NFL

No shirt, pants OR undies were required at the Saints' postgame locker room celebration Sunday ... 'cause Mark Ingram got down with his bad self in nothing but a towel!!!

It all went down just minutes after New Orleans finished off the Eagles, 20-14, in a playoff win at the Superdome ... when the Saints turned their locker room into a nightclub.

The smoke was blowing ... the lights were flashing ... and that's when the Saints star RB took center stage to show off his best dance moves -- almost completely naked!!!

The rest of the New Orleans squad got in on the fun (with clothes on) ... Teddy Bridgewater hit his signature "Choppa Style" dance move, and a Saints staffer even got down in a Rascal scooter!

New Orleans is off to the NFC Championship game for the first time since 2009 ... so the celebration seemed warranted.

It's official ... Maroon 5 are headlining Super Bowl LIII, and they'll be joined by the likes of Travis Scott and Atlanta hip-hop legend Big Boi.

The band announced the news Sunday with a promo video which lists themselves, Trav and Big Boi as performers for the halftime show. The NFL confirmed on their end, saying M5 will take center stage and TS and BB will be featured as guest artists.

We broke the story ... Travis signed on to perform for Super Bowl 53 late last month, despite tons of backlash from the African-American community. According to a report, Scott only agreed to do the show after the NFL vowed to donate a ton of cash to Dream Corps.

The Big Boi announcement didn't come as a total surprise. We knew organizers were scrambling to snag either him or Cardi B. Looks like they went with a homegrown artist for the big game that'll be played in ATL this year.

YG was all hyped up leaving the Rams game Saturday night with his battle cry, "F*** the Cowboys," despite the fact the Rams defeated Dallas minutes earlier.

The rapper was leaving the L.A. Coliseum when our photog asked who he wanted the Rams to play for the NFL championship -- the Eagles or the Saints?

Check out the vid ... it doesn't f-ing matter. YG couldn't be clearer ... the Rams are unstoppable.

The times they are a-changin' ... which is why a legendary NFL wide receiver thinks Julio Jones and Antonio Brown should team up to win it all.

TMZ Sports got Cowboys HOF'er Michael Irvin outside of Catch in Weho Friday night, and he tells us he'd like to see the Falcons WR and the Pittsburgh WR -- who's on the outs with the Steelers -- get together to win a Super Bowl ... because neither one of 'em has won anything yet.

We broke the story ... Jones rejected the notion of A.B. coming to Atlanta, saying his team was good as is. But, Irvin thinks if LeBron can hook up with D. Wade, and Durant can hook up with Steph to get a ring ... Julio should be a little more open to the idea.

Think Nick Saban would leave his college football dynasty to take another swing at success in the NFL??

Here's Julio Jones to knock some damn sense into you ... cause the ex-Bama superstar tells TMZ Sports there's NO WAY his old coach should leave Tuscaloosa for the pros.

We spoke with the Falcons receiver about Bama losing to Clemson in the title game earlier this week ... and he says there's no need to jump ship over one loss.

"Dabo (Swinney) was just the better coach and they were the better team."

Jones says Saban has built something special with the Crimson Tide ... and says the dude should ride that wave for as long as he can.

Drew Brees' dream of his first NFL MVP is DEAD ... that's according to Tony Gonzalez, who says Patrick Mahomes is the league's most valuable, and it ain't even close.

Mahomes is having a RIDICULOUS season ... 50 TDs and 5,000 yards (yikes), but some thought Brees would get the nod because of the Saints team's success and his INSANE efficiency.

Tony ain't one of them, and when we got him out in Beverly Hills, he shot Drew's dreams down.

"I thought Drew Brees would've had a chance, but 50 touchdowns, 5,000 yards, it's no contest."

According to Gonzalez, the Chiefs game this Sunday will also be no contest, because he's got the Arrowhead gang stomping all over the Colts.

"Obviously, I'm picking the Chiefs, not 'cause I have to either."

Kyler Murray won't succeed if he tries to play both football AND baseball at the same time ... so says Drew Henson, who tells TMZ Sports the two tasks are just too tough.

Don't get it twisted ... Drew clearly thinks Kyler's got the talent -- he just knows, as a guy who played both on the diamond and under center, that it just wouldn't work.

"The position of quarterback, it's a year-round job," Henson says ... "Any team that's going to invest that type of money in you isn't going to want you to be away in the offseason."

"As far as baseball, developing as a hitter is a constant thing. Getting in at-bats year after year ... so to be the best baseball player you can be, you really need that time and those reps."

