NFL

8:10 AM PT -- Brown's rant wasn't all talk ... he just met with team owner Art Rooney II and says they both agreed it's time to part ways.

"Had a great meeting with Mr.Rooney today we discussed a lot of things and we cleared the air on several issues!

"We both agreed that it is time to move on but I'll always have appreciation and gratitude towards the Rooney family and @steelers organization!"

"If your team got guaranteed money ... tell 'em call me" -- Antonio Brown (from his elliptical machine Monday night).

"I ain't got time to waste," AB added ... "I got FIVE KIDS. Ya heard!?"

It was all part of a 9 MINUTE rant on Instagram, which featured Brown working out like a maniac, sweating his face off ... and trying to convince NFL teams to sign his ass.

"This is not a game people. This is not for show. This is not to be cool. This is really to inspire you that no one can determine your destination but you."

"I'm bringing high heat, coach! I'm gonna be relentless this year. If your team got guaranteed money, they wanna get to know me and work with me? Tell 'em call me!"

By the way ... Brown is already in the middle of a huge, 4-year, $68 million contract with $19 million guaranteed. Unclear exactly what he's looking for in a new deal.

As we previously reported, Brown has been talking with Jerry Rice and REALLY wants to end up in San Francisco next season.

But, as NFL.com pointed out ... since Brown is still technically under contract with the Steelers, any team that contacts him directly right now would be "tampering."

Brown doesn't seem to care about that -- he wants a new deal. And, a new nickname, saying he's over being called "A.B." and wants to switch to something sassier... "Mr. Big Chest."

Kevin O'Leary does NOT agree with Colin Kaepernick's kneeling -- but he DOES respect a good financial haul ... which is why he's praising CK for settling with the NFL.

"I think the outcome was good for him," the "Shark Tank" star told us on his way out of Craig's.

"He was not the best QB in NFL history, but he monetized the situation in a good way. And, I appreciate that as an entrepreneur."

The terms of Colin's settlement are confidential -- but some NFL reporters are saying CK walked away with close to $100 MILLION for agreeing to end his collusion case.

Kevin says Colin has turned himself into a brand -- which is REALLY hard for pro athletes to do.

But, when it comes to Colin's chances of making an NFL roster, Mr. Wonderful says there's "not a chance in hell" he ever makes it back to the league.

"He will never play in the NFL ever. Not in this lifetime and not in 10 lifetimes."

As for Colin, he has yet to speak about the settlement -- but took a photo with his legal team the day after his announcement ... and judging by the smile on his face, he sure seems like a guy who thinks he won.

A former NFL player -- who was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks -- was shot to death Sunday morning ... and cops say it was all over an argument over a parking spot.

46-year-old T.J. Cunningham was a wide receiver and defensive back at the University of Colorado back in the early '90s -- and was selected in the 6th round of the 1996 NFL Draft.

But, cops say he was killed near Eaglecrest High School in Colorado after fighting with a neighbor over a parking spot.

Officials say Cunningham and 31-year-old Marcus Johnson -- who lives across the street from Cunningham -- agreed to meet near the high school to settle the beef, but Johnson brought a gun. Cops say Cunningham did NOT have a firearm.

Ultimately, cops say Cunningham was shot multiple times and died from his wounds. Johnson has been arrested on suspicion of first-degree attempted murder. Cops say they also found the gun.

Cunningham is survived by his wife and 5 children. A GoFundMe page has already been set up to help out his family.

It's a miracle Demaryius Thomas wasn't killed in his car crash Saturday morning -- with a key witness telling TMZ Sports he watched DT's car flip 3 times ... and was SHOCKED when he saw the NFL star get out of the vehicle mostly unharmed.

We spoke with Michael Tafoya who happened to be driving in the Denver area around 12:20 AM when he saw the vehicle lose control, hit a curb and launch 20 feet into the air. The car then rolled 3 times before finally landing in a grassy median.

Tafoya -- who's a registered nurse -- says he ran over to the crash scene to help out and tried to get the door open to help the passengers, but it was stuck.

Cops arrived to the scene a short time later and took over -- managing to free Thomas and both of his passengers. Tafoya says officials used the Jaws of Life to help free Thomas from the car.

The ex-Broncos star and the 2 passengers are expected to be fine, according to officials -- but Tafoya tells us Thomas had a "hellacious knot" on his head.

Michael tells us the whole thing looked like a scene out of an action movie ... adding, "I thought those people were dead."

Thomas played for the Broncos for nine seasons before being traded mid-way through this past year to the Texans. He's now a free agent after Houston released him last week.

Cops say the cause of the crash is under investigation.

Would you pay more than $2,000 for Julian Edelman's discarded beard shavings?!?

That's the going rate for the NFL star's recently shorn facial follicles -- which Ellen DeGeneres famously shaved off earlier this month after the Patriots won the Super Bowl.

Ellen collected the trimmings off the floor of her show and donated them to CharityBuzz -- which is now hosting an online auction with the proceeds benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.

The opening bid was $1,000 ... but that was quickly surpassed and as of the time of this post, the leading bidder has offered up $2,100!!!!!

