NFL

Alex Smith just took a HUGE step toward returning to the NFL ... the Redskins QB had his gnarly leg brace removed for the first time since he snapped his shin 8 months ago.

Washington's signal-caller was hurt badly when J.J. Watt twisted his leg on Nov. 18 last season ... and he required multiple surgeries and a massive brace just to get the injury stabilized.

In fact, when Smith first showed off the contraption keeping his leg together -- some wondered if the guy would ever play football again.

But, Smith's wife said Monday that Alex had the brace removed ... and is now inching closer to making a return to the football field.

"The last 8 months have been nothing short of crazy," Elizabeth Smith said ... "Although it’s not over, today is a big milestone."

"We are shedding the weight Alex has been carrying (literally and figuratively). It’s one step closer to the goal. The resilience, determination and mental fortitude of this man is unmatched."

Ex-NFL punter Pat McAfee learned the hard way ... WRESTLING HURTS! 

McAfee was hosting his WWE Watch Along show for the 'Extreme Rules' pay-per-view -- when he invited WWE legend Matt Hardy to demonstrate a Kendo stick attack on his back. 

Hardy reached back and delivered an EPIC shot on Pat's back -- creating one of the most painful sounds we've ever heard -- and leaving one hell of a black and blue mark!!

The entire room erupted ... as Pat tried to cope with the pain. It's insane. 

What's interesting ... one of the stars in the room was Baron Corbin -- who was hit with a Kendo stick by Seth Rollins during their main event match later that evening! 

Bottom line ... it may be scripted, but it ain't fake. 

By the way, McAfee was a pretty solid punter in the NFL -- he was a 2-time Pro Bowler and was a 1st-team All-Pro in 2014. 

He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the 7th-round of the 2009 NFL Draft -- and played until 2016, when he retired (partially due to knee injuries). 

One the best defensive players in the NFL says Kyler Murray is going to KILL it in his rookie season ... 'cause Chandler Jones tells TMZ Sports the QB is "going to shock the world!"

"You'll see," Chandler says.

The Cardinals took the Heisman Trophy winner with the No. 1 overall pick last April ... but some in the NFL world have questions about his future because the guy is just 5'10", 207 pounds.

But, when we got Chandler out at L.A. Live on Wednesday ... he told us he's got NO doubts his new teammate is going to be just fine.

"Size don't matter," Chandler says. "I mean, look at Russell Wilson."

In fact, Chandler says he has no problems with Kyler having the goal of leading the Cards to the Super Bowl this season ... saying, "He's very mature."

"People talk about his speed and how fast he is -- it's not about his speed," Chandler adds ... "He throws accurate balls. He's going to shock the world! You'll see."

Baker Mayfield and his new bride, Emily Wilkinson, just shared their wedding photos ... and it looks about as epic as you might imagine.

The Browns quarterback threw up a bunch of his favorite shots from the ceremony last week -- which went down in Malibu and featured a bunch of his teammates, including OBJ -- writing a sweet caption that read, "The Mayfields... Last week was a real life dream. Unbelievable day surrounded by family and friends. Excited to start the next chapter of our journey together @ewilkinson, love you Em Lou."

Emily and Baker got engaged last summer after first being linked in January of 2018. They were spotted out in public at a couple Clippers games together, nearly back-to-back.

The couple is enjoying their honeymoon right now at an undisclosed location. Where it is ... it looks nice as hell. It also looks like BM is getting his work in ahead of the 2019-2020 season.

As for Emily, she described the wedding as a "DREAM COME TRUE," saying she was surrounded by her best friends and family as she married her soul mate. She went on to write, "Everything was perfect, and better than I ever dreamt it would be. Thank you for everyone who made the trek to watch me and Baker tie the knot... we love you all! ••• pics of Baker and I, and the dress are coming, I promise!"

Ezekiel Elliott is now at the center of a criminal probe after the security guard he pushed down changed his mind and pressed charges against the NFL superstar.

