NFL

Tim Tebow thinks his NFL career ended prematurely ... 'cause the ex-Heisman Trophy winner says when he watches football now, he still thinks, "I can totally do that!"

Speaking about how hard it was to give up his pigskin career on the "Journeys of Faith with Paula Faris" podcast ... Tebow said it's STILL difficult to swallow, 'cause he thinks he can still ball.

"It's still hard sometimes when I watch games and I'm thinking, 'I can totally do that.' Or, 'I can be doing this or playing here or crushing that!'"

Of course ... Tim's tenure in the league officially ended back in 2015 after he completed just 47.9 percent of his career pass attempts.

But -- Tebow ain't bitter about the whole deal ... saying that while "the NFL didn't go at all as planned" -- he thinks it paved the way for his baseball career.

"I think God used the highs and the lows for a purpose and you try to embrace that and say, 'OK, God, what do you want me to do with this?' And he opened up baseball as an avenue."

Tebow seems to be better off ... dude's killin' it in the minor leagues -- and there's some talk the New York Mets could call him up to the Big Show next season.

As for that whole football thing ... most would disagree with Tim's take -- but, then again, have you seen Nathan Peterman throw the football these days?!

The Redskins have claimed Reuben Foster just days after he was cut by the 49ers following a domestic violence arrest in Tampa Bay over the weekend ... the team announced.

As we previously reported, the superstar LB was allegedly involved in an altercation with a female at the Niners' hotel Saturday night ... in which a woman says Reuben took her phone and slapped her in the face.

When the woman spoke with police, she told them Foster had also pushed her in the chest and hit her with an open hand on the left side of her face. Cops say they noticed a scratch on her collarbone.

The 49ers cut Foster following the arrest ... with coach Kyle Shanahan saying, “Our number one rule is you got to protect the team and he’s put us in a bad light too much.”

Redskins Senior VP of Player Personnel Doug Williams said in a statement they're very aware of the severity of the accusations, but say Foster could be worth the risk regardless.

"We decided to investigate the situation with Reuben further by claiming his rights after candid conversations with a number of his ex-Alabama teammates and current Redskins players who were overwhelmingly supportive of us taking this chance."

Doug added, "Let me be clear, Reuben will have to go through numerous steps including the full legal process, an investigation and potential discipline from the NFL, as well as meetings with counselors associated with the team before he will ever have the opportunity to wear the Burgundy and Gold as a player."

"Nothing is promised to Reuben, but we are hopeful being around so many of his former teammates and friends will eventually provide him with the best possible environment to succeed both personally and professionally."

Malcolm X's SIX daughters have launched a clothing line inspired by their late father -- and now several NBA stars have reached out to help out.

We spoke with Qubilah Shabazz who says the Malcolm X Legacy clothing line was created as a "great way to commemorate my father" ... adding, "We're hoping that it will have an impact on today's youth."

Colin Kaepernick has already shown support for the brand on social media -- and now Qubilah says there are a bunch of NBA players who have also made it clear they want to help out.

"We will be doing things with numerous of NBA players in the future," Qubilah told TMZ Sports in New York City ... noting that she didn't want to reveal any names because she didn't want to spoil the surprise!

Qubilah and her sisters presented the clothing line at Harlem Fashion Week earlier this year and the response has been pretty positive so far.

The line consists of everything from hats to shirts ... even pillows with some of Malcolm's most famous quotes.

Remember the two field goals Adam Vinatieri made that won Tom Brady and the Patriots two Super Bowls??

Yeah ... A.V. says they aren't the best of his career.

"As proud as I am of those two kicks, I think the one that I'm probably the most proud of is the one in the Snow Bowl game in the divisional playoff game against Oakland."

That's right ... the dude who's made over 575 kicks in his career and owns the most points in NFL history says his 45-yard, 4th-quarter boot back in 2001 tops 'em all.

"There were five, six, seven inches of snow on the ground, we’re down by three and it’s a 45-yard field goal," Vinatieri said on the Talk of Fame Network.

"And, if you miss, the season’s over and you’re cleaning out your locker."

Adam continued: “To be able to put that one through the posts … to be able to tie the game up and then go into overtime and have a shorter field goal to win … I think that’s probably the one I’m most proud of just because of the sheer difficulty."

Of course ... that WAS the field goal that kicked off the whole Pats dynasty -- so maybe Adam's got a point.

Then again, if the Tuck Rule never happened -- neither does the kick.

Sorry, Oakland.

Jameis Winston has "reached an agreement" to settle the sexual battery lawsuit filed against him by an Uber driver in Arizona ... this according to court docs filed in U.S. District Court.

As we previously reported, the Uber driver claimed she picked up a drunk Winston from the Scottsdale bar scene in 2016 ... and during the ride, he reached over and grabbed her vagina over her yoga pants.

Two years later, the woman -- who goes by "Kate P." in legal docs -- filed suit against the Tampa Bay Bucs quarterback.

In new docs filed in federal court in Arizona on Nov. 26, the woman's lawyer says "Plaintiff has reached an agreement with Defendant to resolve her claims."