So, how would Drew handle it if he were in Kyler's shoes now??

Henson picked the Yankees over an NFL career after his days at Michigan were done ... but bounced back to the NFL just a couple years later.

Drew says if he could do it all over again, he woulda stuck with baseball longer ... and advises Kyler to pick the one sport he ENJOYS more -- not just the one he's got more potential at.

"If there's a sport you like better, that'd be my first choice."

We also talked to Brian Jordan -- who was an NFL player and an MLB All-Star -- and he says he thinks Murray CAN do both ... under 1 condition.

Kyler's got to make a final decision on the NFL draft by Sunday.

Antonio Brown clearly ain't sweatin' his Pittsburgh issues one bit ... 'cause dude was smokin' stogies with Chad Ochocinco on Friday and saying he's, "still excited to play the game."

A.B.'s been surrounded in Steelers drama the last few weeks ... fighting with teammates and coaches and looking like he's on the verge of being traded very soon.

But, if you think Brown's sweatin' all that beef ... you're wrong -- 'cause dude was chillin' with Ochocinco for happy hour Friday and sayin' he's fired up for his 2019 season already.

"Yes, I'm 31 and I'm still excited to play the game. I'm motivated, inspired, encouraged."

As for where that season will be played ... Steelers owner Art Rooney said Thursday it'd be "hard to envision" seeing it in Pittsburgh.

Does that mean San Francisco, Oakland or even Miami are all possibilities? Perhaps ... all A.B.'s sayin', for now, is he's willing to listen to anybody that wants him.

"Stay by the phone. My phone line's open."

Former NFL All-Pro Arian Foster is facing a force more devastating than any defense he ever ran through ... ANGRY TUPAC FANS ... who are all over Arian, for giving a controversial Pac take.

FULL DISCLOSURE ... Arian is a rapper himself (he's really good) and a HUGE 2Pac fan, so much so that the name of his debut album is "Flamingo & Koval" the intersection where Shakur was fatally shot.

Arian says he named the album that because of how deeply Pac's music has affected him, but when he sat down on "Van Lathan's The Red Pill" podcast, he offered something most 2Pac fans don't, a critique.

"Pac is my favorite artist of all-time, but to pretend his music was just out of this world intellectually deep ..."

Arian's point was that rap has evolved since Pac was around, and when compared to some of the artists dealing with super cerebral topics now, Shakur's topics were more simple.

Welp, that's not how the WORLD saw it, and now Foster has been taking major heat from fans who still have a ton of California love for Pac.

Here are some of the best responses ...

"55 seconds of Arian Foster proving why NFL needs better helmets. Lmao. STFU dude."

"Yeah, I'm cancelling him before I even hear his music. I'm petty when it comes to Pac."

"Arianfoster your comment about Tupac is Kanye West-level crazy wrong."

BTW ... we should say, there were also A LOT of people who agreed with Foster, and a debate is happening. But, they were much more polite in their comments.

So, right now, it seems like it's just Arian against the world. Listen to the full episode of "Van Lathan's The Red Pill"

Chicago Bears kicker Cody Parkey -- aka "doink doink" -- says he still feels HORRIBLE after that game-losing field goal in the playoffs ... which is why he's steering clear of Twitter.

Smart.

The 26-year-old appeared on the "Today" show Friday morning and said he can still barely believe he missed that 43-yarder against the Eagles with time winding down in the 4th quarter.

"I'm disappointed," Parkey said ... "I let the fans, my teammates and the whole organization down."

"But, I'll continue to keep my head held high because football is what I do, it's not who I am."

Of course, Parkey was booed off the field after missing that kick -- and the hate online has been ruthless.

"I haven't been on social media or anything like that," Parkey said.

He added, "I feel worse than anybody about missing that kick because I wanted to make it more than anybody ... but at the end of the day, I'm gonna hold my head high."

We got Parkey leaving the show and asked him if he felt safe going back to Chicago -- and the good news, he doesn't seem worried.

How dope would a 1-2 punch of Julio Jones and Antonio Brown look in Atlanta?!?!

Not that dope ... according to Julio himself -- who tells TMZ Sports he and the Falcons actually don't want to see that at all.

"Nah, man. We tight over here. We good over here."

Of course, the pairing will be possible in what appears to be a matter of days ... seeing as A.B.'s antics have pretty much ended his time in the Steel City.

But, don't expect Julio to openly recruit the stud wideout to the Falcons once that happens ... 'cause when we got Julio out in L.A. -- he seemed to want no part of it.