The guard, Kyle Johnson, recently filed a criminal complaint with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. It's unclear what exactly he's alleging, or if Zeke's been taken into custody yet ... but his camp is already pushing back against this latest development ... claiming extortion.

The running back's lawyers, Scott Rosenblum and Jason Lampert, issued a statement Saturday saying, "Over the course of the past several weeks, Mr. Elliott has been the target of extortion." They added, "Kyle Johnson’s filing of a criminal complaint against Mr. Elliott in connection with the Las Vegas incident is the latest attempt to do so. Mr. Elliott and it his team are in contact with all of the proper authorities and are fully cooperating with them in their investigations."

TMZ broke the story ... Zeke shoved the security guard down to the ground at EDC earlier this year after getting into an argument with a woman he was there partying with. He was handcuffed by police at the time, but was NOT arrested because Johnson didn't press charges.

Seems like he's had a change of heart now -- despite saying he'd let the whole thing go if he got a legit apology from the Cowboys star. He'd claimed that Zeke's initial apology was BS, saying it wasn't sincere and that eye-contact wasn't made.

TMZ Sports has obtained video showing Mark Rypien's wife desperately crawling on the ground in pain after she was struck by the former Super Bowl MVP in a domestic violence incident. 

The footage was shot June 30 around 5:45 PM in Spokane, Washington -- where cops were called to respond to an incident involving the 56-year-old NFL legend and his wife. 

Mark told cops at the scene that he had hit Danielle Rypien because she was covering his eyes while he was driving and he was scared. He told cops he "knocked the wind out of her."

You can see in the video Danielle is clearly in pain and struggling to breathe as she crawls on all fours from the vehicle to a nearby grass area ... where she eventually collapses. 

Medical personnel later responded and evaluated Danielle -- determining she did NOT need emergency medical attention so she was not transported to a hospital. 

Mark was arrested for assault/domestic violence and pled not guilty. He was released without bail and is due back in court later this month. 

Danielle issued a joint statement with Mark supporting him and insisting he did not commit a crime and she does not want him prosecuted. 

Danielle also stated that she believes Mark suffers from CTE brought on by the hits he took during his NFL career -- and suggests the brain injury is to blame for his violent outburst. 

We also obtained the 911 calls made by multiple witnesses -- who all describe the terrifying scene in detail.

Wanna live like a baller NFL owner?!? 

Well, now you can buy the massive Northern California estate the late Kansas City Chiefs honcho Lamar Hunt built ... if you've got $20 MILLION to blow!!! 

Hunt died back in 2006 -- but his widow, Norma, still owns the massive 6,615 square foot compound Lamar bought in Napa Valley back in 2000. 

The place is insane -- it sits on 40 acres of land complete with its own Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard ... a vineyard that's already won a ton of awards over the years. 

The house itself is just 3 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms ... but it boasts one of the coolest views of the valley we've ever seen! 

Oh yeah, and the wine cellar on the property is pretty rad too. 

Hunt's wife, Norma, held onto the estate for years after his passing ... and now she's ready to part ways with it, listing it for $19.95 million through Compass Realty in San Francisco.

The NFL has suspended Malik McDowell for 2 games in the wake of TMZ Sports posting footage showing the defensive lineman fighting a cop at a Michigan gas station. 

The 23-year-old is currently a free agent but had a meeting with the Dallas Cowboys during the offseason. If he signs with a team for the 2019 season or beyond, he'll miss his first 2 games. 

As we previously reported, the 6'6", 300-pound lineman was arrested back in February after he got violent with a police officer during a routine traffic stop. 

In surveillance footage obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see McDowell get physical with the cop ... even after the officer deploys his taser on the NFL player. 

Eventually, backup arrived ... and multiple officers were able to subdue McDowell. He's now facing multiple criminal charges including assault and battery. 

