NFL

AWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!

Here's the most adorable thing you'll see all day ... the Cleveland Browns helped 82 puppies find new homes this summer -- and the pics of some of the little guys are the cutest things ever!!!

The Browns partnered with the Northeast Ohio SPCA once again this summer to create the "Browns Puppy Pound" -- a place where fans can see and adopt dogs during training camp practices -- and so far, it's been a huge success.

The team says it's helped nearly 100 pups from all over the area get adopted ... and says fans still have 5 more practices left to get a dog of their own from the program.

Overall, the Browns say the partnership with the SPCA has been a resounding success since 2015 ... saying with the 82 adoptions this year, they've now helped 442 total dogs find new homes!!!

In fact, the team says Sugardale -- the sponsor of the team's puppy pound -- is presenting a $5,000 donation to the Northeast Ohio SPCA to celebrate the occasion on Saturday!!

Rick Ross is siding with Kenny Stills in his beef with the Miami Dolphins owner ... telling TMZ Sports he feels Stephen Ross doesn't do enough for the black community.

The NFL receiver publicly criticized his boss earlier this week ... calling Ross a hypocrite for running a charity championing "equality" while being one of President Trump's biggest financial supporters.

We spoke with the Miami legend and Dolphins superfan and asked what he thought about the beef  ... and Rozay didn't hold back.

"I never cared about Stephen Ross," the "Port of Miami 2" rapper says. "It's been rough for me and the Dolphins for years."

Rick says he sees through any talks of equality ... claiming the billionaire doesn't try to build a relationship with the local African-American youth.

"Stephen Ross, he ain't surprising nobody. No black young kids in the community ever got invited to their football games."

Of course, there's also a huge public boycott against the fancy gym chain, Equinox -- which Stephen owns -- after people found out he was hosting a big fundraiser for Trump's 2020 campaign.

The Bawse -- who once told us he wanted to buy the Fins -- says he's still gonna support his hometown team ... but makes it clear he wants nothing to do with the people running it.

Antonio Brown's Raiders career might be over before it even starts ... ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting the wide receiver is threatening to quit football because of helmet issues!!!

The newest Oakland superstar has worn the same brand of helmet throughout his Hall of Fame-worthy career ... but the NFL announced this year it's banning players from using it.

According to NFL Network's Michael Silver ... Brown tried to skirt the league ban by painting his old helmet, hoping team officials wouldn't notice.

Spoiler alert: They noticed.

Now, Schefter is reporting Brown is SO upset over not being able to use his favorite headgear -- he's threatening to RETIRE if he doesn't get his way!!

Of course, Antonio has been nothing but drama since being traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Raiders this offseason. He's been sued for not paying a trainer, and he's also dealt with foot injuries caused by a freakish cryotherapy mishap.

But, this latest helmet problem seems to have topped everything ... because one anonymous coach told Silver, this is "honestly the most insane thing I have ever heard."

Brown has missed almost every one of the Raiders' training camp practices this summer ... and it's reportedly unknown when -- if ever -- he'll rejoin the team at camp.

President Trump claims he's cool with Colin Kaepernick getting back into the NFL, but adds it'll never happen because his nemesis doesn't have the right stuff to make it in the league.

The Prez was outside the White House Friday morning when a reporter asked if Kap should get an opportunity to play again. Trump's response initially seemed like a shocking endorsement ... until he bragged about knowing all the NFL owners, and said they're not signing Kaepernick because he sucks. We're paraphrasing, but watch the video.

Trump also addressed the concern millions of parents have right now -- students are about to go back to school on the heels of last weekend's mass shootings. He had one response, but said 2 different things.

POTUS said students have "nothing to fear," and should focus on their studies. Then, he decided to praise his administration and shade Barack Obama over the safety of the nation's schools.

Moments after saying students shouldn't be afraid, he added ... "That doesn't mean there's not going to be some crazy person."

Baker Mayfield is teeing off on the Big 12 Conference for penalizing players who mock Texas' famous "Hook 'em Horns" hand gesture ... saying the world is getting way too sensitive.

Conference honchos announced last month that any player who directs a "Horns Down" gesture towards Texas' team or student section will be hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Baker -- who was a big advocate of the hand sign during his time at Oklahoma -- thinks it's a bunch of BS ... sounding off on the decision on Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" on Friday.

