NFL

Ron Jaworski says it's evident Tom Brady's in decline ... 'cause the football analyst says it's obvious the Patriots legend has lost strength in his throwing arm.

"Watching tape and watching games on TV, I think there's a little bit lost in his fastball," Jaws tells TMZ Sports.

The ex-Eagles QB says it's most apparent when Brady throws the deeper balls -- 'cause Ron is seeing a whole lot more rainbow passes than TB12's normal line drives.

"He's missing throws that I see him normally make ... I think at this point -- and it shouldn't be shocking -- he's losing a little bit of his fastball."

Jaws tells us Brady's decline is only ONE of the reasons the panic button needs to be pressed in New England ... 'cause Ron's got major concerns about the roster overall.

"I think Bill [Belichick] probably misplayed a few of his hands in building this football team."

Good news for the Pats?? They end their season with two of the worst teams in football -- the Bills and the Jets.

So, even if dynasty's coming to an end -- 11-5 ain't the worst way to go out, right??

Michael B. Jordan really doesn't want to believe Travis Scott's joining Maroon 5 for the Super Bowl 53 Halftime Show ... because he thinks it goes against what Trav should be standing for.

Much like Al Sharpton -- who flat out called Scott a hypocrite when we talked to him -- Jordan implies Travis is betraying the boycott against the NFL for how it's treated Colin Kaepernick and its handling of the kneeling controversy.

MBJ says, "We're still trying to stand behind something right now," and suggests by taking the Super Bowl gig ... the rapper's setting the cause back.

Al Sharpton is calling out Travis Scott for agreeing to perform at the Super Bowl ... in fact, he's calling him a hypocrite.

We got the Reverend Friday in a rainy NYC, and he couldn't be stronger ... he says Travis is betraying the NFL boycott by drawing people to the game by his presence with Maroon 5 during the halftime show.

Sharpton feels strongly that people need to turn their backs on the NFL for what they did to Colin Kaepernick and others who expressed themselves by taking a knee to protest injustice.

LeBron James railed on the NFL, saying the owners are a bunch of white guys who treat their players with extreme disrespect.

LeBron made the comments on his HBO show, "The Shop," contrasting the football league with the NBA. James said, "In the NFL they got a bunch of old white men owning teams and they got that slave mentality ... and it's a little like, 'This is my team. You do what the f*** I tell y'all to do. Or we get rid of y'all.'"

The Lakers star is clearly referring in part to Colin Kaepernick allegedly getting blackballed by NFL owners who were outraged by the kneeling movement the QB triggered.

DC Young Fly says he's down with Maroon 5 and Travis Scott performing at halftime of the Super Bowl ... but he still feels the NFL made a huge mistake by passing over Atlanta rappers.

The 'Wild 'N Out' star isn't going full Jay-Z -- trying to talk Travis out of performing -- but he supports Colin Kaepernick and thinks the NFL is slapping ATL in the face by snubbing its hip-hop scene ... and he warns a TON of people are gonna raise hell when the big game comes to town.

We broke the story ... the "SICKO MODE" rapper will join M5 at the big show. Travis' new gig is drawing praise and scorn.

DC makes it clear his beef is not with Travis ... he suggests two music icons should join the show and ease tensions in Hotlanta. Hint: think gospel.

Everybody in New England, chill ... 'cause Tom Brady is NOT in decline and the Patriots are STILL the favorites to win the Super Bowl -- so says Asante Samuel.

Of course, the ex-Pats corner is biased ... dude played with TB12 and Bill Belichick for five seasons -- but he says Tom's been just too good for too long to write him off now.

"It's never the end of a dynasty as long as they've got TB," Samuel tells TMZ Sports ... "TB is the man!"

There ain't a lot of NFL experts that would agree right now ... New England's lost two in a row and is in danger of not having a playoff bye for the first time since 2009.

But, Samuel says it's gonna be all right ... 'cause No. 12 is still under center.

"Tom has never let me down as a fan of him. And, I would imagine he's never let any other fans down. So, you just keep believing in him."

In fact ... Samuel is so confident in the G.O.A.T. -- he tells us he's still putting his money on New England to win the Super Bowl in February!!!

Sorry, Nick Foles ... even though you've got the Philly train back on track (again) -- Carson Wentz is STILL the Eagles' future ... so says Ron Jaworski.

