NFL

DeSean Jackson hated his one season with Chip Kelly SO much ... the dude says he's trying to forget it even happened -- telling TMZ Sports, "Sh*t, it wasn't good."

Of course, Chip's disastrous run as the Eagles coach is back in the news this week after Michael Vick said he legit CRIED over the way Kelly handled Philly's QB competition in 2013.

When we got D-Jax out at the EA Sports Madden Bowl event in Atlanta on Thursday night ... he backed up his former teammate -- saying playing for Chip sucked.

"He broke up a team that we felt could've done something special for a long time. So, I don't respect him."

In fact ... the 3-time Pro Bowl receiver tells us he's trying to block out that whole part of his NFL career -- saying it pisses him off remembering it.

"I really just try not to say too much about him, because that's a part of my life where it's kind of just some bull stuff that happened through that period."

FYI ... Jackson DID have the best year of his career under Chip in 2013 -- posting 1,332 receiving yards and 9 TDs.

How did the Chiefs avoid killing Dee Ford for being offsides on a game-winning interception against the Patriots in the AFC Championship game???

Travis Kelce tells TMZ Sports it was simple ... they just listened to their head coach, Andy Reid.

"Andy Reid said it best in the meeting room the day after the game," Kelce tells us at the EA Sports Madden Bowl event in Atlanta.

"He said, 'You know what, Dee Ford was four inches to a foot offsides. Everybody on that team could have been four inches -- including coaches -- coulda been four inches to a foot better that game, for 60 minutes, and the outcome could've been different.'"

The play will go down in Kansas City sports lore forever -- Charvarius Ward picked off Tom Brady while up 28-24 with 54 seconds left to play in the game.

But, Ford lined up offsides ... the play was called back ... and the rest is now history.

Kelce tells us there are no hard feelings whatsoever toward Ford for the play ... and Kansas City players don't even joke with the guy about the miscue.

"I feel bad for my guy, man," Kelce says ... "You can't put it on him."

The worst part of the story??? Ford did it again in the Pro Bowl last weekend!!!

We've been waiting all season for this moment ... the WAGs of Super Bowl LIII!!!

There's a new meaning to Hotlanta this weekend ... with the wives and girlfriends of the New England Patriots and the L.A. Rams invading Georgia for the big game.

You've heard of the Giseles and Camille Kosteks of the bunch ... but, don't let those Pats WAGs superstars distract you from the heat over on the Rams' end, like Ndamukong Suh's girl Katya Leick and Brandin Cooks' wife, Briannon.

Jerry Jones should NOT fire Jason Garrett ... and should instead give him a fat, new contract extension -- so says Emmitt Smith, who tells TMZ Sports the Cowboys coach is great!!!

A lot of fans in Dallas seem to disagree ... JG only has 2 playoff wins in 9 seasons -- but, Emmitt is going to bat for the dude regardless.

The Cowboys legend tells us the job Garrett did bringing the Cowboys back from 3-5 to NFC East Champs this season was awesome ... and he deserves a new deal because of it.

"It takes a skill and a special guy to try to keep players motivated when everyone else is counting you out. And he did that with this team," Smith told us at the EA Sports Madden Bowl.

"Got them in the playoffs, got them to a playoff game, and, obviously, didn't finish, but he has a lot to build upon."

As for all the people clamoring for Tony Romo to take over Garrett's job ... Emmitt says he doesn't know if the ex-QB will be a slam-dunk with instant success on the sideline.

Terrell Suggs is a future Hall of Famer ... one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history.

So, when it's all said and done ... could he be known as the greatest Ravens player of all time?

That's what we asked Ray Lewis moments ago at an event for the Ray of Hope Foundation ... and his reaction says it all.

Some facts ...

Suggs has racked up 132 sacks in his 16-year NFL career ... ranking 13th overall. If he plays in 2019 (which he's reportedly planning to do) he should easily crack the Top 10.

He's also a 7-time Pro Bowler, Super Bowl champ and was the 2011 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

But, is he better than Ray Lewis??

Ray was a 13-time Pro Bowler, 2 Super Bowl rings, 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year ... and he's got a Super Bowl MVP trophy too.

So, yeah ... T-Sizzle is a legend -- but, he ain't Ray.

Dolphins star Xavien Howard knows a thing or two about tats -- dude's covered!! -- so here's the defensive back imparting his ink wisdom onto Ariana Grande.

The 25-year-old was out at the EA Sports Madden Bowl on Thursday when we broke the news to him that Ariana screwed up her hand tat ... TWICE.

ICYMI ... Grande tried to ink "7 Rings" onto her palm -- but left out a couple characters and got "Japanese BBQ Grill" instead. When she tried to fix it -- it got worse.

You can tell the whole drama pains Howard (something tells us he's been there before) ... but fear not, Ariana -- the NFL star has a plan for how to move on from the tattoo disaster.

"Just get it covered up with something else different. Just forget about the slogan for your album."

