NFL

Wanna see the SICKEST good luck charm ever??

Good ... 'cause it's hanging around Aaron Donald's neck -- a $250,000 diamond chain that's helped give A.D. the power to be the NFL's top defensive player this season!!!

Shortly after the Rams DL inked his record-breaking $135 MILLION deal in August ... Donald nabbed this custom chain from Moe Diamonds in Pittsburgh.

The ice is INSANE ... TMZ Sports has learned the Miami Cuban chain alone is approximately 3/4 kilo of 14K gold with over 60 carats of true graded VVS-VS colorless diamonds.

In the AD/99 pendant ... we're told there are 25 carats of true graded VS1 diamonds -- with VVS diamond encrusting the whole thing.

We're told the bling took 2 MONTHS to put together ... and appraised at $250k -- though sources say Donald paid "an undisclosed amount" for it.

Whatever A.D. ultimately spent -- it's been more than worth it ... dude leads the NFL in sacks this season with 14.5 and is EASILY the favorite for Defensive Player of the Year.

BTW ... the Donald chain is Primetime approved -- Deion Sanders couldn't help but drool over the piece when he saw it a couple weeks ago!!

Houston Texans owner Bob McNair -- who made a fortune in energy plants and brought the NFL back to Houston after the Oilers bolted for Tennessee in 1997 -- has died.

McNair died peacefully in Houston Friday surrounded by his wife, Janice, and family by his side, the team announced. McNair had reportedly been battling skin cancer for several years now. McNair's son, Cal, is expected to continue to run the team.

McNair was awarded the 32nd NFL team in 1999 and paid a whopping $700 million for the expansion team that would ultimately become the Texans, which joined the league in 2002. He was the team's owner since the franchise's inception.

While McNair was one of the most powerful owners in the NFL, he was no stranger to controversy. McNair drew tons of backlash in October 2017 when he said, "you can't have the inmates running the prison" when it came to players kneeling in the NFL.

McNair apologized but his players still let him have it -- star WR DeAndre Hopkins skipped practice in the wake of the comments and tons of players took a knee during the anthem a couple days later.

Texans president Jamey Rootes released a statement saying McNair "was an amazing champion for Houston and worked hard to make sure our city received maximum value from the presence of the Texans and the NFL ... We will all miss him dearly."

Jon Gruden traded both Amari Cooper AND Khalil Mack ... but Kurt Warner tells TMZ Sports the Raiders coach will REALLY regret things if he gives up on Derek Carr the same way.

"It's so hard to find one of those guys that when you've found him, you better hold on to him," Kurt says.

Of course, rumors of Chucky trading away Carr have been swirling for weeks ... and kicked up once again Sunday when the two were spotted butting heads on the sideline.

Carr's performance this season hasn't helped his case, either -- leading the Raiders to just a 2-8 record so far.

But ... Warner tells us it'd be a big mistake to get rid of Carr -- even in Gruden's complete teardown project.

"I think now it's just, build around him," Kurt says.

Tech N9ne says Patrick Mahomes has been ballin' out so hard this season ... it's time for a new track about the Chiefs QB -- and he's giving TMZ Sports a sample of the chorus!!

Of course, the rapper is a ride-or-die K.C. fan who's stoked about the 9-2 start to this season.

But, Tech says he's SO fired up about it -- he's ready to get in the booth and hammer out a new track about the team's star QB.

The title? "Rollin' With MaHomies" ... and, gotta say, from the 3-second preview he gave us -- it sounds like it might be pretty legit.

Tech's made music about the Chiefs before ... remember "Wheels Like Hill" -- the banger about Tyreek Hill??

BTW ... in case there was any doubt -- Tech tells us he thinks Mahomes is the league's MVP ... and if the squad makes it to the Super Bowl, he's callin' dibs on the halftime show!

Think the Giants need to draft Eli Manning's replacement IMMEDIATELY this offseason??

Think again ... so says Michael Irvin -- who tells TMZ Sports New York should wait until 2020 to get their new QB.

"You need the top pick, not this year, but NEXT year," The Playmaker says.

Sooo ... why?? Two words -- Tua Tagovailoa.

Irvin thinks the Alabama QB -- not anybody in this upcoming draft -- is the key to finally replacing Eli and turning the Giants back around.

"If you get Tua, you've got something!"

Josh Gordon is getting used to this whole "winning" thing ... bragging about a Patriots W with fans at an NBA game over the weekend ... and TMZ Sports has the vid!!

The New England receiver hit up the Orlando Magic and L.A. Lakers game on Saturday ... and we're told the guy couldn't have been nicer -- interacting with fans nearby and posing for pics.

Flash even gave a private smack talk sesh to a Bears fan ... reminding him about the 38-31 loss the Pats handed Chicago in week 7.

Aaron Rodgers' bro says the QB is a fraud who ignored his own mother during the California fires -- while she was getting ready to evacuate.

Yeah, it's getting nasty again.

Aaron's bro is Jordan Rodgers -- you know him from "The Bachelorette."

