NFL

Call this the Giants' 13th loss this season ... the Carolina Panthers just hired Big Blue's reported top candidate, Matt Rhule, to be their next head coach.

Rhule -- Baylor's head man since 2016 -- had been rumored to be the Giants' top choice since they canned Pat Shurmur last week.

It made sense ... the 44-year-old was born in NYC, and was previously an assistant O-line coach for the Giants in 2012 and was seen as a guy who could make an offense with Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley hum.

In fact, the G-men and all of their top brass were reportedly set to have a massive meeting with the guy Tuesday.

But, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, Panthers owner David Tepper spent the entire day with Rhule in Waco, Texas on Monday and clearly made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

It's a bummer for the Giants, whose candidate list is slowly shrinking after Ron Rivera (Redskins), Mike McCarthy (Cowboys) and Rhule all went elsewhere.

NY is still in the mix for NFL assistant coaches like Chiefs' Eric Bieniemy, Patriots' Josh McDaniels and Ravens' Don Martindale. The team could also take a look at fired Cowboys coach Jason Garrett.

As for the Panthers ... it seems they're more than happy with their new hire -- Rhule famously turned Baylor from a 1-11 team in 2017 to 11-3 in 2019.

Logan Paul has called out Antonio Brown -- TO FIGHT IN A BOXING MATCH -- and the craziest part?! Antonio Brown says he's down!

Paul -- whose rematch against KSI was one of the most-watched events on DAZN in 2019 -- had appeared on Barstool's KFC Radio in December and initially called out AB.

"Antonio Brown, I wanna f**k you up," Paul said at the time.

LP essentially explained that AB is out of a job and loves the spotlight -- and it could actually be a huge event.

Well, Brown is down ... tweeting at Paul late Monday night, "Square up!"

Paul fired back, "I’d drop you faster than the patriots."

Things have escalated to the point where a betting site has released betting odds on the possible matchup ... with Logan being the overwhelming favorite. AB could barely believe it.

Adrenaline can make you do some crazy things ... just ask Chris Johnson -- who tells TMZ Sports he didn't mean to shade Tom Brady AT ALL after the Titans' epic win Saturday!!

"Let me get that right," Johnson told the guys on "TMZ Sports" (airing weeknights on FS1). "I was very happy for Tennessee -- you know that's my team -- but I can't even take nothing away from Tom Brady."

"He's the G.O.A.T., he's the greatest ever."

Of course, after Tennessee booted New England out of the playoffs this weekend ... CJ2K was SO hyped -- he was singing a much different tune, straight-up saying Tom needed to retire!!

But, after about 48 hours of cooling down from the big win ... Johnson told us Monday he didn't mean that at all -- and, in fact, he said Tom should keep playing FOR SURE!!

Carson Wentz arrived at the Eagles facility in Philadelphia on Monday to clear out his locker -- and while the situation was sad for the players, the good news is the QB appeared okay.

Of course, Wentz was knocked out of Sunday's wild-card round playoff game in the 1st quarter after suffering a concussion from a controversial hit from Seattle Seahawks star Jadeveon Clowney.

In the minutes after the game, Wentz reportedly went around the locker room apologizing to his teammates for letting them down -- though most of the players agreed there was nothing to apologize for!

Now that the season is over for Philly, the players returned to the team facility on Monday for the annual cleaning of the locker room.

In footage shot by 6ABC's Jamie Apody, you can see Wentz interacting with his teammates -- including Zach Ertz -- before leaving.

Ertz told Apody they feel for Wentz -- explaining that head injuries are scary and not something to mess around with.

It's official ... Alabama superstar Tua Tagovailoa is goin' pro.

The 21-year-old Crimson Tide QB gave an emotional news conference on Monday ... officially ending his college career.

“I’ve had a difficult time making this decision about my future," Tua said. "My love for the University of Alabama, our coaches, our fans and my teammates has made this especially hard for me."

"I have had the advice and consult of my parents, my family and coaches and gone through a thorough analysis of the alternatives. With lots of prayers, thoughts and guidance I have decided that I will be entering the 2020 NFL draft,”

Tua was an absolute stud on the field ... famously filling in for Jalen Hurts mid-game to lead the Tide to a national championship in 2018.