Think it's gross to buy someone's used beard?? Maybe ... but Edelman's face fuzz was a piece of Patriots history.

The WR rocked the scruff during his Super Bowl MVP performance in New England's SIXTH Lombardi Trophy-winning game.

Besides the cash raised from the auction, both Julian and Ellen donated $10,000 each to the Boys & Girls Clubs ... so, props to them!!!

The bigger issue ... what does the winning bidder do with the beard? Display them? Throw them away? Clone Edelman?

Baker Mayfield says he hasn't linked up with his newest star running back ... telling TMZ Sports he's yet to talk to Kareem Hunt since joining the Browns.

The star QB -- along with his fiancee, Emily Wilkinson -- was at LAX over the weekend and we asked if he's had a chance to connect with Hunt after the team signed him last Monday.

Of course ... it's been a busy week for Bake -- he had a romantic Valentine's dinner with Emily ... and just got back from a trip to Denver with his Oklahoma teammates.

As for Bake's teammates, we spoke with David Njoku about the new addition ... and he says he's excited to welcome Hunt aboard. So, we're assuming the guy won't be getting the cold shoulder.

How's Sean McVay getting over the Rams' devastating Super Bowl loss to the Patriots??

You're looking at it ... and we gotta say -- it's getting tough to feel bad for the L.A. head coach now.

McVay and his smokin' hot GF, Veronika Khomyn, hit up what appears to be Hawaii (for the second offseason in a row) ... and seems she's helpin' him get through his dark times.

There's a tiny bikini ... a pool ... the Pacific Ocean ... and shining sun.

Yeah, what Super Bowl L?????

The two have been mostly hangin' poolside in paradise ... but don't worry, Rams fans -- Veronika said last week she was havin' a hard time getting McVay to stop studying plays on his iPad!!!

The trip to the islands seems to be an annual thing for these guys ... last year, they were in Maui to get over McVay's first-ever playoff loss with the Rams.

If ya need a reminder of how Veronika helped back then ... you're welcome.

4:02 PM PT -- A rep for Josie Harris tells us she's also not connected with the project.

10:31 AM PT -- Delicia Cordon also denies involvement with the show. Still, our production sources tell us producers still plan on moving forward with the project.

7:30 AM PT -- Evelyn Lozada's camp tells us she was contacted by producers and had discussions about joining the show, but ultimately turned down their offer to appear in the program.

The woman accusing LeSean McCoy of masterminding a violent robbery at her Georgia home is now trying to take her story to TV ... and she's not alone.

TMZ Sports has learned Delicia Cordon -- along with Evelyn Lozada, Josie Harris and Micaela Sanchez -- are all working on a TV project about surviving abuse.

Cordon is currently suing the NFL running back -- claiming he orchestrated the July 2018 incident when someone broke into her home and pistol-whipped her while stealing valuables. McCoy has denied all wrongdoing.

Evelyn Lozada married NFL star Chad Ochocinco in July 2012 -- but filed for divorce 6 weeks later when he headbutted her during an argument.

Josie Harris was attacked by her baby daddy Floyd Mayweather in 2010. Floyd was convicted and spent 2 months in jail for domestic violence.

Micaela Sanchez has a child with Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith. They're locked in a legal battle because she claims he's been violent towards her. He's adamantly denied her allegations.

We're told the series was partially inspired by "Surviving R. Kelly" -- and producers are still looking for other women to join the project. Sources tell us producers are currently speaking with TV networks and other digital media outlets in hopes of making a deal.

Colin Kaepernick is far from a sellout by settling with the NFL -- because he shed an important spotlight along the way that won't soon be forgotten ... so says Common.

We got the rapper leaving WeHo Sunday, where we asked what he thought of the ex-QB recently coming to terms with the NFL out of court. Common's got nothing but good things to say about Kap here and gives a good reason why he hasn't compromised his principles.

According to Common ... Kaepernick exposed the NFL and its owners through his collusion case and thoroughly highlighted what Common considers exploitative practices over their black players. He says nothing can take away from the work CK's done on that front.

When our photog asks point blank if his settlement -- which is rumored to be in the $100 million range -- makes him a sellout, Common shoots that notion down hard.

Ex-NFL star Larry Johnson is sick of watching young players like Kareem Hunt make the same STUPID mistakes he made as a player ... and wishes they'd "get their heads out of their asses" and reach out for help.

"I hope these guys will start realizing that there's nothing you've done that other players haven't done already," the former K.C. Chiefs running back told us.

Of course, Johnson was a STUD in his prime -- but, his NFL career was marred by off-the-field issues ... including violent incidents with a woman.

But, Larry says he's a changed man now -- he's learned the hard way -- and wants to make sure other talented players don't throw away their careers because they're too dumb to learn from his mistakes.

"Hopefully young guys will start reaching out to older players who have been in these situations before they get themselves in these situations," Johnson said.

"I wish these young players will get their heads out of their ass and really use the veterans to help them stay away from these issues."

Demaryius Thomas -- who was just cut days ago by the Houston Texans following his Achilles injury -- has been hospitalized with minor injuries after a single-car crash in which he was the driver.

