NFL

Tom Brady loves his ladies ... and decided to honor the females in his life on International Women's Day with a special photo tribute!

The QB posted a pic of his wife, mom, sisters, nieces and daughter and wrote a pretty touching message to his she-gang.

"Happy International Women's Day! I have been beyond blessed to have the most incredible support system and this picture sums it up."

"To the love of my life, @gisele, my mom, my sisters, my nieces and my little Girlie Girl -- thank you for bringing so much love and joy to my life."

"And thank you for being such great examples of compassion and empathy. The world needs much more of it! I love you all!!"

Eric Dickerson tells TMZ Sports his 21-year-old college football star cousin has Hall of Fame potential ... saying he expects "great things" out of the former Texas A&M tight end.

Eric's relative is Ricky Seals-Jones -- a 6'5", 243 pound tight end who just worked out for pro scouts at the NFL Combine.

E.D. says the kid has insane potential -- he's big, strong and smart ... scoring a 27 on the Wonderlic test (that's 2 points higher than Dak Prescott).

Several mock drafts have Seals-Jones as a late-round pick, but Dickerson says all that means is a team could wind up with a steal.

"It's not about where you got drafted, it's about the work you put in as a player, your dedication. How dedicated you are to this sport. I know him, I know he's a very dedicated."

We also spoke with Ricky ... who explains what it's like to have Eric as a mentor and why he wants to team up with Cam Newton.

Think John Ross' record-breaking 4.22 second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine was impressive??

Well, his speed coach says he coulda gone EVEN FASTER -- claiming he's certain the future NFL wide receiver coulda posted a 4.18 ... had he not cramped at the end of his run.

HE'S NOT KIDDING!!!

TMZ Sports spoke with Gary Cablayan of Evo Sports Training -- who Ross tapped for his pre-NFL speed training -- and he's warning NFL corners ... better ice up.

"NFL on FOX" star Joe Buck says Colin Kaepernick's decision to end his national anthem protest is NOT about getting hired by another team ... and he's got the evidence to prove it.

Buck was leaving Mastro's Steakhouse in Bev Hills where he gave Kaep serious props for not just standing up for what he believes in ... but also putting his money where his mouth is.

Texans All-Pro hell raiser Jadaveon Clowney is taking a stand in the franchise's QB conundrum ... saying he's 100% behind Brock Osweiler being the team's signal caller of the future.

Osweiler signed a $72 million contract to be the team's QB before last season, but struggled mightily throughout the year, eventually being benched for backup Tom Savage.

The Texans still managed to make the playoffs, and most experts believe a change in QB is coming either through the draft, free agency, or a trade for Tony Romo.

We got Clowney out in Vegas and when we asked where he stands on the quarterback situation he made it clear ... he stands right next to the 6'7" Osweiler.

Leonard Fournette just fell into the 2nd round ... of daddy ... announcing the birth of his second kid, and get ready, college coaches -- it's a baby boy.

Fournette made the announcement on his social media, posting a picture of the kid with a caption that read, "Welcome my young boy into the world L4."

Leonard is a third, so we're assuming he kept the name for the little tyke to officially be the fourth and carry the name for another generation of tackle breakers.

L.A. Chargers star Melvin Ingram is doin' the offseason the right way ... renting out a HUGE house right in the heart of Miami Beach.

The 27-year-old linebacker is training in FL for next season ... and decided to kick it at a 4 bedroom crib just minutes away from his training facility, the beach, and oh yeah ... the clubs!

The Bolts captain is droppin' $25k per month for the pad ... which comes with a crazy view of the ocean and an outdoor pool.

10 reps on the bench press is bad ... REALLY BAD ... so says Cleveland Browns stud lineman Joe Thomas who says Christian McCaffrey needs to hit the weight room HARD.

We just spoke with Joe about the NFL combine -- and asked the 10-time Pro Bowler if Christian's poor strength showing will affect his draft stock.

"As we all know, there's no bench press on the football field," Thomas said ... "For the most part, your film from every Saturday in the Fall is what should matter."

Thomas also reveals the one question rookies MUST NOT GET WRONG at the combine -- and it's actually pretty hilarious.

Plus, Joe also tells us about BBQ joint, Mission BBQ, and how it's taking over! Who's hungry?

LaDanian Tomlinson says Colin Kaepernick is NOT ending his national anthem protest to score a new NFL contract ... saying he doesn't believe Kaep's change of heart is about money.