Translation ... better say "thank you, next" to this one.

Jarvis Landry isn't playing around about his intentions to bring Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell to the Browns ... telling TMZ Sports he REALLY wants 'em in Cleveland.

Landry has previously reached out to both guys on Twitter -- and even tried to set up a 3-way call between the superstars to convince them CLE is the place to be.

So, when we saw Juice leaving Magic City -- one of the GREATEST booty clubs on Earth -- we had to ask if he's still trying to bring the Steelers players to the Dawg Pound.

"We want to! We want to," Jarvis said ... "We should!"

The Browns offense would be INSANE with that group -- joining a stacked offense that already includes Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb, David Njoku, Antonio Callaway and more.

Look, the chances of both guys ending up in Cleveland are probably slim ... but, it's also unlikely Brown and Bell will both be in Pittsburgh next year.

Now, the question is ... where will they land?

Seems the ice has thawed between Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Donald Trump -- because Kraft just praised POTUS on live TV ... and thanked him for his support of the team in the Super Bowl.

Kraft appeared on "Fox & Friends" early Friday morning where was asked how he felt about Trump sending a congratulatory tweet to the Patriots following their big win in the AFC Championship game.

"We can use every fan who wants to support us from wherever they are in their standard of life," Kraft said.

When asked if he's spoken with Trump -- or gotten advice from the President -- Kraft continued to throw nice words Trump's way.

"I have a lot of people who give me advice and he's been very supportive and I know he's working very hard to serve the best interest of the country."

It's interesting considering the relationship between Kraft and Trump has been rocky over the past few years.

The two were VERY close for years but then clashed in April over Trump's handling of the Colin Kaepernick kneeling situation.

Remember, Trump called for NFL owners to fire any "son of a bitch" who doesn't stand for the anthem.

Kraft called Trump's statements "divisive" and "horrible."

But, it seems it's all water under the bridge now.

Makes us wonder if Trump is also repairing his relationship with Tom Brady -- who he was also very close with.

However, Gisele has become a very outspoken critic of Trump ever since he took office and Tom and Trump have seemingly had a falling out.

But now, with Trump publicly supporting Brady again ... it'll be interesting to see if Tom returns the love.

Colin Kaepernick is not only good enough to play in the NFL right now ... he's "ready to go" for a tryout ASAP -- so says his ex-49ers coach, Chip Kelly.

Kap played under Chip back in 2016 ... and actually began his anthem kneeling protests that season. The QB is now suing the NFL, claiming he's been blackballed by teams ever since.

Chip is now the head coach at UCLA -- and, when we got him out at Craig's on Thursday night ... he seemed to agree with Kap -- saying the guy is DEFINITELY still good enough to play in the league.

In fact ... Chip tells us he's under the impression Kap could try out for a team TODAY -- and still impress.

"I think he's ready to go."

Of course, the league's commissioner says otherwise ... Roger Goodell just told reporters he believes it's Kap's skill set -- not his politics -- that is keeping him from playing.

But Chip tells us, "anybody that wants a good quarterback" should sign him.

BTW ... Chip was out at the L.A. hot spot with high school football star Puka Nacua -- one of the top WRs in the country who's visiting from Utah.

The reason this is a big deal is because Puka had previously committed to USC ... yet, here he is at dinner with UCLA's top man just days before National Signing Day.

So, can Chip flip Puka from Troy to Westwood??? We talked to Puka about it ... and it seems he's got a lot of thinking to do before putting the pen to paper.

Saints sensation Alvin Kamara has ZERO interest in talking to NFL Commish Roger Goodell about how the team got JOBBED in the NFC Championship ... because it won't change a damn thing.

Earlier this week, Goodell held a press conference and said, "I’ve talked to Coach Payton. The team, the players, we understand the frustration they feel right now, and we certainly want to address that."

Some interpreted Goodell's statement to mean he talked directly with Saints players -- even though the league office eventually walked it back and acknowledged Goodell had NOT.

When we spoke with the Saints RB at the EA Sports Madden Bowl event in ATL on Thursday -- he confirmed there was NEVER a meeting with Goodell and the players ... but he has no desire to talk anyway.

"I'm not gonna talk to him," Kamara said ... "Somebody gonna talk to him. He needs to talk to somebody."

Does Kamara want an apology from Goodell for the terrible officiating that cost his team a shot at the Super Bowl? No.

"Apology's not gonna do nothing."

Kamara says he hopes SOME good can come out of the controversy -- he's just not sure what it is or could be.

In the running back battle of L.A., it's Melvin Gordon over Todd Gurley ... at least, according to Melvin Gordon.

The L.A. Chargers star is feelin' himself after a pretty solid 2018 season -- he only played in 12 games due to injury, but still managed to rack up 885 rushing yards and 10 rushing TDs.

Not bad!!!

Gordon's a cool guy -- and even when he was braggin' about himself, he still showed respect for Gurley, who's getting ready to play in the Super Bowl.