McDowell is also facing criminal charges for his alleged role in the theft of pickup truck -- though it's unclear if that situation was a factor in the NFL's punishment. 

McDowell was a 2nd-round pick for the Seattle Seahawks in the 2017 NFL Draft -- but he was released in 2018 ... and hasn't signed anywhere else. 

NY Jets TE Chris Herndon -- who had a breakout rookie campaign last year -- will be banned 4 games this season after he pled guilty in his DUI crash case, the NFL announced.

Herndon was lucky to be alive after cops say the 22-year-old smashed into another car on a New Jersey highway on June 2, 2018 after he was speeding at more than 100 mph.

TMZ Sports obtained footage from the aftermath of the crash ... and you can see Herndon's 2018 Nissan Armada nearly rolled over wrongside up.

To make matters worse, 23-year-old Herndon bombed field sobriety tests ... and he was arrested for DUI at the scene.

Chris fought the charge in court throughout the Jets' season last year ... but eventually cut a deal with prosecutors and pled guilty in the case.

Herndon was sentenced to complete 12 hours of an intoxicated driver education program. Plus, his driver's license was revoked for 90 days. He was also hit with $639 in fines and fees.

Now, the NFL has weighed in with their punishment, hitting the guy with a 4-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the initial ban was supposed to be 2 games ... but after a woman at the scene claimed the crash caused her bodily harm, the NFL upped it to 4.

Tyreek Hill is now in a full-blown custody war with his baby mama -- who's demanding sole custody of their days-old twins amidst allegations the NFL star physically abused their older son. 

For years, it seemed Hill and ex-fiancee Crystal Espinal had buried the hatchet and were working together following Hill's domestic violence conviction stemming from a 2014 incident with Espinal. 

But, things took a turn ... she had claimed Hill physically abused their 3-year-old son in disturbing audio tapes that surfaced earlier this year. Hill can also be heard making menacing statements to Espinal. 

Espinal gave birth to twins earlier this month -- but it's clear she has no intention to amicably co-parent with Hill. She's filed new court docs demanding sole custody with Hill only getting supervised visits. She also wants the K.C. Chiefs star to pay child support. 

She's also demanding a paternity test to prove Hill is the father. 

In the court docs, filed in Kansas, Espinal also notes she and Hill "are not married, never have been married, and do not intend to be married."

It's the latest chapter in a rocky relationship for the two ... back in 2015 Hill pled guilty to domestic violence after she alleged he roughed her up in 2014.

The couple has also been under investigation over allegations they were responsible for injuries their 3-year-old son suffered during the NFL season.

For his part, Hill denied all of the accusations in a newly released, 11-minute audio that was secretly recorded by Espinal sometime in the past year.

Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Kendrick Norton is speaking out from his hospital bed -- saying even though he lost his arm in a July 4 car crash, he feels grateful to be alive. 

"I'm alive," Norton told CBS4’s Peter D’Oench ... "If nothing else, I'm alive."

Norton's voice was shaking as he gave the interview -- his left arm severed around the elbow -- but somehow, he's found a way to stay positive. 

"I'm doing fine. I'm doing the best I can," Norton said from the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, with his grandparents and father by his side. 

22-year-old Norton -- a 7th-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft -- says the reality is sinking in that he'll never play football again, but he's trying to figure out another purpose in life. 

"It's not realistic that I'm going to play football anymore. We're working past that."

"We're going to be doing a blood drive," Norton said ... noting that he's looking for ways to help and inspire others going through a similar experience. 

Chandler Jones would BEAT THE HELL out of his famous UFC brother, Jon Jones ... so says the Arizona Cardinals DE himself, who tells TMZ Sports, "I'll beat Jon Bones' ass!!"

"Listen, he has the longest arms in the UFC," Chandler says ... "My arms are longer than his. That's my brother, I love him to death, but I'll kick his ass!"

The clip is hilarious ... but Chandler seems dead serious -- telling us his older brother would take the first real L of his career if the two really did square up.