Kaep has reportedly decided to stand for the anthem next season because he believes there has been real change in America since he started taking a knee last year.

Some critics say that's a bunch of crap ... he's only changing because he's out with the 49ers and no team will touch him if he continues to protest.

People are divided over the issue -- but our friends at BSO have laid out 10 ways they feel Colin's protest has improved America:

1) More athletes speaking out

2) More youth aware

3) His money into programs

4) More racial injustice pointed out

5) More minds sparked

6) More prejudiced and biased media outed

7) $$$ given to shelters & homeless

8) Minority kids understanding their lives have value

9) Something that will be talked about FAR MORE than Kaep's playing career

Greg Hardy just dodged a bullet ... he will NOT go to prison in his cocaine possession case, TMZ Sports has learned.

The ex-NFL star -- and current MMA fighter -- has struck a plea deal with prosecutors in Dallas in which his felony drug possession charge was reduced to a misdemeanor.

As a result, Hardy was sentenced to 2 years unsupervised probation along with other fines ... a clerk at the Dallas County Court tells us.

As we previously reported, Hardy was arrested on Sept. 25 when cops pulled over a 2010 Dodge Challenger for turning without signaling -- and during the bust, found a baggie of the white stuff in Hardy's brown Louis Vuitton wallet.

Officials say the coke weighed in at .7 grams.

Remember the guy whose penis fell out of his pants at the NFL combine last year?

Yeah, he does too ... and now, Chris Jones has some solid dong advice for all the rookies at this year's event to make sure their genitals don't go viral too.

Jones -- who just wrapped up a solid rookie season with the K.C. Chiefs -- admits his big problem was that he wore boxers instead of tights while running the 40 yard dash ... and his junk got loose.

Silver lining, Jones got an underwear deal out of the incident ... and a bunch of porn stars followed him on Twitter.

So, maybe don't listen to his advice???

Le'Veon Bell says he is working with the Steelers on a long-term deal ... and tells TMZ Sports he's confident something the two sides can work something out before the deadline.

Bell appeared on the "TMZ Sports" TV show on FS1 this week and admitted he has mixed feelings about being hit with the franchise tag ... but says he's hopeful he can strike a deal with his longtime team.

"We still going to work towards it," Bell said ... "Me and the Steelers want to work together. We're going to work towards a long-term deal leading up to the deadline (July 15th)."

"If it doesn't get done, it doesn't get done ... but I definitely think something will work and we'll see what happens."

Would you recognize NFL superstar Adrian Peterson if he was walking down the street?

How about if you were a reporter interviewing him for a story about road rage?

That's the exact situation FOX 26's John Donnelly was in during a report from Houston ... and when he finally realized the giant, ripped dude answering his questions was THE Adrian Peterson, things get hilariously awkward.

Simone Biles, Mr. T and Nancy Kerrigan better watch out (actually, Nancy should be watching out at all times) 'cause NFL player Rashad Jennings has a secret weapon to win 'DWTS' ... EMMITT SMITH!!

We got Rashad out in NYC and asked how he was preparing for his big chance as part of the new season ... and that's when he told us he actively picked the brain of Smith, a former winner.

It makes sense Jennings would be taking his dancing so seriously. When we got him a while back he told us being on the show was actually one of his dreams.

Still though, a Cowboy helping a guy most known as a Giant? Seems weird, right?

Former Miami Dolphins & Cleveland Browns receiver Davone Bess will NOT go to jail after a 2016 incident that culminated in a standoff with the S.W.A.T. team ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The 31-year-old appeared in a Phoenix courtroom Thursday where a judge sentenced him to 1 year probation after Bess pled no contest to endangerment.

As we previously reported, the whole incident began last June when cops tried to pull Bess over for a routine traffic violation ... but he allegedly made a gun gesture with his hands and drove away.

Officials said Bess barricaded himself inside the home, brandished a knife and threatened to shoot officers. 27 cops -- including the SWAT team -- responded to the scene. He was finally subdued by a K9 unit that was deployed inside the home.

Bess hasn't played in the NFL since 2013.

So, we spotted Terrell Owens in Bev Hills Wednesday ... just as he was spotted on the street by Hall of Famer Mike Haynes ... and what ensued was a pretty cool raw moment.

Haynes -- who was inducted into Canton in 1997 -- told T.O. he BELONGS in the Hall of Fame and explained that "guys who know" football, like Steve Young, have his back.

He also told Owens to keep his head up and hopes he gets in next year.