New England Patriots

Tom Brady is just as confused as everyone else after Bill Belichick didn't get into the Hall of Fame ... saying he doesn't understand why he wouldn't.

The seven-time Super Bowl champ discussed his former coach on the "Brock & Salk: Seattle Sports Talk and Analysis" show on Wednesday ... after Belichick failed to secure 40 out of 50 votes to punch his ticket to Canton.

"You know, it's ... I just think that to me it's -- I don't understand it," Brady said.

President Donald Trump is no stranger to wanting voting results overturned (see 2020 election) ... and he's singing a familiar tune with the Bill Belichick Hall of Fame snub -- calling the whole situation "ridiculous."

Nos. 45 and 47 weighed in on the legendary coach's rejection on Wednesday ... ripping into the fact that an eight-time Super Bowl winner didn't get in on his first attempt, while also sounding off on another issue he has with the NFL.

"It is the same mindset that gave pro football the new and unwatchable 'Sissy' Kickoff Rule, that made it possible for Bill Belichick to not be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame," Trump said.

President Donald Trump might not say it outright, but it sure sounds like he's pulling for the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl ... which is interesting, considering team owner Robert Kraft previously claimed the two weren't on speaking terms anymore.

Nos. 45-47 was asked about the Big Game when he swung by "The Will Cain Show" while on the campaign trail in Iowa ... and he sang the praises of the Pats ahead of their showdown with the Seattle Seahawks.

"Bob Kraft is a friend of mine," Trump said. "I've watched that team, and you gotta hand it to him. He had the great team and now he's got the great team again."

Bill Belichick -- arguably the greatest football coach of all-time -- has inexplicably come up short his first time on the Hall of Fame ballot ... meaning the man with 8 rings will NOT be going into Canton this year!

As you'd expect, upon hearing the ludicrous news, everyone around the sport was left questioning ... how?

Belichick's resume is unmatched. He is a 6x Super Bowl-winning head coach, and he won two more as an assistant for the New York Giants. Bill was named the AP NFL Coach of the Year three times, and he won 333 games as an HC, including the playoffs.

Brett Favre isn't just impressed by the Patriots -- he's basically gassing up New England like it's 2004 again.

The Hall of Famer tells TMZ Sports that New England's turnaround with quarterback Drake Maye and coach Mike Vrabel has been dramatic ... to the point where the rest of the NFL might start sweating.

"They're in the shadow, but for how long?" Favre said.

Stefon Diggs' ex-girlfriend, Aileen Lopera, filed to dismiss her paternity and child support lawsuit against the New England Patriots' star receiver ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Lopera -- AKA Lord Gisselle -- filed the docs this week, requesting the case be dismissed without prejudice.

Lopera's lawyer, Tamar Arminak, told us on Wednesday, "The matter has been resolved."

Us Weekly was the first to report on the dismissal.

Bo Nix is breaking his silence after breaking his ankle at the end of his AFC Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills ... saying, "What started as one of the most exciting games I’ve ever been a part of ended with some of the most devastating football news I’ve ever received."

The second-year quarterback took to Instagram Wednesday afternoon after undergoing surgery Tuesday in Alabama ... writing, "This is not how I imagined my season would come to an end."

"I can’t express how much this team and organization mean to me and how much I believe in them. I couldn’t be more proud of our guys."

Patriots receiver DeMario "Pop" Douglas can't say enough good things about what Stefon Diggs has brought to the table this season ... and that includes New England's new number one fan, Cardi B!!

The rapper has proudly displayed her team pride during the Pats' current playoff run ... and let the haters hear it after New England's 28-16 win over the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs on Sunday.

Some say Cardi is too over the top in her support for Diggs, but Douglas -- who secured a touchdown in Sunday's game -- appreciates all the love she's showing the squad.

Cardi B could be a travel agent ... 'cause after Stefon Diggs and the Patriots booted Los Angeles from the playoffs, she wants to get the Chargers on a plane to Tulum!!

The "Outside" rapper didn't make it to Gillette Stadium to watch her man's team face the Bolts, but after New England's 16-3 win, she made sure to let her 164 million Instagram followers know she was watching.