He went on to lead the Tide under center for 2 seasons ... and was a Heisman runner-up in 2018.

Tagovailoa was putting up a Heisman-esque season in 2019 before going down with a devastating hip injury against Mississippi State.

There was speculation Tua would return to school while rehabbing his injury ... but he's put an end to all the rumors with the announcement on Monday.

Tua finished his collegiate career with 87 passing touchdowns, 7,442 passing yards and 9 rushing touchdowns.

Head coach Nick Saban had high praise for his former player, saying "Tua has had as much of an impact on our program as any player we've had. He has great character, he's a great leader, he has done a great job in the classroom."

Hey, look everybody!! Myles Garrett!!

The suspended Cleveland Browns superstar made a rare public appearance at the L.A. Lakers game at Staples Center on Sunday ... and he was pretty easy to spot -- wearing a bright orange jacket.

Of course, Garrett has been almost completely MIA since his infamous helmet-throwing attack on Mason Rudolph back in November ... and aside from a charity appearance for Thanksgiving, the dude's been keepin' it lowkey.

But, the hiding came to an end Sunday ... with the 24-year-old posting up with LeBron James' best friends and business partners, Rich Paul and Maverick Carter, as the Lake Show put up a dub against the Detroit Pistons.

Was it a business meeting?? Possibly ... with Myles being one of the biggest stars in Cleveland now that King James is in L.A., anything is on the table.

As for the game, the Lakers won again, 106-99, and Anthony Davis and LeBron combined for 45 points ... making their record 29-7 on the season.

Antonio Brown has officially made his debut as the rapper known as "AB" ... and his first music video is a 2-minute showcase of his wealth, his jewelry and butt models.

A WHOOOOLE LOTTA butt models.

The controversial NFL superstar has taken his talents to the recording booth as he awaits his football future ... and showed off his Future-esque crooning with the single "Whole Lotta Money."

Wanna guess what it's about?? Here are some lyrics to help you out.

That was fast!!!

The Dallas Cowboys have agreed to terms with Mike McCarthy to be their next head coach ... just roughly 15 hours after they officially canned Jason Garrett from the role.

Of course, the hire -- reported by FOX Sports' Jay Glazer -- was immediately hit with backlash ... especially considering the 'Boys only looked at McCarthy, Marvin Lewis and Jeff Fisher for the role.

But, Mike does at least come to Dallas with a nice resume ... the former Green Bay Packers head man was 125-77-2 in his 13 years with the Pack -- including a win in Super Bowl XLV.

McCarthy, though, received plenty of criticism for his time in Green Bay ... with most down on the guy for only winning one ring with Aaron Rodgers under center.

In fact, Mike was canned by the Packers last season after he and A-Rodge reportedly rifted on and off throughout their final years together in Wisconsin.

McCarthy will become just the 8th head coach Jerry Jones has hired since he bought the team back in 1989 ... joining a list that includes Jimmie Johnson, Barry Switzer, Chan Gailey, Dave Campo, Bill Parcells, Wade Phillips and Garrett.

Talk about piling on ...

Dez Bryant BLASTED Jason Garrett after the Dallas Cowboys fired the coach Sunday ... with JG's ex-superstar saying, "I don’t have no sympathy for coach Garrett losing his job."

"The cowboys just became real contenders."

The dig seems to have come out of nowhere ... Garrett helped draft Dez in 2010 and made him into one of the league's best receivers shortly after.

But, it seems there's clearly some animosity there ... 'cause Dez doubled down on the Garrett criticism after some fans fired back at the receiver on Twitter.

"Man it’s so much I can say..." Dez wrote. "I’m being nice."

What's weird is Bryant seems to be on GREAT terms with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones -- remember, the two kicked it together in a private box for a Beyonce's concert in 2018, despite being cut by the team after the 2017 season.

Maybe Bryant thinks it was Garrett who drove him out ... not Jones. But again, everyone knows the buck ultimately stops with JJ.

New Orleans Saints fans clearly felt they were screwed again in the playoffs ... throwing trash at the refs at the Superdome after another pass interference call didn't go their way.