Billy McFarland and Fyre Fest got nothing on this guy ... allegedly.

A Georgia man has vanished after cops say he ripped off friends and family members to the tune of more than $750,000 in a Super Bowl LIII ticket scam.

At least a dozen say Ketan Shah promised them primo seats to see the Patriots take on the Rams, and got a ton of money up front for those tickets ... but never delivered before going MIA. Cops say one alleged victim forked over $20k, and another gave him $500k.

Perhaps worst of all is a $36,000 payment Shah allegedly took -- from his own mother!! He also took out a half-million dollar loan against the digital printing shop he owns in Gwinnett County.

All the victims say Shah promised them 100 level seats, plus access to a concierge lounge and Super Bowl pre-parties. They're all getting bupkis.

BTW, Mama Shah wasn't having it ... she's among the alleged victims who dimed out Shah to cops. WSB in Atlanta first reported the scam, and says Shah's wife reported him missing in early January, and hasn't seen him since.

Two huge K.C. Chiefs stars refuse to turn their backs on Kareem Hunt -- with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce saying they're supporting their ex-teammate as he gets help off the field.

Of course, the Chiefs cut Hunt back in November after he was captured on video attacking a woman at a Cleveland hotel. He's been getting treatment ever since and hopes to play in the NFL again.

So, when we saw Mahomes at the EA Sports Madden Bowl event in Atlanta, we asked if he's been keeping in touch with the running back.

"He's still a buddy," Mahomes tells TMZ Sports ... "I wish all the best to him."

"It's stuff that he has to handle off the field and hopefully he might get another chance on it."

When asked if he thinks a team will sign Hunt next season, Mahomes told us, "I know he works hard. I know he does a lot of things on field really well."

"As long as he keeps doing stuff off the field and getting back right, I'm sure he'll get another chance."

As for Kelce, the Chiefs tight end echoed his QB -- saying Hunt is "always gonna be a brother to me."

Kelce also says Hunt can count on him for support as he continues to seek treatment for his personal issues.

Hunt has apologized for his role in the February 2018 incident -- saying, "I deeply regret what I did. I hope to move on from this."

Devon Cajuste -- the ex-Cleveland Browns tight end who became a fan favorite on "Hard Knocks" -- is retiring from pro football to focus on his true passion ... healing, spirituality and crystals.

And, if you watched the show ... this really shouldn't come as too big of a surprise.

When he wasn't battling for a roster spot with his father cheering him on ... Devon spent his free time during Browns training camp working with crystals and learning about healing.

In fact, one of the most memorable scenes from the show was when Devon showed off his crystal collection and explained how different crystals emitted different kinds of energy.

The former Stanford player was ultimately cut by the Browns after prior stints with the 49ers and Packers -- and, after considering giving the NFL another shot in 2019 ... he's now decided to switch careers.

The 26-year-old says he was never really fulfilled by playing football -- but has found true joy through his experience with crystals.

"I am leaving as an example to follow your passion, stop chasing other peoples dreams, and trust to let go," Cajuste says ... "I discovered the ability to aid people in helping themselves."

Hey, gotta respect that.

NFL star Josh Norman says the Los Angeles Rams got LUCKY ... because, had his QB Alex Smith not suffered a GRUESOME injury, it'd be his Washington team in the Super Bowl and not Goff's guys.

The Redskins were in 1st place in the NFC East until Smith broke both his fibula and tibia in his right leg against the Texans in November.

Smith was replaced by Colt McCoy (who also got injured) ... followed by Mark Sanchez (who was terrible) ... followed by Josh Johnson (who was basically signed off the street).

When we ran into Norman in ATL on Wednesday, we wanted to know what would've happened if Smith wouldn't have cracked his leg open ... and Norman let loose.

"We win the Super Bowl."

BTW ... Norman is dead serious, and even after our guy asks him SEVERAL times, he doesn't relent, and actually doubles down on his championship claim, saying they could've gotten by the Rams AND Saints.

"Why not?"

Julian Edelman was SO impressed with the way a 7th-grader handled being bullied by her classmates ... he straight-up gave her 2 tickets to this weekend's Super Bowl!!!

Dejah Rondeau is a badass 13-year-old who just so happens to play quarterback for her New Hampshire school's football team.

Problem was ... some of her classmates had an issue with a girl being their signal-caller -- and her parents say she was bullied over it.

"Some people don’t want to accept a female quarterback. She’ll have to put in 110 percent when others are putting in 50," Dejah's mother told Seacoastonline.com.

But, Dejah overcame it all ... and managed to thrive for her team -- and that caught Edelman's eye.

The Patriots and their star WR invited her to the team's facility last week for being so brave in the face of adversity ... and gave her TWO tickets to see them play the Rams on Sunday!!!

"My respect level for you is just through the roof because you just ignored all the noise and you played the game we all love -- and that’s football," Edelman told the girl.

Dejah's reaction??

"That was crazy! I never knew -- I never thought that would ever happen. I was just really excited to go!"