And why? Chandler says it's all about his power.

"I would wrestle him. I'm more strong than he is," Chandler says ... "Listen, I'm not trying to brag, but I go against 300-pound men every day. Jon Bones is like, what, 235?"

Jon fights at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds ... while Chandler plays at 6-foot-5, 265 pounds. The tale of the tape is interesting ...

As for Jon's input on the matter, Chandler says even the UFC superstar knows he'd get wrecked in the bro-on-bro fight!!

"Easy work," Chandler says.

Todd Gurley was the life of the party at a swanky event in Beverly Hills this week ... sippin' on expensive booze and posing with even more expensive luxury cars!!

The L.A. Rams superstar was celebrating his cover of the Haute Living Los Angeles magazine at Mr. C on Monday ... and everybody in attendance was drinking Louis XIII cognac -- which runs around $3,000 a bottle!!

If that ain't enough ... the main centerpiece decoration of the party was a Rolls-Royce Phantom, which starts at around 450k!! Oh yeah, and Gurley also pulled up to the party in a different Rolls for good measure.

The 24-year-old was gifted a custom piece of artwork by artist Crime ... which featured cool details about TG's life on and off the field.

How's Christian McCaffrey training to repeat his record-breaking 2018 season??

By spinning like a bunch of clothes in the dryer ... with a laser pointer in his hand!!!

TMZ Sports has learned the Carolina Panthers superstar has been hitting up NeuraPerformance in Denver in order to get his brain right for his 3rd NFL season.

We're told the way the training works is Christian shows up for a 30-to-45-minute session ... and as part of the workout, he vigorously tosses around in a machine designed to help his mind.

Clinic director Shawn Caldwell tells us it's a $200,000 device -- one of only 15-20 IN THE WORLD -- and the goal is to hit targets with a laser while spinning in rounds of 60 seconds.

Caldwell says the machine trains the brain to process information faster ... and can also lead to improved balance.

McCaffrey has been using it for a while ... and he's gotten so good at it, we're told the RB views it as his "secret weapon."

Tough to argue with the results ... Christian's a beast on the field.

Plus, it hasn't seemed to hurt his off-the-field game, either ...

Antonio Brown's new teammate is already going to bat for the star wide receiver ... 'cause Tyrell Williams tells TMZ Sports AB is 100 percent NOT a locker room cancer!!

"He's awesome," the stud receiver says ... "We love him. We love him. It's been fun."

Of course, there are a few dudes in Pittsburgh who'd disagree ... Brown left the Steelers on bad terms a few months ago -- and everyone from JuJu Smith-Schuster to ex-teammate Ryan Clark blasted the guy.

But, it's so far, so good in Oakland ... so says Tyrell (who just signed with the Raiders this offseason himself), 'cause the WR tells us he's actually learning some tricks from Brown.

We also asked Williams if he thinks Derek Carr and Brown can be a better duo than Big Ben and AB were ... and Tyrell said, "Sky is the limit. You never know what's going to happen."

The New England Patriots stay winning ... even at the poker table -- 'cause former Pats superstar Richard Seymour is KILLIN' it in this year's World Series Of Poker's Main Event!!!

The 6-foot-6, 317-pound former defensive end is one of the tourney's chip leaders (Wednesday is Day 5) -- and as of this posting, he's in the top 35!

If you're unfamiliar, the WSOP Main Event is poker's Super Bowl ... thousands of people flock to Vegas every year and drop down $10,000 on the buy-in to try to win poker's biggest 'ship.

This year's field included a staggering 8,569 people ... but in the past few days, it's been widdled down to just 291 remaining participants.

Seymour -- who won 3 Super Bowls during his playing days with the Patriots -- currently ranks No. 31 in chip count with over 3 MILLION chips.

There are a few days left to go before the final table ... but if we've learned anything about Seymour during his Pats career -- he knows how to win in the end!!