NFL

Derrick Henry's 99-yard touchdown Thursday night was dope ... but there are a few runs BETTER than it in NFL history -- so says Pats legend Willie McGinest.

Henry stiff-armed three dudes straight to the dirt, stayed in bounds and outran all 11 Jaguars to the end zone ... and the whole state of Tennessee went crazy after.

But, when we got Willie out at LAX -- he says he's seen better, "I would say it's ONE of my top runs."

Willie ain't a hater ... he just says he's seen Marshawn Lynch go off way too many times to put Derrick's epic run ahead of some of Beast Mode's famous sprints.

"That's why we started calling them the 'Beast Mode Runs,' 'cause of Lynch against the Saints. And then, I think he had another one against Arizona, so."

Think Willie's wrong?? Take a look at the Beast Quake one more time ...

Marcellus Wiley says the Redskins did the right thing in claiming Reuben Foster ... telling TMZ Sports the linebacker is "innocent until proven guilty" and deserves a second chance.

There aren't many that would agree with the ex-NFL superstar ... 'cause Foster has now been accused of domestic violence multiple times in the last year -- including being arrested 3 days before the 'Skins picked him up.

But, Wiley explains, "You gotta allow the guy to have his opportunity. He's not on the field right now. They claimed him off waivers and they wanted to make sure that, 'We do the proper investigation and figure out who he is and what happened.'"

"And, look, there are some question marks about this allegation, because last time, his girlfriend recanted her story."

Marcellus tells us Reuben deserves the chance to let the process play out -- and says the Redskins are doing the right thing by keeping him off the roster until it does.

"Let's just respect the entire process ... remember when we had to actually think you were innocent until proven guilty? I'm still in that place."

We also asked Wiley for his take on the Kareem Hunt situation ... and while Wiley says the RB made a HUGE mistake -- he doesn't believe the superstar's career is over.

BUT -- Marcellus says the 23-year-old HAS to show remorse in order to latch back on with another NFL team.

Michael Blackson is so disappointed in Jacksonville after yet another blowout loss Thursday ... he's tellin' TMZ Sports the Jags belong closer to the toilet bowl than the Super Bowl!!!

We got the comedian -- whose nephew is Eli Apple, a starter for the Saints -- leaving Boulevard3 in Hollywood, when we had to ask for his take on Derrick Henry's epic 99-yard TD run.

That's when Blackson told us the run was cool and all ... but he's WAY more disappointed in Jacksonville's D for letting the play happen!

"Where the f**k was the defense?! Jesus Christ, man," Blackson says.

"I'm so disappointed in the Jaguars. These guys went from AFC Championship game -- they went from almost the Super Bowl to the toilet bowl!"

Blackson didn't stop there ... tellin' Jacksonville's die-hard fanbase they need to come pick up their squad!

"I'm so disappointed in them! But hey, if you let someone run 99 yards, man, you don't deserve to be anywhere close to the playoffs. Jaguars, I'm disappointed in you. Duval, get your team together. Please!"

Derrick Henry had arguably the greatest run in NFL history Thursday night ... and his pal, Mark Ingram, couldn't have been prouder -- 'cause he lost his mind watching it!!!

ICYMI ... Henry tied the longest run ever in the NFL with a 99-yard TD in the 2nd quarter of the Titans' blowout win over the Jags -- and the play was epic.

Derrick stiff-armed three dudes, tight-roped the sideline and outran the entire Jacksonville defense to tie Tony Dorsett's longest-ever TD run.

Ingram -- who won a Heisman Trophy at Alabama just like Henry -- went bananas watching the replay ... super proud of his buddy who's taken criticism for not running well this season.

"You get a stiffy! You get a stiffy! You get a stiffy! I see you, boy!"

Henry's night wasn't over there -- the dude ran for another 139 yards and 3 scores -- and yeah, Ingram was just as pumped for those too.

"Tell them we ain't going for it, bruh! Tell them we ain't going for it! We don't need none of that fake love that they was talking, man! We out here, boy! Yeah!"

Ingram wasn't the only guy impressed ... both Le'Veon Bell AND Ezekiel Elliott praised the gallop on their social media pages.

Olivia Munn knows first hand about the drama between Aaron Rodgers and his parents -- and tells TMZ Sports it's "amazing" the two sides are finally patching up their relationship.

Munn has previously talked about the Rodgers' family feud, which has been going on for YEARS -- and said, "I don't think either side of the road is clean."

The actress said she believed there were jealousy issues between Aaron's father and brothers -- who had all dreamed of the kind of NFL success Aaron has already achieved.

But earlier this week, Aaron said he spent his birthday with his parents over the weekend -- suggesting the ice is finally thawing between the two sides ... and Olivia seems genuinely happy for the QB.

"If that's true, it's amazing," Munn told us outside of Rolling Greens on Thursday ... "It's long overdue."

So, what brought the two sides together?

Aaron's brother, Jordan (who appeared on "The Bachelorette"), had publicly shamed Aaron for not calling their mother while she was about to be evacuated during the California wildfires.