"I think it's very soft they're implementing a rule about it," Mayfield says. "It shows the sensitivity of today's day and age."

Of course, the QB isn't shy to let his emotions fly on the field -- from crotch-grabbing to flag planting -- so it's no surprise he's pissed.

"I know for a fact before Jerry Jones leaves time and go to eternity, he wants to drink the sweet nectar of a championship again. And, that nectar he will not partake in without Ezekiel Elliott!"

Michael Irvin ain't a poet ... but he could be -- because that's how he described the Dallas Cowboys' tenuous situation with their running back ... and it's hilarious!!

We got The Playmaker leaving Catch in L.A. and had to ask about his former team's drama with Zeke ... and he told us clear as day there will be no Super Bowls in Dallas without the RB.

But, Irvin got ultra creative with his answer ... and it's seriously the best video you'll see all day.

"You may win games. You may sell tickets. And, you may make some money. But that nectar, you will not drink without Ezekiel Elliott!!"

Irvin tells us he understands why Zeke's holding out ... saying players don't have leverage in contract negotiations often, and he wants the running back to milk it for all it's worth.

"NFL has told all running backs over and over again, 'We will squeeze you, we will use you, and we will discard you.' So, now, he's saying, let me get mine while I'm riding the wave hot."

Kenny Stills says people have threatened to murder him after he criticized Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross for supporting Trump ... but the WR says he ain't backing down.

The 27-year-old blasted Ross -- his boss -- on Twitter earlier this week ... calling the guy a hypocrite for running a charity championing "equality" while simultaneously supporting Trump.

"You can’t have a non profit with this mission statement then open your doors to Trump,” Stills wrote.

The tweet was met with plenty of backlash ... and Stills says at least five to ten people threatened to take his life for the criticism.

But, Stills doubled down on his feelings on Ross after the Dolphins beat the Falcons in their preseason opener Thursday night nonetheless ... further explaining why he feels the need to call out the owner.

"Our country's in a rough place right now and I think we could be doing more," Stills told reporters at his locker.

"I think there’s other candidates that he could support. It’s not about Democrat or Republican or any of those things. It’s literally about why. Why are you trying to help this man raise money to continue to do things that he’s been doing?"

For his part, Ross released a statement this week defending himself, saying, "I have known Donald Trump for 40 years, and while we agree on some issues, we strongly disagree on many others and I have never been bashful about expressing my opinions."

Stills says he has yet to speak with the owner about the whole ordeal ... but says when the two do sit and chat, his message will be the same as the one he posted on Twitter.

Chris Johnson is sending a stern warning to Jerry Jones ... if ya let Ezekiel Elliott's contract holdout continue -- it could lead to the running back's career-worst year!!!

Of course, CJ2K would know that best ... the legendary RB says when he held out for all of training camp before the 2011 season -- it contributed to him having the worst season of his Titans career.

"You can train all you want to train, but until you're actually out there playing football and doing all those stuff and instant moves and stuff, you'll never be in football shape until you do it."

Johnson -- who waited until Sept. 1, 2011 to end his contract standoff with Tennessee brass -- says it took him 6 GAMES before he finally felt in football shape because of the layoff.

Chris still managed to get over 1,000 yards on the season, but barely ... logging just 1,047 and only 4 TDs.

CJ2K's advice to Jerry to make sure Zeke doesn't suffer the same fate in Dallas?

"If you're the Cowboys, you need to get him in right now."

Johnson also tells us he's a HUGE fan of Zeke's ... and says he wants the RB to continue the holdout until Jerry and the 'Boys pay him what he deserves nonetheless.

By the way, even though Johnson had a down season after his holdout ... it worked out pretty well for him financially -- he got the Titans to pay him $53.5 MILLION over 4 years!!!

Seems like Jerry's gonna have to AT LEAST hit that number for Zeke's new deal ... and it's obvious Chris thinks Jerry better get it done ASAP!!!

Can you hear me now?!?!

Dan Patrick couldn't when it came to NFL guru Peter King during an interview Thursday ... 'cause cops straight-up pulled the legendary football reporter over mid-sentence!!!