The legendary Eagles quarterback says there is no QB controversy in his mind ... telling us despite Foles rescuing Philly yet again this season -- Carson's still the man.

"Carson Wentz is the Eagles' future," Jaws tells TMZ Sports.

In fact ... Ron says he believes the team thinks so highly of Wentz -- they'll let Foles walk in the offseason to another team.

"I believe his next opportunity will be somewhere else, not in Philadelphia," Jaworski says.

Don't get it twisted ... Ron LOVES Nick, saying what the QB has done for the Eagles is "legendary" -- and he even wore a St. Nick tie in the QB's honor!!

Forget Santa Claus ... Mike Evans is the real Christmas MVP -- at least, that's the case in Tampa Bay, 'cause the WR's gifts to his Bucs teammates caused everyone to lose their minds!!!

The NFL superstar got his squad their own custom Bird scooters for the holidays -- complete with every player's last name AND number ... and yeah, it was a hit in the locker room.

"This is what you call an ultimate teammate!! You feel me?!" offensive lineman Donovan Smith screamed.

"This is what you call an ultimate teammate!! My boy, Money Mike, baby!! Where you at, Mike?!?!"

Evans was mobbed by his teammates ... who couldn't wait to give the receiver some skin as a thanks for the electric wheels.

"Appreciate it, Mike!!" added rookie D-lineman Vita Vea.

We know what you're thinking -- 53 players on a roster and around $500 a scooter -- but don't worry about it ... Evans is in the middle of a 5-year, $82.5 MILLION contract!!!

Bill Belichick says Josh Gordon's departure from the Patriots is "an unfortunate situation" ... and the coach is hoping his troubled wideout is able to handle his issues going forward.

"Personally, I wish him the very best as we all do on this team," Bill told reporters Friday.

Gordon announced Thursday he was stepping away from the Pats to focus on his mental health ... just minutes before the NFL announced he violated the league's substance abuse policy once again.

Belichick declined to get into specifics of Gordon's problems with media members -- callin' it, "a private matter" -- but repeated he hopes the WR gets the help he needs.

"I hope that he's able to deal with it successfully," Belichick said.

As for if the Pats will continue to help Josh while he's away from the team ... Bill said, "We're going to get ready for Buffalo and play Buffalo on Sunday."

The Patriots traded for Gordon earlier in the season after the Cleveland Browns decided to cut bait. Over the years, Gordon had been suspended multiple times for substance abuse issues.

But, the final straw for Cleveland was when Gordon suffered an injury in Sept. while shooting a promotional video.

Karrueche Tran says Travis Scott is making a HUGE MISTAKE by doing the Super Bowl halftime show with Maroon 5 ... and now she's hoping and praying he back out ASAP.

"I just don't think it's a good idea," Tran told us outside Hyde on the Sunset Strip ... "I'm really hoping it's not gonna happen."

Seems Tran -- who's dating ex-NFL star Victor Cruz -- is unhappy with the way the league is treating players like Colin Kaepernick. She also seems to be unhappy with the way the league is handling violence toward women.

Amy Schumer has called for celebrities to boycott the NFL and the halftime show -- and Tran clearly agrees.

When asked if the NFL can do anything to help change her mind, Tran suggested there wasn't enough time ... since the Super Bowl is only 2 months away.

With fan heckling in the NBA reaching a boiling point, we had to ask Julius Randle how he deals with all the trash talk coming from the fans.

And, his answers are perfect.

Here's the deal, in the past couple of weeks, stars like Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and more have gone ballistic on hecklers over insults that crossed the line.

And, in the NFL, guys like Marcus Peters and Leonard Fournette have threatened to fight fans who ran their mouths during games.

So, with Julius having 5 years of NBA experience ... we had to ask how he deals with all the jibber-jabber on the court.

Travis Scott doesn't have to justify his decision to perform at the Super Bowl to anyone -- his only goal should be to put on a hip-hop show for the ages ... so says Yung Joc.

The Atlanta rapper's going to bat for Trav, who's taking some heat from peers -- like Meek Mill -- for opting to join Maroon 5 for the halftime show in February. Meek thinks it's beneath Travis ... plus, it breaks the NFL boycott some celebs are organizing in support of Colin Kaepernick.

But, YJ points out the stage doesn't get any bigger than the SB, and the opportunity for Scott is not only too big to pass up ... but it can do a lot of good for the hip-hop culture.