Guessing that sparked a phone call -- and the rest is history.

Aaron and Olivia dated from 2014 to 2017 and while she previously said she tried to get Aaron to make peace with his family, it just didn't happen during their relationship.

Better late than never ...

Brett Favre -- a three-time NFL MVP -- has weighed in ... and Drew Brees is killin' it ... but he's not the league's current most valuable player.

"I would say right now, I'd probably have to give it to Mahomes," Brett tells TMZ Sports.

It's not exactly a nuclear take from the Packers legend -- most have Brees and Patrick Mahomes as the top 2 candidates for the award -- but Favre says the younger QB gets his nod.

"What Mahomes has done in his first year is incredible."

You can tell it kinda pains Brett to say it -- Brees IS, after all, one of the last old dudes standing in a young man's game -- but Favre still showed Drew some major love anyway.

In fact ... Brett also shouted another old QB who's killin' it this season -- saying Philip Rivers deserves some praise for his huge season too!

As for Mahomes ... Brett didn't go all Dick Vermeil on us and say the Chiefs superstar can be one of the greatest to ever play -- but he also didn't exactly disagree with the ex-coach!!

Ryan Shazier is making some incredible progress in his gridiron comeback ... crushing a deadlift workout just one year after suffering a serious back injury.

The Pittsburgh Steelers star required MAJOR spinal stabilization surgery last December after suffering a severe spinal injury while playing the Bengals during a Monday Night Football matchup.

At the time, there was fear he was paralyzed from the waist down ... but the guy has made some serious progress on his dream of returning to football ... just look at the update he posted on Thursday.

Shazier reflected on the injury on Wednesday -- the one year mark since the injury -- saying "Just a year ago my life changed forever. It was a scary moment for many people. I'm not going to lie, I was one of them."

"It's been a crazy, long journey, but it is not over yet. The best worst part about this journey that I'm on is the unknown. Day by day it's getting better than the day before."

Lovie Smith has no bitterness toward the Bears ... in fact, the ex-Chicago head man is STOKED for the team -- telling TMZ Sports, "The Bears are back!"

Remember, Lovie and Chicago didn't leave on the best of terms in 2012 ... with Lovie getting canned despite a Super Bowl appearance AND an 81-63 record in 9 seasons.

But, Smith's clearly let any bitterness he had go -- 'cause when we got the current University of Illinois coach out at LAX ... he told us he's fired up for his former team!

"I know they're pretty good. I think the Bears are back!" Lovie says ... "Matt Nagy is doing a heck of a job with them."

Chicago's got a key game coming up Sunday night, playing the top-seeded Rams ... and Smith tells us he's "anxious" to watch them play -- and thinks they've got a shot at an upset!!

Alex Smith's NFL career could be over ... 'cause the Washington Redskins QB is now fighting off a serious infection after suffering a gruesome broken leg last month.

The injury was gnarly ... Alex had his right leg snapped in half by Texans star J.J. Watt on Nov. 18 -- breaking both his fibula and tibia to the point where bone poked through the skin.

Now ... multiple reports say the QB is fighting off an infection that could put his football career in jeopardy.

According to Burgundy Blog ... Smith is still in the hospital and could face more serious surgeries to fight off the infection, including "partial reconstruction."

The Redskins released a statement Thursday morning asking for privacy for their superstar quarterback.

"On behalf of Alex Smith, we appreciate all of the concerns and prayers over the injury he incurred on November 18th against the Houston Texans."

You can clearly tell just how much George H.W. Bush was liked and respected simply by the incredible number of celebs who turned out for the late President's funeral in the Lone Star State.

Reba McEntire sang "The Lord's Prayer" and The Oak Ridge Boys gave a powerful rendition of "Amazing Grace" during the funeral services Thursday at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston.

Everything's bigger in Texas, including Houston sports stars -- past and present -- who turned out to say goodbye to 41 ... former Rockets centers Yao Ming and Dikembe Mutombo towered over the crowd, while Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt brought the muscle with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Naturally, Chuck Norris was there, and legendary Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda made the trek from Los Angeles.

Seems the Rodgers Family Feud might FINALLY be coming to an end ... with Aaron Rodgers saying he spent his birthday with his parents!

Now, why is this a big deal?

It was just last week that Aaron's brother, Jordan Rodgers (from 'Bachelorette'), blasted the QB on social media for not calling his mother while she was getting ready to evacuate during the California wildfires.

But earlier this week, Aaron subtly let the media know that he spent time with his "folks" for his birthday over the weekend.

Aaron was speaking with reporters about the firing of Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and he was asked what he was doing when he found out.

That's when Aaron slickly dropped the info about the reconciliation with his parents.

"I found out I’m sure the same way most of you found out. I was at home with my folks in town for my birthday.”

See that? HE WAS WITH HIS PARENTS!!!!

Remember, this feud was so bad, they made a dramatic scene out of it during Jordan's hometown visit on "The Bachelorette" ... where they left an empty chair at the dinner table for Aaron, who refused to participate.