It all went down on the 'Dan Patrick Show' ... when DP was doing a phoner with King, discussing some of the hottest topics in the NFL.

But, things got super awkward after the two had a talk over Ezekiel Elliott ... 'cause King says cops were behind him -- and telling him to get off the phone!!!

Which begs the question ... where's the Bluetooth headset, bro?!

"Hey, Dan. Dan. Guess what? This is hilarious," King said live on air. "I got stopped for talking on a cell phone because I'm talking to you. So, now I have to hang up, the cop's coming to the car!"

King had to deal with the police for several minutes before rejoining Dan on the show ... and, of course, Dan's first question was, did ya get off without a ticket??

"Of course, I got a ticket," King said, laughing. "I said to the cop, 'I'm on with Dan Patrick.' And, he said, 'Here's your ticket, yeah.' That was fun."

Bad news, Raiders fans ... Justin Gatlin says he suffered a similar cryotherapy injury as star receiver Antonio Brown -- and the U.S. sprinter says it took him MONTHS to get healthy.

The superstar Olympian famously got frostbite on both his feet and ankles after a mishap in the cryogenic chamber back in 2011 -- and the guy says the injury hurt like hell.

In fact, when Gatlin joined "TMZ Sports" (weeknights on FS1) on Wednesday, he said of the frostbite, "It was a disaster. I had, like, boils and blisters all over my ankles."

Gatlin says the injuries were similar to the ones Brown posted on social media a couple weeks ago ... and says he thinks it could be a while before AB is healthy again.

"He's not going to be able to run those routes properly without healing his feet totally."

Gatlin says the recovery process for the injury was brutal, telling the guys, "Every day I had to get those blisters popped by hand by a therapist ... It just got really, really bad."

Good news for Brown ... Gatlin says AB should still be able to resume cryotherapy treatments once he's all healed up by using a more localized form of the cold stuff.

As for AB, the Raiders have been mum on a timeline for the stud wideout ... only calling him day-to-day.

Gatlin says he's friendly with Brown and would be more than willing to offer the WR advice on how to treat the injury.

FYI, Gatlin is 37 years old and still one of the TOP sprinters in the world ... so, AB might wanna give him a buzz.

Kendrick Norton -- bionic man!??!

The former NFL lineman -- who lost half of his left arm in a July car crash -- says doctors told him he's a prime candidate for a state-of-the art prosthetic limb ... one he can control with HIS MIND!

"I had a good case where they preserved a lot of my nerves from my arm, so I'll be able to get a prosthetic I'll be able to control with my mind."

SERIOUSLY!!!

The 22-year-old joined the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (weeknights on FS1) -- and told us how he's adjusting to life after losing his arm from the elbow down.

The good news ... technology in the prosthetic limb industry is CRAZY GOOD right now and Norton says he's a top candidate for a bionic limb that will allow him to control robotic fingers as easily as he controlled his old ones.

We did some research and the science is fascinating -- there are limbs that harness signals transmitted from the brain and essentially tell a robotic hand how to function. It's amazing.

Norton still has some healing to do before he gets fitted ... but he's learning all about his options in the meantime.

"In the medical field, there's a lot of new technology out here I'm just now finding out about."

As for his future, we asked Norton if he's considering finding a new sport where he can compete with one hand ... and while he hasn't ruled it out, it's just not his priority at the moment.

Instead, Norton says he's focusing on starting a non-profit charity and wants to use his platform to inspire kids who are living without limbs.

Pete Carroll might have to find a new LB less than a quarter of the way into the Seahawks' season ... TMZ Sports has learned Mychal Kendricks' insider trading sentencing has been set for Sept. 25.

The 28-year-old confessed and pled guilty to insider trading back in September 2018 ... and he was slated to be punished for the crime last April.

But, the Seahawks stud had his hearing postponed for unknown reasons ... and according to new court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, that date has finally been set for Week 4 of the NFL season.

The 'Hawks are scheduled to play the Arizona Cardinals that week ... but there's a chance Kendricks might not be with the team -- and instead, be behind bars.

Mychal is facing up to 25 YEARS in prison for the offense.

As we previously reported, Kendricks pled guilty to an insider trading scheme where he allegedly made more than $1.2 MILLION by plying a Goldman Sachs analyst with perks like cash and NFL tickets in exchange for private information.