"The parties are in the process of finalizing a settlement agreement but need approximately 10 days to complete this process."

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed in the court docs. We've reached out to Winston's camp for comment, so far no word back.

For his part, Jameis has previously publicly apologized to the Uber driver and claims he has "eliminated alcohol from my life."

DeAndre Hopkins had nothing but love for late Houston Texans owner Bob McNair on Monday ... despite the fact the two clashed hard after McNair's infamous "inmates run the prison" comment.

Remember, while NFL owners held a meeting to find a way to stop the kneeling protests last year ... McNair was quoted as saying, “We can’t have the inmates running the prison.”

Hopkins was reportedly VERY offended by McNair's comment and sat out a full practice in protest.

But, after torching the Tennessee Titans on "Monday Night Football", DeAndre couldn't have been more respectful when talking about McNair in the locker room.

In fact, when asked about the team's decision to give the game ball to Bob's son, Cal McNair, DeAndre explained ..."That was very special. Cal and their family deserve it with everything they've done for this city."

"Everything they've been through ... Bob was at practice. Bob was active, and Cal is the same way. So you got to love those guys."

In addition to giving Cal the game ball after the victory ... the Texans honored Bob with helmet decals and a pregame video tribute.

It's bad enough the Raiders are terrible ... but now they're hurting Carson Daly!!!!

Everyone knows the "Today" show star is a sensitive guy ... and he really cares about the Silver & Black.

So, when we asked how he was handling this dumpster fire of a season, Carson kept it real.

"Please don't get me started ... I don't want to cry. It hurts."

ARE YOU READING THIS JON GRUDEN?! DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO OUR NATIONAL TREASURE?!

But wait, there's more ... we asked if the Raiders should consider moving on from quarterback Derek Carr.

"No. It's Gruden I have an issue with right now" ... adding, "I'm just upset Khalil Mack's gone. I'm upset [Amari Cooper] is gone."

"I'm very distraught over it. I'm a die-hard fan."

Ex-NFL star Aldon Smith was just convicted in his domestic violence case in which he allegedly roughed up his fiancee ... but he will NOT go to jail if he keeps his nose clean.

As we previously reported, the former Oakland Raiders defensive end was arrested back in March after his fiancee (now ex-fiancee) claimed Smith attacked her at their Bay Area home during a booze-fueled rage.

Smith was initially hit with 4 misdemeanor charges -- domestic violence, assault w/ force likely to produce great bodily injury, false imprisonment and vandalism and faced several years in jail.

But, on Monday, the 29-year-old struck a deal with prosecutors in which he pled no contest to 2 counts -- violating a court order and false imprisonment.

In exchange, he was sentenced to 90 days in county jail -- but he got credit for time served for the days he already spent in jail and also for his stint in a live-in alcohol treatment facility.

He also got 3 years probation, 1 year of domestic violence counseling and 25 hours of community service.

During the hearing, the judge allowed a victim statement to be read out loud in court -- in which Smith's ex said, "I may never be the same" but also wished him luck in getting/staying sober.

TMZ Sports has obtained the 911 call Reuben Foster's ex-GF made after he allegedly attacked her at the 49ers hotel on Saturday ... and she tells the operator, "He slapped me in my face."

The woman sounds like she's sobbing at the beginning of the call -- but pulls herself together to tell the operator, "My ex-boyfriend just took my phone [and broke it] ... slapped me in my face and threatened me."

She later repeated, "He took my phone and broke it and slapped me in my face."

The woman identifies the 49ers linebacker by name and says he left the room at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Tampa Bay right after the altercation -- but noted he was still on the property.

You can tell in the audio the woman is distraught but tells the 911 operator she does not require immediate medical attention.

Cops responded to the hotel and arrested Foster late that night. He was booked on a 1st degree misdemeanor domestic violence charge.

When the woman spoke with police, she told them Foster had also pushed her in the chest and slapped her with an open hand on the left side of her face. Cops say they noticed a scratch on her collarbone.

The 49ers cut Foster following the arrest.

As for the alleged victim, she also told police she's been in an on-again, off-again relationship with the 49ers linebacker for the past 3 years.

Tom Brady's fed up with Michigan losing to Ohio State ... saying the game was "pretty crappy to watch" ... and now he's gotta wear a "ridiculous" outfit because of it.

TB12 unloaded on his alma mater's ugly 62-39 loss to the Buckeyes -- appearing on WEEI's "Mut and Callahan" show and griping, "Man, freakin’ Wolverines. They can’t win a big game, man."

"We gotta figure out how to beat those guys," Brady says.

It's true -- Michigan has lost 14 out of the last 15 matchups with OSU ... and the current losing streak is at 7.

But, it's a double-whammy for the Pats superstar ... 'cause Tom had "a couple hundred bucks" with his teammate on the line.

"Unfortunately, I lost a bet to Nate Ebner and already paid him his money," Brady said ... noting he'll have to wear a "ridiculous outfit" to practice on Wednesday as part of the bet.