According to the Denver PD ... the NFL wide receiver lost control of the vehicle in the downtown area a little after midnight, causing it to roll and come to a stop in the grassy median.

Cops say, 2 men, including Thomas, and a woman were found inside the vehicle and all 3 were transported to the hospital. Demaryius was ID'd as the driver.

Thomas and the other guy suffered minor injuries and are expected to be treated and released, but the woman's injuries are possibly more serious. They do not appear to be life-threatening, though.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

The settlement is confidential, but Colin Kaepernick sure looks happy the day after striking a deal with the NFL.

Colin posed with his legal team -- led by Mark Geragos and Ben Meiselas -- early Saturday morning with a big ol' smile on his face.

There are reports the settlement could be close to $100 million, but so far nobody is saying anything.

As we previously reported ... Colin agreed to end his suit against the NFL, in which he accused team owners and league officials of colluding to keep him off of an NFL roster because of his kneeling demonstration.

Colin filed the suit back in 2017 and deposed some of the most famous and important people in the NFL -- including Jerry Jones and Roger Goodell -- but now that CK has agreed to drop it, the public will likely never know what they said in those depos.

Kap has come under fire from critics like ex-NFL star Larry Johnson who says he is a "sellout" -- because they believed his case against the NFL was more about exposing racism than reaching a fat settlement.

Eli Manning deserves to be immortalized in bronze at his alma mater ... so says Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker, who tells TMZ Sports the former-Ole Miss QB needs a campus statue!!!

Of course, Eli's big bro, Peyton, already has a monument built for him in Indianapolis ... and the Mannings as a fam have been recognized in a few different ways already at Ole Miss.

But, Wicker says Eli -- who's a legend with BOTH the Rebels and the NY Giants -- "absolutely" should have his own statue at the school.

"Eli Manning is a great athlete. Two Super Bowl rings. A good family man. A good humanitarian. And, he volunteers his time."

Think Wicker's just playing to his constituents?? Think again ... the senator actually attended Ole Miss with Archie himself!!!

Elvis Dumervil says he belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame ... telling TMZ Sports, "I'm able to compete with anyone in my era of rushing the passer."

The ex-Broncos and Ravens star is widely considered by NFL pundits as a fringe HOFer after playing 11 seasons ... but, he says his resume is good enough in his mind to get in.

"Do I feel like I belong? Of course I feel like I belong."

Dumervil might have a point ... dude was a 5-time Pro Bowler and 2-time All-Pro -- AND he finished with 105.5 career sacks.

In fact, of the 25 players ahead of him on the all-time sack list that are currently eligible for the Hall of Fame -- only 7 are still waiting on the call.

But, Elvis says you shouldn't even compare him to those guys ... he's telling us it's his own draft class -- one that featured Mario Williams -- that he should be up against.

BTW, while Dumervil waits to become HOF eligible -- he's building up a pretty successful real estate business in Miami ... telling us, he's the owner of over 600 multi-family units!!!

Darius Leonard's mom better start prepping for the surprise now ... the Colts superstar says his gift giving won't stop with a Mercedes -- he's gunning to get her a new house too!!!

"That's the goal," the LB tells TMZ Sports ... "That's the ultimate goal."

ICYMI ... Leonard surprised his mom with a new set of wheels just a couple days ago -- and she went CRAZY after seeing the present ... doing full-sprint laps in the parking lot!!

The video was epic ... and Leonard says she reacted that way 'cause, "It's something that she's always wanted. She's always wanted a Mercedes-Benz."

In fact, Leonard tells us she's been driving it around town at dangerously slow speeds 'cause she doesn't want to get even a scratch on her new baby!!!

But, Darius says there's more in store for Momma ... he's telling us he's got plans to get her a new house next.

As for why ... Leonard obviously LOVES her -- but, he says she's a big reason he's such an athletic freak.

And, if his play on the gridiron this year didn't prove those genes ... he explained to us why he might've been in the NBA if his football career didn't get in the way!!!

Jaylon Ferguson -- the projected 1st-round pick who was disinvited and then reinvited to the NFL Combine -- ain't sweating the drama one bit ... telling TMZ Sports, it's only gonna HELP his draft stock.

Here's the backstory ... the 23-year-old Louisiana Tech pass rusher was reportedly arrested for fighting at a McDonald's during his freshman year. He was later convicted of simple battery.

Per NFL rules ... if a player is found guilty of a misdemeanor or a felony involving violence -- their Combine invite will be pulled.

Since Ferguson went on to become the NCAA's all-time career sack leader (with 45) -- NFL teams are VERY interested in him. Which makes the Combine drama even more interesting.

Ferguson's story has blown up on social media -- where people are arguing Ferguson deserves an opportunity to attend the Combine if only to explain his side of the story to GMs ... and on Friday, the NFL caved.

Jaylon still won't be able to work out at the annual event ... but, he's at least now able to go and interview with teams -- and he says he's JACKED for the opportunity.

But, Ferguson also says this whole drama is only going to HELP him get picked higher in April's NFL draft.

"Now that I got my name out there more, more people know me. More people heard of me."

As for the fighting incident ... Jaylon says it's a non-issue, telling us, "I'm not even the same person."