New Orleans Saints

NFL teams in need of a receiver may have a former All-Pro hitting them up VERY soon ... 'cause Dez Bryant says he's feeling good and ready to get back on the field!!!

Of course, Dez unfortunately tore his Achilles just 2 days after signing with the New Orleans Saints in 2018 ... and hasn't been on a team since.

Bryant recently spoke out about his depression and anxiety on Twitter back in July, saying he had "no interest in playing football right now" ... but made it clear he wasn't retiring.

Now, the 3-time Pro Bowler is ready to hit the gridiron and help out a team in need ... tweeting "I’m not trying to go nowhere and be a starter on a team I want to contribute because I know I will be able too."

"I’m feeling good... in two weeks I’m going to reach out to teams and see what happens.... let’s go X."

The Catholic Church has blessed the New Orleans Saints ... or so it would seem by what the pontiff himself wrote hours before their game this weekend.

Pope Francis tweeted out a strange message in the wee hours of Sunday, which appeared to be a vote of confidence for Teddy Bridgewater and co. as they were set to face the Jaguars in Jacksonville. It was actually an honest mistake ... but a hilarious one nonetheless.

The big hatted one wrote, "Today we give thanks to the Lord for our new #Saints. They walked by faith and now we invoke their intercession."

P.J. Williams' GF tried like hell to get the NFL player out of a DUI arrest last January ... asking a cop if he'd have mercy on P.J. because of the missed PI call in the Saints-Rams NFC Championship Game!!!

It's all in new police video obtained by TMZ Sports ... which shows a New Orleans cop stopping Williams after he pulled the guy over for doing 80 MPH in a 50 just days after New Orleans' loss to L.A.

The cop tells P.J. he was driving recklessly ... and after he says he smells a strong booze odor from the car -- he decides to conduct a sobriety test on the 26-year-old.

In the video, you can see P.J. bombs it ... so the officer slaps the cuffs on him and tells him, "You've had too much to drink tonight, Mr. Williams."

That's when the officer turns to P.J.'s girlfriend to see if she can drive his car home ... when all of a sudden she tries to help Williams get out of the arrest.

The conversation is pretty funny ... she tells the officer, "Is there any way that you can -- he's a Saints player! Don't you feel bad?! Like, you saw that game didn't you?!"

Of course, the officer wasn't having any of it ... saying to the woman, "That doesn't concern me."

Master P says there's one guy who can save the Saints from failing without Drew Brees ... and that guy is COLIN KAEPERNICK.

New Orleans is in need of some QB help after the 12-time Pro Bowler went down with a thumb injury this past week ... leaving Teddy Bridgewater to take the reigns under center for at least several weeks.

TMZ Sports spoke with the NOLA legend about the state of his team on Tuesday ... and while he insists they'll "be back," he knows a guy who can help out big time.

"Kap, we need you." Percy tells us out in NYC. "I'm going home to let him know that right now. We need Kap!!"

Of course, the controversial QB's name has been thrown around with many starting QBs going down in the first 2 weeks of the season -- from Brees to Ben Roethlisberger to Sam Darnold.

We know Kap's ready ... he's been training like a maniac and has been posting workout vids proving he's still got it.

Reggie Bush says there's no way anyone who actually knows Drew Brees could call him homophobic -- and the ex-NFL All-Pro is doubling down on his support for his former QB.

Brees has been under heat all week after it was discovered he made a video for Focus On The Family -- an organization condemned by gay rights groups as VERY anti-LGBTQ.

Drew has since addressed the controversy, posting a video saying he had no idea about the group's anti-LGBT politics -- and explained that a key part of his Christian faith is to love EVERYONE.

Bush -- who won a Super Bowl with Brees on the Saints -- defended Brees on Twitter, and when we saw him at LAX, he made it clear he'll ALWAYS have Drew's back.

"Anybody who doubts Drew, don't know him. Period."

Reggie went on to say he feels the entire issue was "blown out of proportion" -- and wasn't really a big deal to begin with.

Drew Brees would NOT have made the playoffs this season if the Saints hadn't cut a deal with Michael Thomas to end his holdout ... so says ex-New Orleans great Lance Moore.

"Without Mike," Moore tells TMZ Sports ... "I don't know if we're even talking about the Saints as a playoff team, to be honest with you."

Thomas had been in a contract feud with New Orleans the last few months, and even held out of training camp practices in July to prove he was serious about getting a new deal.

But, the Saints finally offered up a 5-year, $100 MILLION deal ... and Moore says it's a good thing Thomas signed it, because he doesn't think New Orleans' offense is all that good without the star wideout.

"Not to slight any of the other receivers on that roster, but there is nobody. Even putting all those guys together, they cannot make up for the loss of a Michael Thomas."

Moore is clearly super high on Thomas, but he says the praise is warranted because the guy has an unprecedented 321 catches in his first 3 years in the league!!!

By the way, Moore says there's ZERO chance Thomas regresses now that he's got a fat, new contract, telling us, "He's a guy that is very, very tireless in preparation. He's fanatical about football."