We broke the story ... the "SICKO MODE" rapper's decision to take the halftime gig is a huge win for the NFL as he's one of the hottest acts in music right now. The league and Maroon 5 are still in talks to add more artists ... possibly Cardi B or Big Boi.

This is awesome!

The House of Representatives voted UNANIMOUSLY on Thursday to award the Congressional Gold Medal to ex-Saints star Steve Gleason for all the great work he's doing to battle ALS.

Gleason (who played for the Saints from 2000 to 2006) was diagnosed with ALS back in 2011. The disease affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.

But, despite his physical challenges, Gleason has been a leading voice in raising awareness and money for ALS organizations.

For example, he's advocated for federal legislation to help ensure people living with diseases like ALS have access to speech-generating devices and he's also been a major leader in the largest coordinated and collaborative ALS research project in the world.

The politicians were obviously impressed -- and Gleason will become the 1st ex-NFL player to receive the award.

FYI, the Congressional Gold Medal recognizes people who have "performed an achievement that has an impact on American history and culture that is likely to be recognized as a major achievement in the recipient's field long after the achievement."

It's one of the highest civilian awards in the U.S.

“It is a true honor to witness Steve Gleason become the first New Orleanian and former NFL Legend to receive the Congressional Gold Medal,” Saints Owner Gayle Benson said.

"Along with his wife, Michel, and everyone at Team Gleason, they have unfailingly confronted ALS with a courageous and unwavering determination. Their tireless work to provide crucial assistance and the latest in technology and services has improved countless people’s quality of living."

"Steve is leaving a truly indelible mark in American history and we are honored to call him a true New Orleans Saint."

Ryan Leaf says he's glad Josh Gordon is stepping away from football to focus on what's really important -- his mental health -- and the ex-QB says he's willing to help if the WR needs him.

Leaf has fought a very public battle with mental illness ... and warns Gordon -- who left the Pats on Thursday to focus on his mental health -- the fight he's facing is a very difficult one to win.

"This will be the hardest thing he ever does," Leaf tells TMZ Sports.

"Making it to the NFL for him was easy in comparison to what he has to battle and what he goes through on a daily basis."

But, Leaf -- who's sobered up and now hosts a sports talk show on SiriusXM -- says he's down to help ... and has actually reached out to Josh to make sure the wideout knows that.

"This is really all about surrender and acceptance. Surrendering to something bigger than you and then accepting the help from people who have been through it before."

"I've reached out to Josh and his manager, Michael Johnson, plenty of times, and they know I'm here for him. They know I'm available."

FYI, Leaf is currently a program ambassador for Transcend Recovery Community and its Mentoring Program ... which helps people who are battling substance abuse issues.

Saints superstar Cameron Jordan says there's NO WAY IN HELL Ben Roethlisberger is a Hall of Famer ... saying the Steelers stud ain't even a top 5 QB of this era.

"I'd honestly put Eli before I put Ben," Cam says.

The piping hot take came straight from the Saints' locker room this week ... when Jordan scoffed at a reporter's insinuation that Big Ben is a surefire HOFer.

"Is that true?! Really?! In this era, you'd put him at like a top three of this era?! A top five of this era?!"

Cam certainly doesn't think so ... saying he'd have Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers AND Eli Manning over the Pittsburgh superstar.

It's a smoldering take from the New Orleans pass rusher -- who just made his fourth Pro Bowl -- 'cause most not only have Ben as a Hall of Famer, but a 1st-ballot one at that.

Big Ben is a two-time Super Bowl champ, a six-time Pro Bowler AND owns a career 143-68-1 record as a starter.

Best news for all of us?? Ben gets to face off against Cam in a must-win game this weekend ... and will have every opportunity to prove Jordan wrong then.

Michael Blackson says Washington should go easy on Montae Nicholson -- because with all the issues involving NFL players these days, it coulda been way worse.

We broke the story ... the Redskins safety was caught on video KOing a man in a street fight with a devastating left-handed power shot. Nicholson and another woman were later arrested.

Some people say Nicholson took things too far -- and should have walked away from the fight before knocking his opponent out cold.

Enter Blackson -- a man never short on opinions.

"Street fight man. Street fight not over until it's over. These guys are NFL players but at the end of the day, they're still fighters that gotta defend themselves."

Blackson even saw a silver lining to this particular NFL fight.