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Cardi said in her Instagram Story after the win, where Diggs accounted for two catches for 16 yards.

Stefon Diggs won't have to face a judge until after the NFL season -- the New England Patriots star's arraignment in his assault case has been postponed.

TMZ Sports has confirmed Diggs' court date was initially slated for Jan. 23, two days before the AFC Championship Game. However, his attorney stated in court filings that Diggs has a "previously-scheduled professional commitment" on that date.

It's now scheduled for Feb. 13 -- five days after the Super Bowl.

The Pats have a legit shot at making it all the way to the Big Game this year ... and should they win it all, Diggs will be able to partake in all the post-Super Bowl festivities.

All eyes were on Stefon Diggs today, as he took the field for the first time since his personal chef claimed he choked and slapped her over a salary dispute.

While the Patriots already clinched a playoff berth and their division going into Sunday, they still have something to play for. A win against the Dolphins could secure them the number one seed in the AFC, which is still up for grabs.

As we reported ... the bombshell allegations against Stefon were laid out in an incident report which was released last week.

According to the narrative, the female employee first went to police on Dec. 16 and stated she was working as a private chef on Dec. 2 when Diggs entered her unlocked bedroom to discuss an ongoing text exchange between the two over money she believed she was owed.

Christian Barmore -- star defensive tackle for the New England Patriots -- got to play in Sunday's game against the Dolphins, despite the domestic assault charges that were brought against him by a household member.

As we reported ... a woman told cops Barmore threw her to the floor and "grabbed her by the shirt in the area of her neck" after a disagreement over the temperature of the room and food Barmore claimed belonged to him. The incident allegedly took place August 8 and the charges were filed December 16.

The Patriots put out a statement shortly after the news broke ... saying they were made aware at the time of the incident -- "and informed the NFL in a timely manner."

Stefon Diggs and Christian Barmore are facing the media after they were both charged with assault earlier this week ... but they're not open to talking about their cases.

The New England Patriots stars fielded questions from the media in the locker room Friday ... with Diggs chatting with the gaggle of reporters first and apologizing for not being available to them earlier this week as per usual.

The star wide receiver calls it a "very emotional time" ... and adds that, because it's an open case, he can't discuss anything about it, but he doesn't want to be disrespectful.

Jordon Hudson's entering a new year defending herself from the same old hate ... popping off at critics of her relationship with Bill Belichick in a New Year's related post.

The former cheerleader reshared a post of the two clinking glasses from last New Year's Eve ... which reads, "Nothing changed for us in 2024 except for 'public knowledge'; yet, somehow everything changed."

She adds, "4th calendar year; Going strong. I can't wait to take punches for you in 2025. Keep swinging, Keyboard Warriors. Your illusion of righteousness only fuels my authenticity."

Stefon Diggs will continue to receive a ton of support from the New England Patriots because he's super talented, while his teammate Christian Barmore might not get the same backing ... so says a sports executive with years of experience in the business.

We spoke with Andrew Brandt -- a Villanova Law School professor who worked for years as an agent and executive with the Green Bay Packers -- on "TMZ Live" Wednesday ... and we had to ask him about the Pats' statement of support for Diggs after he was charged with strangulation and assault.

Brandt tells us if you read between the lines of the Patriots statement, you can tell the organization's pissed they have to deal with this off-the-field attention while they should be celebrating an AFC East Division title.

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel faced the media on Wednesday to address the recent allegations made against Stefon Diggs and Christian Barmore ... saying the team won't jump to any conclusions as the legal process plays out.

Vrabel spoke about his two players' current situations minutes ago ... and when he was asked how "disappointing" it was to deal with those distractions ahead of a matchup with the Miami Dolphins, he said that wasn't the case.

"I would say not disappointing at all," Vrabel said. "I think that these are allegations ... it's things that we have to handle and every day that there's distractions. Some are smaller than others. Confident that we'll focus on the Dolphins and those two individuals that you mentioned will be able to handle the ongoing legal process."