NFL

The father of 49ers safety Eric Reid says he's proud of his son for protesting the National Anthem with Colin Kaepernick before Thursday night's game ... and hopes he keeps it up all season long.

"I taught him, if you start something, you finish it," Eric Reid Sr. tells TMZ Sports.

Reid Sr. says he had no idea his son was planning to take a knee with Kaep before the 49ers took on the Chargers in San Diego on "Salute the Military Night" ... but he was pleasantly surprised.

"I’m proud of my son for standing up for what he believes in. I didn’t know he planned to do this but he’s a strong man, and I’m proud of him."

"I stand with him. It’s not that he doesn’t love the country or respect the military, and police. He does. It’s about bringing awareness to the situation. He’s supporting what Kaep’s doing."

Bad news for Kim Zolciak ... the Buffalo Bills have 86'd her husband, Kroy Biermann, in their latest round of cuts.

Johnny Manziel put his NFL comeback on hold Thursday night to party in Miami with rap superstar Future ... and it appears he's drinkin' again too.

Colin Kaepernick announced he will donate $1 MILLION to charities that will help communities in need -- hours after he and teammate Eric Reid took a knee during the National Anthem at the 49ers vs. Chargers game ... which also happened to be "Salute to the Military Night."

TMZ Sports obtained police footage from the night NFL cornerback Damian Swann was arrested in Georgia in which he throws a serious Hail Mary ... asking the cop to give him a break because he plays for the New Orleans Saints!

Here's an inside look at Teddy Bridgewater's devastating knee injury ... and by "inside look" ... we mean Dr. Oz is taking you INSIDE a knee to show you exactly what Teddy's up against.

You gotta check out the clip ... Dr. Oz shows exactly what happened to the Vikings QB's knee when he dislocated it and tore his ACL earlier this week.

Al Sharpton says Colin Kaepernick's National Anthem protest reminds him of Jackie Robinson -- because the MLB legend also said he refused to stand for "The Star-Spangled Banner."

It's true ... As Sharpton pointed out in NYC Wednesday, Robinson made his feelings clear in his 1972 autobiography, 'I Never Had It Made.'

"As I write this twenty years [after my MLB debut], I cannot stand and sing the anthem," Robinson wrote ... "I cannot salute the flag; I know that I am a black man in a white world."

Sharpton says both Robinson and Kaepernick raise a "critical point" about Francis Scott Key and the negative references to slaves in the complete version of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Teddy Bridgewater WILL BE BACK under center in an NFL game ... so says former star QB Joe Theismann -- who sustained possibly the most gruesome sports injury of all time.

TMZ Sports spoke to the former Redskins signal caller -- who had his career ended after Lawrence Taylor snapped his leg back in '85 -- about Bridgewater's prospects of returning to the league after dislocating his knee and tearing his ACL at practice Tuesday.

Good news, Vikings fans ... Theismann says he fully expects T.B. will be the starting QB for Minnesota next season. But the question is, does Joe think Teddy will ever be the same player?

That noise? James Harrison, Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers all breathing a sigh of relief ... 'cause the NFL just announced the players have been cleared by the leagues PED investigation.

The investigation stemmed from allegations made in a documentary by Al Jazeera America ... where the news outlet claimed the NFL players were linked to PED use.

The NFL conducted interviews with all 3 players last week ... and announced Wednesday that they found "no credible evidence" that the guys were "provided with or used substances prohibited" under the leagues drug policy.

Taye Diggs says Rodney Harrison's "not black" attack on Colin Kaepernick is straight out of the 1800's ... saying it's the same type of talk slave masters used to divide their black slaves.

Diggs -- the father of a mixed son -- blasted Harrison in a statement to TMZ Sports ... chiding the ex-NFL star's assertion that Kaep didn't understand the hardships of black people.

"I'm still baffled at the idea that one person is justified in telling another person what suffering is, regardless of race or hue or skin or anything else. No one can or should speak on anyone's experience unless they are that person or have walked in their shoes."

Harrison has since apologized ... saying he didn't realize Kaep was mixed .... but Diggs thinks the whole method of thinking is wrong ... and saved his sharpest and most explosive criticism for last.