Obviously, Tom can afford to lose the money -- but having to wear an OSU jersey??

Jim Brown is going to bat for Hue Jackson ... telling TMZ Sports the bitterness toward Cleveland's ex-head coach needs to end.

Of course, Hue took only a few days to join up with the Browns' rivals -- the Bengals -- after he got canned in Cleveland ... and dudes like Baker Mayfield were REALLY upset about it.

But, Jim tells us the QB and others shouldn't be ... saying Hue made "a good move."

"No bitterness with him. He's got a job right away. It tells you that he had a value. But, it didn't work out with him and the Browns. That's it."

As for Baker's snub of the coach after Cleveland beat Cincinnati on Sunday ... Jim sees no controversy there, saying Mayfield just got caught up in the moment of competition.

"When you're getting ready for a game, you're getting ready for a game. You're not trying to make friends."

As for the Browns themselves ... Jim can see a playoff game in their future this season -- IF they do just one unlikely thing.

The Browns are 4-6-1 and sitting at the bottom of the AFC North -- but they're definitely NOT mathematically eliminated ... only 3 games out of 1st place.

They've got 5 games left -- facing the Texans, Panthers, Bengals, Broncos and Ravens.

Could Tim Tebow's days as an unmarried man be numbered?!?!

Certainly seems that way ... 'cause the ex-NFL superstar brought his Miss Universe girlfriend to the Tebow Family Thanksgiving -- a sure sign that things are getting THAT serious.

Tim and Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters -- Miss Universe 2017 -- have been dating for a while now ... and they've been getting super cozy with each other the last few months.

Remember ... the South African model wished him a very public "happy birthday" back in August AND the two had a date day in New York with DLNP's fam in September.

In fact ... Demi even hinted she was "falling in love" with the minor league baseball star after the two hit up a Florida game last month.

But, the couple took things to another level last week ... when Tim brought her to the fam's turkey dinner.

"My first American style Thanksgiving with the sweetest family," DNLP said of the holiday ... "Grateful for an incredible year and everyone I got to share it with."

Tim never got a ring in his 3 years in the NFL ... but we wouldn't be shocked if he bought one pretty soon!!!

NFL linebacker Rey Maualuga dodged a bullet ... 'cause he ain't gonna spend a single minute behind bars for allegedly grabbing a club employee by the throat -- as long as he stays outta trouble.

As we previously reported, Maualuga -- who spent 9 seasons in the NFL with the Bengals and Dolphins -- was arrested in Miami in Nov. 2017 after officials say he got into a physical altercation over a $40 bar tab. He's accused of shoving and grabbing a bar employee by the throat.

31-year-old Maualuga was initially charged with misdemeanor battery and faced up to a year in jail if convicted.

But, TMZ Sports learned, the former USC Trojan cut a deal with prosecutors in which he agreed to complete a pretrial diversion program and, in exchange, the charge will be dropped.

The program requires Rey to attend two 6-hour anger management courses -- designed to teach conflict resolution and impulse control ... and he's gotta stay away from the club.

Seems like a good deal to us.

Reuben Foster has been cut by the San Francisco 49ers after being arrested in Tampa Bay for domestic violence.

Tampa police said Foster and a woman got into a verbal altercation Saturday at the team's hotel. Foster allegedly slapped her phone out of her hand, pushed her in the chest and slapped her with an open hand on the right side of her face. Tampa police said the alleged victim had been in a relationship with Foster for 3 years.

This isn't Fosters' first run-in with the law. He was previously accused of domestic violence, but the judge dropped the charges in May.

Victor Cruz is going to bat for his former quarterback ... 'cause the ex-Giants WR says Jerry Rice is absolutely INSANE for saying Eli Manning isn't a Hall of Famer.

"Jerry Rice is outta his mind. You hear me??" Cruz tells TMZ Sports ... "I'll look right in the camera -- Jerry Rice, you're outta your mind, sir."

As we previously reported ... Jerry said he doesn't think Eli belongs in the Hall -- saying the NY quarterback just ain't good enough to get in.

Cruz has a serious bone to pick with that hot take ... saying Manning's two Super Bowl rings ALONE put him squarely among the NFL's legends.

"He's definitely a Hall of Famer. Are you kidding me?! What are you talking about, Jerry?? C'mon man, you know better than this!"

Dick Vermeil tells TMZ Sports he's so impressed with the job Sean McVay's doing with the Rams ... he says the coach can be one of the greatest of all time.

Dick knows a thing or two about what that takes ... he won a Super Bowl in 1999 and is considered a legend among former NFL coaches -- and he says the 32-year-old is definitely on his way.

"You know, I think of myself at 32," Vermeil says ... "I think I was just getting ready to go into the NFL about that time ... but there’s no way I could have done it."

McVay's got the Rams off to a 10-1 start and has Jared Goff and Todd Gurley looking like legitimate MVP candidates.

Vermeil tells us that early success is unprecedented, saying even guys like Bill Walsh and Jim Mora were nowhere near that level at that age.

"I have to give him credit for having, I think, the wherewithal and the potential to become another one of the finest ever."