Master P says he's thrilled his pal, Michael Thomas, signed a $100 MIL contract with the Saints -- but he's warning the WR to be SMART with his cash so he doesn't end up like Adrian Peterson.

Of course, Master P is like the King of New Orleans -- he knows everyone down there including Michael and his dad, "Big Mike."

The No Limit boss says Michael's dad played a huge role in helping the 26-year-old land that fat 5-year, $100 million deal ... telling TMZ Sports, "Fathers and sons are winning!"

Master P famously made a FORTUNE during his days as a hip-hop mogul -- so he's offering up some tips for Thomas so he can STAY RICH after his NFL career is over.

"Invest in stuff that you believe in. Don't let these financial advisers steal your money like it's been happening [to guys like] Kevin Garnett, Adrian Peterson."

"Watch your money, write your own checks," P said ... adding, "Invest time into economics, into banking."

In other words, don't bury your head in the sand when it comes to your money -- the best person you can trust when it comes to your finances is YOURSELF!!!

As for Peterson, he's made more than $100 mil during his storied NFL career -- but he's reportedly fallen into debt and can't pay his way out of it.

Prosecutors have finally hit Darren McFadden with charges in his wild Whataburger case ... charging the ex-NFL star with 2 misdemeanors that carry jail time if he's convicted.

McFadden was arrested back on January 21 after cops say the 31-year-old was asleep at the wheel of his 2019 GMC Yukon in the drive-thru at a Whataburger in Texas.

Officials say during the incident, McFadden resisted officers ... and it all ended up with the ex-running back's driver's side and passenger windows being smashed in.

Now, TMZ Sports has learned prosecutors have finally hit Darren with charges for the altercation -- charging him with resisting arrest and DUI with a BAC of greater than or equal to .15.

Both counts are defined as Class A misdemeanors in Texas ... which means McFadden is facing up to 2 YEARS behind bars and $8,000 in fines if he's convicted.

McFadden is due in court in October to face the charges.

Darren was a superstar at Arkansas before the Oakland Raiders drafted him with the 4th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Here's an awesome story to brighten up your Thursday ... Michael Thomas and other Saints stars lent a hand to a disabled man this week -- building a ramp for him outside of his house.

Jerry Hills -- a resident of the New Orleans neighborhood St. Roch -- says he lost his leg after a bacterial infection 3 years ago ... and he's struggled to get up and down his stairs ever since.

When the Saints got word he needed some assistance ... they visited the guy's home with some power tools -- and built him a new ramp for his pad on Wednesday!

According to NOLA.com, Saints stars like Thomas, Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport were all there with employees from Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers to lend the hand.

Hill appreciated the amazing gesture, saying, "Having this ramp is a great feeling ... To see so many people that care about you, it’s great. It’s really great."

This ain't the first time the Saints have given back to their community ... Drew Brees famously built an entire "fully inclusive playground" back in 2017 for special needs kids.

"Jeopardy" phenom James Holzhauer says if he had to compare himself to a pro athlete, he'd DEFINITELY go with DeShaun Watson ... because he can do it all!!!

Holzhauer -- who's chasing Ken Jennings for most winnings in "Jeopardy" history -- appeared on FS1's "Lock It In" on Tuesday to talk about his pre-game show life as a pro sports bettor.

During the show, Holzhauer said he was a hardcore online poker player before making the jump to sports gambling -- but now he puts together complex mathematical models to find an advantage when it comes to wagering on games.

Holzhauer says he bets on everything from football to hockey to college basketball -- and LOVES to make in-game wagers because he thinks he has an edge because the oddsmakers don't have enough time to set an accurate line.

And, just to prove he ALWAYS wins, Holzhauer told the guys he bet on the Rams to beat the Saints in the 2018 NFC championship game ... but he had 3.5 points, so he didn't care which team kicked the winning field goal in overtime!!!

One last thing ... Holzhauer wasn't afraid to talk TRASH to the hosts of the show. When asked which host would do the best on "Jeopardy," James told the group whichever person is smart enough to "keep your trap shut" for the entire game so they wouldn't fall below $0.

Anyone wondering if New Orleans Saints receiver Tedd Ginn Jr. is a fan of his quarterback, Drew Brees, you're about to get your answer ... and that answer is almost religious.

Ginn Jr. and Brees have been running mates for a couple years now, so when we talked to the speed burner from Ohio State recently, we wanted to know how he felt about his signal caller.

"He's a god. Anybody that gets with Drew seems like they get better and better. The things that he does on and off the field as a person are just really self-explanatory for who he is."

Far be it for us to compare gods to mere men, but we had to ask ... if Drew is so special, how does he stack up against one Mr. Thomas Brady?

According to Mr. Ginn, pretty damn good.

"The things that he does to make things work, I really don't see Tom Brady doing."

Before you call Ginn Jr. a homer (he needs the ball thrown to him, we get it) he also admits Brady is pretty good too.

"Some of the things Tom Brady does, I don't see Drew doing."

Anthony Davis gave a fan the bird on Wednesday ... and we ain't talkin' Pelicans.