After Aaron went public with his $1 million donation to wildfire victims near his hometown in Northern California on Wednesday, Jordan called the NFL star out on social media ... saying the whole thing "feels like an act."

"PLEASE DONATE, SPREAD AWARENESS & SEND LOVE," Jordan wrote ... but then it got nasty.

"But when your own Mom is home alone during the fires, car packed ready to evacuate, & you miss the fundamental first step of compassion; calling your parents to make sure they are safe...."

"Everything else just feels like an act."

Ouch.

The beef between Aaron and his family is well known -- they even played it up during Jordan's season on "The Bachelorette" -- and Aaron's ex, Olivia Munn, previously said there were jealousy issues with Aaron's father and brothers.

But, Munn also noted, "I don't think either side of the road is clean."

DeSean Jackson will wear Rodney King-themed cleats for the Bucs game Sunday ... featuring the words "Black Lives Matter" and a depiction of a police officer raising a baton.

For the next few weeks, the NFL is allowing players to raise awareness for causes they support using custom kicks as part of the league's "My Cause, My Cleats" program.

DeSean chose black-and-blue colored spikes for his cause ... a clear message he's trying to help end police brutality in America.

The cleats feature King's face ... the "Black Lives Matter" slogan ... Florence and Normandie street signs (a major point of the riots and where Reginald Denny was attacked) ... and a shadowy drawing of an officer raising his baton at 5 open hands.

What's interesting ... DeSean's set to debut the kicks against the 49ers -- the team Colin Kaepernick famously started his kneeling protests with to help raise awareness for social injustice in America.

Patrick Mahomes has the perfect remedy for getting over the biggest loss of his career -- some quality time with his smokin' hot GF!!!

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar took a huge L on Monday night, droppin' an all-time classic, 54-51, to the Rams in what some are callin' a Super Bowl preview.

It didn't take long for Mahomes to turn to his longtime GF, Brittany Matthews, to tend to his wounds ... 'cause the two had an awesome date night Tuesday!!

Pat and Britt first hit the Texas Tech hoops game -- where Mahomes' alma mater smoked Nebraska -- and then went back to their Texas crib for some cuddles.

There was an adorable puppy ... and Britt even made him some eggs with his favorite topping -- KETCHUP (Gross)!

The two have been dating since high school ... and Britt's been supporting the guy despite her own booming career as a fitness model and pro soccer player.

Seems unlikely these pick-me-up date nights will need to happen often -- remember, Pat's got G.O.A.T. potential -- but nice for the QB to know he has this to turn to when they do!!

Colin Kaepernick and his girlfriend, Nessa, arrived to Los Angeles late Tuesday night -- which begs the question ... are ya here for business or turkey?

Kap didn't have much to say -- BUT -- you gotta see his reaction when we asked if he's NFL-ready ... one of the big topics that's been debated on social media this week. Colin's smirk says a lot.

Kaepernick and Nessa were cool with fans at LAX -- and even thanked a female fan who told the QB, "I love you so much!"

So, what's next for Colin's football career? Unclear at this point, but Nessa and Carolina Panthers star Eric Reid have insisted Kap is in shape and ready to play if he gets the call.

As we previously reported, Kaepernick is still working out every single day -- lifting, throwing and running.

With quarterbacks like Nathan Peterman -- who's horrible -- getting calls from NFL teams ... many people believe it's proof of NFL collusion.

We spoke with NFL legend Charles Woodson earlier this week who told us he doesn't think CK will get back in the league due to politics ... but thinks he still has the talent to compete at the highest level.

Ray Rice was welcomed warmly by Baltimore Ravens fans almost 5 years after his infamous domestic violence incident ... with the crowd breaking out a "Ray! Ray! Ray!" chant.

It all went down Sunday ... when Ray was making his first appearance at a Ravens game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore since he was cut by the team in Sept. 2014.

The Ravens initially stuck by the star running back until TMZ Sports published video showing the Feb. 15, 2014 attack on his now-wife, Janay Rice, inside an elevator at an Atlantic City casino.

But now, it seems the two sides have made up -- Ray was invited to participate in the team's "Legends of the Game" ceremony along with stars from the 2008 Ravens team.

So, why the warm reception? Ever since he was cut, Ray has spent countless hours speaking with young athletes so they don't make the same bad decisions he did.

Ray's wife, Janay, praised her husband after the game -- saying, "It was a memorable day being welcomed back into our home of 7 years, M&T Bank Stadium!"

"I’m so proud of my husband for overcoming yet another hurdle in this journey and doing it with a smile on his face. Never once letting any circumstance change who he truly is."

Move over Tom Brady ... Dick Vermeil tells TMZ Sports he won't be surprised if we're all callin' Patrick Mahomes the new GOAT by the time his career reaches its end.

"I think he has a chance to go down as one of the ... if not the finest," the legendary coach says.

Patrick lit up the Rams for 478 passing yards and 6 TDs Monday night ... and when we spoke with Dick about the performance Tuesday -- he couldn't have been more impressed.