Mychal was cut by the Cleveland Browns shortly after his guilty plea, but he was later picked up by Seattle -- where he served an 8-game suspension from the NFL for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey had the most millennial way of messing with opponents back at Florida State ... he'd make WRs think he was trying to bang their GFs.

"Say I was playing a big receiver at whatever school, I would look up his Instagram and slide in his girlfriend's DMs before the game," Ramsey said on the Bussin' with the Boys podcast with Titans lineman Taylor Lewan and NFLer Will Compton.

And, would it work? Hell yeah it did -- "People get hot about that."

Ramsey -- who played at FSU from 2013 to 2015 -- didn't name any of the WRs he messed with ... but he lined up against future NFL players like Mike Williams and Hunter Renfrow. 

So, did the attempted home-wrecking continue when he got to the League? Ramsey addressed that too.

"I'll say when I got to the league, though, I stopped that 'cause now people got wives and stuff. Somebody get shot over talking about somebody's wives."

Colin Kaepernick is still busting his ass to get back in the NFL ... the ex-49ers superstar just posted a workout video -- and it's INTENSE.

The video shows Kap getting after it in the weight room -- there's push-ups, bench presses, rows, tricep pull-downs and dips ... the guy is CLEARLY still in fantastic shape.

And, with the NFL season starting ... it's obvious Kaepernick wants people to know that despite a settlement in his collusion case with the NFL -- he's still working to make a roster.

In fact, the video starts with the number 889 -- the amount of days Kaepernick says he has been "denied" a job in the league.

Of course, the 31-year-old last played in the NFL in 2016 when he was San Francisco's quarterback ... but he claims controversial kneeling protests during the national anthem forced him to be blackballed from the league.

By the way, Houston Texans backup quarterback AJ McCarron suffered a thumb injury this week and the team is reportedly looking to sign a quarterback for camp ASAP.

Clearly, Kap is hoping to get the call.

Kendrick Norton -- the NFL player who lost most of his left arm in a horrific car crash -- wants to SHOW what life is like as an amputee ... and he's keeping it all the way real in an inspiring new video.

As we previously reported, Norton (a 7th-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft) was battling for a roster spot with the Miami Dolphins when he crashed his truck on July 4 with his girlfriend, Kira, in the vehicle.

Now, more than a month after the accident, the 22-year-old is showing his daily cleaning regimen -- and talking extremely candidly about how his life has changed.

The funniest part of the video (yes, he mixes in humor) is that he's nicknamed his left arm, "Little Kenny" ... and considers it a "mini-arm" instead of a total loss.

Kendrick says he refuses to cry about the accident and the subsequent loss of his NFL career -- explaining, "Ain't no point in crying every day and being sad and stuff. Still got stuff to be done."

The good news ... Kendrick says his other injuries (mostly road rash wounds) are healing nicely and doesn't seem to be in pain.

His girlfriend, Kira, says she suffered internal bleeding from the crash -- but insists she's doing well now.

Kendrick says some of his daily tasks take longer to perform due to his amputated arm -- and admits it's frustrating -- but his attitude is remarkably positive.

"Don't worry about me too much," Kendrick says ... noting he's going to be okay and he's not suicidal.

He even gave a message to some of his fellow amputees who are looking up to him as a role model ...

The perfect complement to Ty Law's Hall of Fame gold jacket -- custom Air Jordans -- featured 12,000 crystals ... and TMZ Sports has learned the insane kicks took 40 HOURS to customize!!!

The New England Patriots legend hit up Leah Miller at Bella Artistry to make sure his footwear was right for the biggest day of his post-football life ... and the results were incredible.

The shoes feature 12,000 black, gold and New England Patriot-colored Swarovski crystals ... and we're told they were all HAND-PLACED one by one.

The kicks -- which took nearly two FULL days to complete -- have Law's famous No. 24 on them ... as well as the No. 323 to represent his spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The shoes also have the letters "H.O.F." on the back with the Patriots logo on the front ... and Law clearly loved them, wearing them during his induction speech.

In fact, 45-year-old Law thought so highly of them, he placed them on his grandparents' graves just 2 days after the ceremony, saying, "The journey is now complete!!"