The NBA superstar was caught flipping off a fan after the Pels vs. Hornets game in NOLA ... after he claims the person disrespected him first.

According to Pelicans Wave, the Instagram account that initially posted the encounter, AD alleges the fan said something that rubbed him the wrong way, which prompted the reaction.

Davis -- who publicly requested a trade earlier this season -- denies any bad blood toward the team or NOLA, saying, "Never disrespected the city and never will. But of course they not gonna show what the fan said"

However, the fan who captured the video, Bradley Wehmeyer, says the fan on the receiving end of the gesture flipped AD off first ... but never actually said anything.

Jahlil Okafor defended his teammate, saying, "People can’t possibly think AD just looked at a fan and decided to flip him off for no reason. Cmon now."

It's definitely not the first time we've seen these kinds of interactions between fans and players this season ... Tristan Thompson flipped off fans back in December, there were several incidents of Kevin Durant yelling profanities at fans, and Russell Westbrook threatened to "f**k up" a fan and his wife after receiving racial verbal comments.

40-year-old Drew Brees will be playing in the NFL for AT LEAST two more years ... so says Jonathan Vilma, his ex-Saints teammate.

"I think that Drew has, in my objective opinion, about another 2-3 years left."

Of course, Drew's future is back in the news 'cause Teddy Bridgewater just turned down the Dolphins' starting QB job to return to New Orleans to be Brees' backup.

Most figured it's 'cause Drew's days in the league are numbered and he needs a successor ... but Vilma -- who played with Brees for 6 seasons in New Orleans -- tells us Teddy could be waiting a while for that.

"If you ask Drew, he's got like another 10 or 15 years left!"

But, that doesn't mean Vilma hates Bridgewater's choice to stay ... in fact, the former linebacker tells us he thinks Teddy "made a smart long-term decision."

As for Bridgewater, he told reporters after re-upping with the Saints last week that, "I’m still 26 years old. The way I look at it is that I’ll have another opportunity to start in this league at some point."

Saints fans are still pissed about getting screwed in the NFC Championship game -- and they're protesting Super Bowl LIII the only way NOLA knows how ... partying it up big time.

The Who Dat faithful took to the streets Sunday by the thousands for a Mardi Gras-style event they dubbed #BoycottBowl. It's basically a festival aimed at calling out the outrageous late-game pass interference no-call against the Rams, which didn't help them win.

This ain't no small thing either -- hordes of fans were out in Saints jerseys and literally parading around town with marching bands and dance troupes ... playing live music and celebrating. There's an entire schedule out for #BoycottBowl too, which includes events like the "Anti-Goodell Protest Bowl" and "Salty Super Bowl Bingo."

The upside ... everyone seems to be protesting peacefully and trying to make the most out of a crappy situation (for them, anyway). And hey, this has gotta be a boom for local businesses and vendors, who are definitely out in force to snap up customers. Win-win!!! Eh, kinda.

In case you missed it, Nickell Robey-Coleman hit Tommylee Lewis out of bounds before he could catch a pass from Drew Brees late in the game, but it was called incomplete instead of a pass interference ... which the NFL later admitted was a major mistake.

Saints sensation Alvin Kamara has ZERO interest in talking to NFL Commish Roger Goodell about how the team got JOBBED in the NFC Championship ... because it won't change a damn thing.

Earlier this week, Goodell held a press conference and said, "I’ve talked to Coach Payton. The team, the players, we understand the frustration they feel right now, and we certainly want to address that."

Some interpreted Goodell's statement to mean he talked directly with Saints players -- even though the league office eventually walked it back and acknowledged Goodell had NOT.

When we spoke with the Saints RB at the EA Sports Madden Bowl event in ATL on Thursday -- he confirmed there was NEVER a meeting with Goodell and the players ... but he has no desire to talk anyway.

"I'm not gonna talk to him," Kamara said ... "Somebody gonna talk to him. He needs to talk to somebody."

Does Kamara want an apology from Goodell for the terrible officiating that cost his team a shot at the Super Bowl? No.

"Apology's not gonna do nothing."

Kamara says he hopes SOME good can come out of the controversy -- he's just not sure what it is or could be.

Forget Kylie ... Sean Payton is the best influencer on social media.

... this according to PFT Commenter, who tells TMZ Sports the Saints head coach's TV appearance in a Barstool Sports "Roger Goodell Clown" shirt has caused sales to skyrocket!

EVERYONE was talking about Payton's shirt on Wednesday -- when the Saints coach went on camera to talk about the blown non-P.I. call in the NFC title game that cost N.O. the game.

You can see Payton rocked the shirt underneath his pullover -- an obvious shot at Goodell -- and the crew at Barstool LOVED the publicity.

"Doesn't surprise me at all," PFT Commenter told TMZ Sports out in Atlanta ... "Sean Payton's a badass."

PFT says sales of that shirt are WAY up -- and he's considering customizing a new anti-Goodell shirt in Saints colors for all of the people in Who Dat Nation looking to send a message to the Commish.