In fact ... Vermeil -- who previously coached both the Rams and Chiefs -- says he'd straight-up take Pat over Jared Goff and any other young QBs in the league right now.

"I've never seen anything like him," Vermeil says ... "He can do it all. He can throw off balance, upside down and backwards and throw a completed pass. He has unbelievable poise."

"I don't see any limitation."

Vermeil says it's Mahomes' age that impresses him the most, telling us a 23-year-old in his 2nd year shouldn't be able to do the things the Chiefs star is currently doing.

"He's way ahead of everybody else at the same time!"

We also spoke with Dick about the Rams ... and he loves them too -- but says Goff and the guys still have some proving to do before they can be compared with his old Rams squads.

By the way, if you notice the Chiefs logo on Dick's shirt -- he swears he's not picking favorites ... it's just "gym clothes."

Monday night was a GREAT time to be Sean McVay -- because after his Rams defeated the Chiefs, the coach's smokin' hot girlfriend went down on the field to celebrate!!

Veronika Khomyn and another attractive lady friend busted out the whole "Whose house? Rams' house!" thing on the field at the Coliseum.

When your man's the hottest coach in the NFL, you get an all-access pass after the game!

There was more ... Jay-Z got the VIP golf cart treatment to escape the post-game insanity after watching his Roc Nation Sports client, Todd Gurley, tear it up.

And, Taran Killam -- possibly the biggest Rams fan on the planet -- LOST HIS DAMN MIND after the game!

The Rams beat the Chiefs 54 to 51 in what some people are calling the greatest NFL game of all time.

And, if you had Jared Goff or Patrick Mahomes on your fantasy team, YOU BETTER HAVE WON last night!!!

Next up for the Rams -- the Detroit Lions on Dec. 2.

After that, we might see these teams meet up again ... in the Super Bowl.

Rams stars Jared Goff and Andrew Whitworth shared an emotional moment with victims of the horrific Thousand Oaks massacre after the L.A. win Monday night ... nearly coming to tears at midfield.

The QB and the left tackle passed on celebrating their epic 54-51 win with their teammates to meet with family members of those killed at Borderline Bar and Grill near L.A. earlier this month.

The players and the victims embraced for several seconds ... and the families couldn't thank Goff and Whitworth enough for their actions.

"I'll tell you what, you sometimes realize things are bigger than yourself," Andrew told reporters after the game.

"Coming off of a win, you realize quickly, man, there's a whole lot of things more important than football."

L.A. also hung up a banner with pictures of the victims and the words, "Together we mourn. Together we stand."

Family members of fallen Ventura County Sheriff Sgt. Ron Helus also lit the ceremonial torch pregame ... and Andrew donated his entire game check to the survivors.

Joe Theismann says he was so shook after watching Alex Smith's brutal leg injury on Sunday, he couldn't sleep that night ... telling TMZ Sports it's brought back some painful memories.

Joe was at FedExField on Sunday when Smith took a hit from J.J. Watt that snapped his fibula and tibia -- a compound fracture where the bone broke through the skin.

Of course, Theismann was on the receiving end of a similar hit back in 1985 when Lawrence Taylor brutalized him on "Monday Night Football" ... causing the same injury.

"It was so surreal yesterday in the stadium," Theismann told the guys on the TMZ Sports TV show ... "to have what happened to Alex on the day it happened to me 33 years ago."

Joe says the similarities between the two are eerie.

"It was I think 166th game for Alex. Mine was 167. Basically, the same place on the field. Heck, I have a nephew named Alex Smith who's 33-years-old ... the whole thing is crazy."

Theismann says for the first time in his life, he couldn't really sleep after watching the injury in person -- saying, " I didn't really think this thing had bothered me as much as it did, and I think it probably got to me a little bit more."

Joe says he considers Smith a friend and plans on reaching out to the QB after giving him some space to deal with the injury.

The big message for Smith -- Theismann says there's light at the end of the tunnel ... so don't give up hope.

Tom Brady ain't going to be reprising his role as the terrible throwing dude at a carnival anytime soon -- the Pats QB says his career as a "Saturday Night Live" host is likely over.

And why? He's too damn busy.

"I'm basically on a reality TV show every Sunday afternoon for 3 hours so I feel like I'm on TV enough in the Fall and Winter."

The GOAT appeared on WEEI's "Mut & Callahan" on Monday and was asked about life outside of football -- particularly if he'd ever return to 30 Rock like he did back in 2005 when he famously played "Alan" ... a guy with an arm like Nathan Peterman.

TB12 says he loves the show ... but it's too big of a commitment and he'd rather be hanging out with Gisele and the kids.

"It's hard for my family to give that up," Brady says.

"It's hard to say, 'All right guys, well, I'm going to go off and do another week of something that I've really done before.'"

ICYMI ... the carnival sketch was Brady's best work -- but he also donned a sultan outfit and played the manager of "Falafel City" ... and had a sketch where he joked about his rivalry with Peyton Manning and other QBs.

Good times.