Aaron's ex-girlfriend Olivia Munn said she had tried to get Aaron to speak with his parents years ago -- but things were too nasty.

The woman who claims she was attacked by NFL star Reuben Foster says reps from the 49ers tried to undermine her credibility with police during the investigation ... telling cops she had lied about domestic violence in the past.

Elissa Ennis appeared on "Good Morning America" Thursday where she accused Foster of roughing her up on 3 separate occasions ... including the Nov. 24 incident at a team hotel in Tampa, Florida.

As we previously reported, Ennis called 911 and told the operator Foster had slapped her and roughed her up during a dispute. He's since been charged with 1 count of misdemeanor domestic violence. She revealed the injury photos during the interview with 'GMA.'

Ennis told 'GMA' they had been arguing because she threatened to tell his new girlfriend that he paid for her flight out to Florida to see him.

"Even when I called the police, the 49ers came up there," Ennis said ... "I have pictures of the 49ers coming up there trying to talk to the police telling them I'm the same ex-girlfriend that set up there and lied."

The 49ers have not commented on Ennis' claims.

She's referring to the previous domestic violence allegations she made against Foster back in February -- when she told officials Foster beat the daylights out of her in their California home ... but later recanted her story and told a judge she made the whole thing up.

Now, Ennis admits she lied in court to protect Foster -- saying, "I did what I had to do for the person I love. I thought that he would change, anybody in my position would do the same thing."

Foster was cut by the 49ers -- but later picked up by the Washington Redskins and Ennis claims she was "shocked" another NFL team would take a chance on such a bad guy.

Ennis says she's now getting help and realizes her relationship with Foster was destructive and "not love."

Our TMZ photog was out in Washington D.C. today covering the George H.W. Bush funeral ... when Roger Goodell came walking down the street.

So, we had to ask about the obvious issue involving the NFL and TMZ ... Kareem Hunt.

We got right next to the NFL Commish and asked him if he thinks Hunt will ever play another down in the league. We asked some follow-up questions too.

But, Goodell wasn't ready to have that conversation.

The NFL has issued several statements on the Kareem Hunt situation so it's not like the league is stonewalling the media -- but so far, we haven't heard from Goodell directly.

Back in 2014 during the Ray Rice situation, Goodell held a press conference and took questions from reporters about the league's attempts to obtain the video.

So far, we haven't heard of any plans for Goodell to hold a similar media event in regards to Kareem Hunt.

The Cleveland Police Dept. says one of its officers leaked a copy of the Kareem Hunt police report to the NFL back in February -- and now it's launched an internal investigation.

"Following an internal review, it has been determined that in February 2018 a member of the Cleveland Division of Police provided a copy of the police report involving the February 10, 2018 assault incident at The 9 to a representative from the National Football League," the PD said.

"The report did not go through the official public records request process."

So, what's the takeaway? The statement implies the NFL did go outside of official channels in an effort to gather information about the incident.

The CPD also says it's looking into the "overall response" by the PD regarding the Hunt incident -- but did not get specific about other issues.

One big question ... why didn't the responding officers make more of an effort to view the surveillance video on the night of the incident?

The woman was seen on police body cam video begging the officers to view the tapes -- but cops said they were stuck because the hotel is a "private facility" and "they don't have to show us unless they're ordered by a court."

Kareem Hunt and Reuben Foster, listen up ... Ezekiel Elliott is handing down advice on how to get through the lengthy suspensions you're about to face.

"Just focus on your day-to-day life, making sure you’re winning the next day," Elliott told reporters Wednesday.

"Because when you start looking down the road, you kind of get bogged down."

Of course, Elliott has already walked a mile in Hunt and Foster's shoes ... having been accused of domestic violence and getting slapped with a subsequent suspension.

In Zeke's case ... the Cowboys superstar -- who was never arrested or charged -- was popped for 6 games and often spoke about how difficult it was to get through the month-and-a-half absence.

So, his message for Hunt and Foster this week was simple ... "Focus on day to day, doing better day to day, and things are going to work themselves out."

Cops are on the hunt for the scumbags who broke into the home of L.A. Chargers star tight end Antonio Gates and his wife, Sasha, over the weekend ... while their kids were inside the house.

Scary situation ... surveillance cameras at the San Fernando Valley home captured multiple suspects climbing a gate and stalking around the property over the weekend.

We're told the men targeted Antonio's garage where they stole a number of items and rummaged through some of Antonio's high-end cars, including a Rolls-Royce.

All the while, we're told Antonio's kids were inside the home.

The burglars never made contact with the family -- but they stole a bunch of stuff including a hoverboard belonging to one of Antonio's kids.

Cops have the surveillance footage and are hunting for the suspects.

Sources connected to the investigation tell us it appears the men may have cased the property before they struck because they knew exactly where to head once they climbed the fence.

Gates is the latest high-profile burglary victim in the area -- as we previously reported, cops have made a bunch of arrests after stars like Yasiel Puig, Robert Woods and Rihanna were also burglarized.

Unclear if cops believe the suspects in the Gates incident have any connection to the other cases.