Why?? Sure seems like Jones thinks the baggage Brown would bring to the locker room wouldn't be worth his insane production on the field.

As for the guys currently on Julio's team ... Jet spoke with us about Steve Sarkisian's firing and what he expects to see from new OC Dirk Koetter.

Colin Cowherd says there's a lot to like about Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns next season ... BUT THEY AIN'T MAKING THE POSTSEASON!

Colin and the Browns QB have an interesting relationship -- remember, they sparred on the FS1 star's show back in June ... and Mayfield still takes shots at him on Twitter now and then.

Now, after Baker's sensational rookie season (he broke the rookie TD record) we asked Colin if he's punched his ticket on the Browns hype train going into 2019.

"I don't dislike Baker," Colin told us at LAX ... "I actually think there's a lot that's incredibly charming."

On the positive side ...

"I think he's a gamer. I think he's tough, really accurate."

On the negative side ...

"I think there's a lot of nonsense, he needs to grow up."

As far as playoffs go, Colin told us not to go crazy -- saying, "They'll win games. They have too many good players."

But, they ain't gonna beat the Steelers and they ain't makin' the playoffs.

The Browns are coming off their best season in years -- with a 7-8-1 record -- and got REAL close to sneaking into the playoffs this year.

If the Philadelphia Eagles win another Super Bowl, they should cut the crap and make Nick Foles the full-time starter for the 2019 season ... so says Kevin Hart.

Kev is a HUGE Eagles fan (remember when he drunkenly tried to grab the Lombardi Trophy last year?) ... so when we saw him leaving the Barstool Sports offices in NYC on Thursday, we asked how he'd solve the looming QB battle.

TMZ: "If Foles wins you guys another Super Bowl, what do you do with Carson Wentz?"

Kev: "We tell Carson Wentz that he is the reason for our success ... we have to go with Foles right now 'cause Foles is the hot guy."

He continued, "Doesn't mean that Carson Wentz isn't our guy, but ultimately you gotta understand the underdog and the underdog story. Foles is helping build that story."

The QB issue is becoming a hot topic -- because Foles is now 4-0 in his last 4 playoff games ... and the team is playing pretty great right now.

Here's the problem ... if the Eagles want to keep Foles they'd have to pick up his $20 MILLION option -- which Foles has to approve. Lotta cash to spend on a backup QB.

Another option ... the Eagles could franchise Foles for $25 mil and then trade him if the plan is to go with Wentz as the starter.

Antonio Brown's time in Pittsburgh appears all but over ... 'cause Steelers owner Art Rooney II doesn't expect the NFL superstar to be on the team next season.

A.B.'s been at the center of controversy in Steel City after getting into heated exchanges with teammates, skipping practice, getting benched for a crucial game during a playoff push AND reportedly requesting a trade ... just to name a few incidents.

Rooney says the team will NOT cut Brown, but made it very clear the Steelers aren't afraid to move on from their top receiver ... and said it would be "hard to envision" he's with the team come training camp in July.

"There’s not much we can do right now. We have time to make a decision,” Rooney told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“We’ll look at all the options. We’re not going to release him, that’s not on the table. But I will say all other options are on the table."

Rooney isn't completely shutting the door on reconciling with Brown ... he thinks making up is possible, but unlikely.

Tim Tebow is one step closer to swiping that V-card ... he just got engaged to his insanely attractive beauty queen girlfriend, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters!!!

"Thank you for saying YES and making me the happiest man in the world," Tebow posted.

"You’re the love of my life, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

Demi-Leigh -- the 2017 Miss Universe winner -- also commented, saying, "Any dreams I’ve ever had, you’ve exceeded them all! I love you and I can’t wait to spend forever with you!"

Demi-Leigh is 23 years old. She's from South Africa. The two have been dating for a while and she recently went home to Florida with him to celebrate the holidays ... a big sign a ring was on the way.

Congrats!!!

Gotta love Miami Beach ... Devonta Freeman sure does -- because ya can't walk 3 feet without bumpin' into a smokin' hot lady in a bikini!!!

The Atlanta Falcons running back was doing some conditioning drills on the beach when he stopped his workout to chat up a few pretty young things who caught his eye.

The 26-year-old superstar is a local -- he was a stud at Miami Central High School back in the day before taking a full scholarship to Florida State.

In fact, dude rushed for 2,208 yards and 26 touchdowns as a high school senior -- not too shabby, right?

Now, Freeman's RICH -- he signed a $41 million contract extension in 2017 ... which is why he left the workout in a sick Rolls-Royce!!