48 AM PT -- Attorney David Meier released a statement on the Diggs allegations ... saying they "are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated -- because they did not occur."

"The timing and motivation for making the allegations is crystal clear: they are the direct result of an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee's satisfaction."

"Stefon looks forward to establishing the truth in a court of law."

New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs has a lot more than the playoffs to worry about -- the NFL star is facing strangulation and assault charges in connection to an alleged incident earlier this month ... but he is denying any wrongdoing.

Diggs has been charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery stemming from an altercation in Dedham, Massachusetts on Dec. 2.

The Patriots beat the New York Giants on "Monday Night Football" a day prior on Dec. 1. Diggs had three catches for 26 yards in the 33-15 win.

Cardi B and the B stands for brrrr -- the rapper was no match for the cold temperatures as she supported her man, Stefon Diggs, during his game against the Jets on Sunday ... leaving the Patriots star wondering if she bailed!!

The "Outside" rapper took shelter during the New England's 42-10 win over New York at MetLife Stadium ... where Diggs secured 101 receiving yards and one touchdown, earning himself a $500K contract bonus in the process.

Diggs, 32, wanted to celebrate with this girlfriend on the field ... but realized she was MIA.

Cardi B and Stefon Diggs drew a massive crowd for the Patriots receiver's holiday event at Gillette Stadium ... with the rapper going all-out in support of her man -- even doing some yoga poses in the process!!

The NFL star held a "Wellness Wonderland" women's function on Monday ... explaining, "I want to take some time to appreciate some hardworking women in the world and their little ones."

That included Cardi -- his girlfriend and the mother of his son -- who got directly involved by joining Diggs on the mats for the event's yoga session.

Stefon Diggs is going after a social media star who accused him of drugging, sexually assaulting and later conspiring to kill him ... with the NFL star calling the claims pure fiction!!

The lawsuit, which TMZ Sports obtained, was filed by 31-year-old Diggs on October 1 ... with the Patriots star wideout accusing "would-be social media influencer" Christopher Blake Griffith of concocting a lurid story about him, stemming from an alleged incident at Stefon's Rockville, Maryland home in May 2023.

Diggs says he, along with Griffith and other influencers, hit up a local club after a charity basketball game in Washington, D.C., before later returning to Stefon's home. The Pats receiver says he then went to his bedroom, while his assistant asked Griffith to leave, capping a fairly mundane night.

Bill Belichick's been a regular in the headlines ever since his relationship with Jordon Hudson became public ... and his former player Asante Samuel tells TMZ Sports the irony is not lost on him.

Samuel was having some fun at his old coach's expense when he chopped it up with us this week ... saying while BB had to change his ways to conform to the college game at UNC, his off-the-field life has changed, too.

"Coach is being a hypocrite, man," he said. "He's been a hypocrite the way he's carrying on. He told us to stay off and don't have family distractions and things like that."

Stefon Diggs had his eyes on a cheerleader minutes after Cardi B announced the birth of their son ... because he tossed her a football during his NFL game.

Cardi took to social media Thursday to announce she had given birth to Stefon's boy ... shortly before Stefon's New England Patriots kicked off their Thursday Night Football matchup with the New York Jets.

Stefon caught a pass from quarterback Drake Maye in the first quarter and his route took him out of bounds ... and when he was on the sidelines he tossed the football to a Patriots cheerleader.

A high-end trading card shop owned by Tom Brady was robbed in New York City of nearly $10,000 worth of baseball and Pokémon cards, according to police.

The NYPD says the incident occurred shortly before noon on October 20 ... when a man at CardVault by Tom Brady attempted to purchase items, but his payment declined.

The suspect then allegedly managed to trick the employee into believing the items were paid for, before ultimately walking out of the store with $9,710 worth of merchandise.

Rob Gronkowski has officially retired as a member of the New England Patriots ... but not without one last effort from owner Robert Kraft to get him to suit up for "Thursday Night Football" against the New York Jets!!