Chill out, Cowboys fans ... 'cause rookie backup QB Dak Prescott will have NO PROBLEM filling in for injured star Tony Romo, despite his inexperience ... his old H.S. coach says.

TMZ Sports spoke with Rodney Guin -- Prescott's football coach at Haughton High in Louisiana -- who says the rest of the world might be shocked by D.P.'s play ... but he ain't.

FYI -- Prescott's played at a RIDICULOUS level through the first 3 preseason games ... racking up 7 TDs (5 passing, 2 rushing) and 0 INTs on more than 500 total yards.

“Dak always prided himself in being ready to play," Guin told us. "He was the most prepared guy on the team ... he was a leader in practice, he earned the respect of all the older players and I can see him doing that on a professional level."

“I’m not really surprised by his great start. I always knew he would be successful, but it is impressive to see him play so well so early.”

In other words, maybe all hope isn't lost for Cowboys fans ...

Rodney Harrison WILL NOT BE DISCIPLINED for his controversial comments about Colin Kaepernick ... a rep for NBC Sports tells TMZ Sports.

Harrison made the shocking comments during a radio interview Tuesday morning saying, "I'm a black man and Colin Kaepernick ... he's not black."

Harrison later apologized and backtracked ... explaining he "never even knew [Kaepernick] was mixed."

Still, many anticipated Rodney would be punished by NBC ... or even FIRED for his comments.

Minister Louis Farrakhan says he -- and the entire Nation Of Islam -- are 100% behind Colin Kaepernick ... praising the QB's American flag protest as a "courageous stand."

Farrakhan released a statement via his Facebook page in which he thanked Kaep for taking a stand, and lauded his courage in the face of intense criticism.

"Courage is one of the great characteristics of great men and women. And at the root of courage is love for the principle that is bigger than our lives, bigger than our nation ... This nation would not be what it is had there not been men and women who were willing to suffer to bring about meaningful change that moved a people, a nation and a world toward the realization of some eternal principle."

Farrakhan went on to pledge his unyielding support ... and even took a shot at the National Anthem itself.

"I stand with you. We in the Nation of Islam stand with you. And I’m asking all right thinking Black people, Brown people, and White people to stand with you to force the change that Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton are talking; but it will never happen until the people are sick and tired of injustice and summon the courage to stand to make a difference."

"Your stand has unearthed things about Francis Scott Key and the writing of the lyrics of the Star-Spangled Banner, that would make any person of right thinking and right mind cringe at what was in the mind of the man that wrote the words of the Star-Spangled Banner."

10:37 AM PT -- Harrison just issued a statement on Twitter saying, "I apologize to anyone that I offended, wasn't meant to be hurtful to anyone. God bless."

However, we spoke with him on the phone and he didn't back down -- essentially saying the comments he made on the radio show were his real feelings and he stood by them.

Colin Kaepernick is not a TRUE black man ... because he's mixed race ... so says ex-NFL star Rodney Harrison.

The former Patriots safety went on SportsTalk 790 in Houston -- and not only blasted Kaepernick for his National Anthem protest, but says he doesn't REALLY understand the plight of black Americans because his birth mother is white.

"I'll tell you this," Harrison said ... "I'm a black man and Colin Kaepernick ... he's NOT BLACK."

"He cannot understand what I face and what other black men and black people face on a every single [day] basis."

Check out the audio ... Harrison essentially says there's a scale that measures blackness ... and Kaep doesn't measure up.

Decorated army vet Noah Galloway -- who also impressed on "Dancing with the Stars" -- says Colin Kaepernick needs to consider the black soldiers who died fighting under the American flag.

Galloway is clearly unhappy with Kaep's National Anthem protest -- telling TMZ Sports, "Let's not serve outrage."

MEGATRON IS BACK ... kinda ... 'cause Calvin Johnson is competing again, wearing his tights again, but this time as a new contestant on "Dancing With the Stars."

ABC just announced the new cast to the world ... making it official that Johnson will be following in the fancy footsteps of gridiron greats like Hines Ward, Emmitt Smith, and Jerry Rice.

Johnson shocked the football world when he retired earlier this year at 30 ... but never fear Detroit fans, you can watch him once again going head to head against Vanilla Ice & Ryan Lochte.