The legendary tight end signed his one-day contract to end his career in Foxborough on Wednesday ... and as he put pen to paper, Kraft joked he could make it a two-day deal to give him a farewell outing against their AFC East rival.

While it was obviously a joke, Gronk sure does look football-ready at 36 years old ... although he's done enough for the Patriots organization.

Rob Gronkowski is finally getting around to filing his retirement papers -- the superstar tight end is signing a one-day contract with the New England Patriots to officially end his Hall of Fame career.

The organization confirmed the news Monday morning ... saying Gronk will sign an honorary deal to ride off into the sunset as a member of the Patriots.

Gronk is one of the greatest to ever play the position -- he had 621 catches for 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns over the course of 11 seasons ... nine in New England and two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Cardi B was losing it watching her man Stefon Diggs hit the end zone for a pivotal touchdown ... and her reaction says it all.

Cardi posted a video from bed Sunday, filming her reaction as her boyfriend hauled in a clutch 4th-down pass in the New England Patriots vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers game ... giving the Pats a 14-10 lead.

Check out the video ... Cardi is quite literally lost for words, then starts chanting "bring it home!" as she celebrates the score.

Tony Romo had quite the head-scratching analysis of the Patriots defense on Sunday ... saying they're a bunch of dudes who are all "DTF."

"Details, toughness, and they finish."

Yeah ... that's not what "DTF" usually stands for.

Stephen Gostkowski is sure patience with Bill Belichick at UNC will be rewarded ... telling TMZ Sports this week if the Tar Heels give him time, the head coach "will figure it out."

The former Patriots star -- who played under Belichick for 14 seasons in New England -- called the 73-year-old "the best coach" ... while making it clear he has no concerns about The Hoodie's ability to win, despite a slow start in Chapel Hill.

"I can't really say too much bad about him," the ex-All-Pro kicker said. "I enjoyed working with him every minute of the day. I used to be scared to death of him. Maybe not so much anymore. But I'm pulling for him."

Drake Maye's got Donnie Wahlberg reconsidering his February plans ... 'cause he tells TMZ Sports the New England quarterback has him legitimately wondering if the Patriots could actually make the Super Bowl this season.

We caught up with Mark's older bro out in NYC on Tuesday -- and the Pats superfan told us with the way Maye and New England's defense have stepped it up recently, he's wondering if his favorite team could make a championship run this year.

"I didn't know that it was possible a few weeks ago," Wahlberg said of a potential Pats title, "but it could be!"

Stefon Diggs' first game back in Buffalo after being traded away following the 2023 season couldn't have gone any better ... helping his Patriots squad pick up a massive win over their AFC East rivals -- leading to a wild celebration in the locker room postgame!

The 31-year-old came up big for second-year quarterback Drake Maye on Sunday Night Football, delivering a 146-yard performance on 10 catches ... in what was clearly a big game for the Pro Bowl wideout.

Before kickoff ... Diggs said his emotions were "nostalgic."

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel just revealed defensive coordinator Terrell Williams was diagnosed with prostate cancer ... explaining the health issue is the reason behind his recent absence from the team.

Vrabel made the announcement at the beginning of his press conference on Friday ... saying Williams will undergo treatment for the disease -- while noting his diagnosis is deeply personal for him.

"They're figuring out the best plan of attack to be able to attack this, heal it and fix it and allow him to get back to better health," Vrabel said.

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With summer ending, you may not need your six-pack for the beach -- but maintaining that fit physique is an all-year commitment.

Four-time Super Bowl champ Rob Gronkowski and "The Bachelorette" fan-favorite Jason Tartick were tapped by Amazon to share their ultimate fitness picks -- and it's clear these boys know what it takes to get buff.

From workout equipment to supplements and trackers .... here's what they suggest!

Best place to start your fitness journey is with a Fitbit Inspire 3, which will help you track your progress every step of the way ... literally!