In the overtime period of the Saints' Wild Card game against the Vikings, Kirk Cousins lobbed a pass up to Kyle Rudolph, who appeared to push off before catching the game-winning TD.

No flag was thrown ... and after the refs reviewed it, they still didn't call the play a penalty -- which pissed off A TON of Saints fans.

In a video captured from the lower bowl of the stadium ... you can see people in the stands firing various items at the refs as they were running off the field into the locker room.

At one point, one of the refs had to duck out of the way of what appeared to be a flying water bottle aimed at the guy's head!!

In fact, things got so bad, the PA announcer had to get on the mic and tell fans to NOT throw objects onto the field.

Of course, Saints fans are still bitter over the way Sean Payton's squad was booted from the playoffs in the NFC Championship Game against the Rams last season ... when a crucial defensive pass interference flag wasn't thrown there.

For their part, the refs defended Sunday's non-call ... with VP of Officiating Al Riveron saying, "There is contact by both players, but none of that contact rises to the level of a foul."

It's finally officially over for Jason Garrett in Dallas ... the Cowboys have finally fired the head coach in a move EVERYONE saw coming from a mile away.

There were rumblings about Garrett's termination for weeks -- especially after the Cowboys went 8-8 this season and failed to make the playoffs.

And, even though the team was reportedly interviewing high profile candidates like Mike McCarthy and Marvin Lewis to take over, the team hadn't officially relieved Garrett of his duties ... until now.

Moments ago, FOX Sports' Jay Glazer said the team had finally sacked Garrett ... clearing the way to make a hiring move.

Garrett was 85-67 during his 10-year run with the team ... and only made the playoffs 3 times despite having some seriously talented players.

Colin Kaepernick has some thoughts on the United States taking out a top Iranian officer with a drone strike ... calling it classic American imperialism via our military.

The ex-NFL quarterback posted some scathing remarks Saturday about the international move that's got everyone here at home worried about a so-called World War III -- and he didn't hold back in criticizing it to the max, likening it to an attack on people of color.

Colin wrote on Twitter, "There is nothing new about American terrorist attacks against Black and Brown people for the expansion of American imperialism." He didn't stop there.

CK adds the perceived escalation of tensions has been resorted to in the U.S.A.'s playbook time and again. He says, "America has always sanctioned and besieged Black and Brown bodies both at home and abroad. America militarism is the weapon wielded by American imperialism, to enforce its policing and plundering of the non white world."

Trump's order to kill Qasem Soleimani has gotten mixed reactions -- with some calling it necessary and imminent, as the guy is said to have been responsible for taking American lives while waging destructive and deadly tactics there in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Others say Donald Trump's administration acted in haste by signing off on the strike, not considering the ramifications and the possibility of war. Congress hasn't even been formally briefed yet.

A mysterious new twist in the Antonio Brown paternity case ... and this one involves allegations of domestic violence -- but it's unclear if AB is the alleged assailant.

Here's the deal ... Brown has been wrapped up in a paternity dispute with Chelsie Kyriss since 2017 in Broward County, Florida. They have 3 children together.

We've been routinely checking the court records to monitor any developments in the case -- and in late December, the docket showed a new "related case" has been added to the record.

We pulled the file for the related case which is listed as a "Domestic Violence" matter. It was filed on Dec. 26 and is currently being handled in family court.

The issue ... the case is currently under seal -- which means the important details, including the people involved, are not being made public so we don't know if the matter is "related" to Brown or Kyriss or both.

We reached out to lawyers for Brown and Kyriss but neither side would comment.

We've also made calls to various law enforcement agencies but so far we haven't found a police report.

Brown and Kyriss have had a terrible relationship for years and it's well documented. Brown has previously accused of Kyriss of being a terrible, neglectful mom and in 2018, made a push to get sole custody of their kids.

Most recently, Brown filed a lawsuit against Kyriss claiming she refuses to leave his Florida home despite serving her with eviction papers.

In fact, things are so bad between the two, Kyriss called police in mid-December to monitor a clothing handoff at Brown's home so she could get various items from him that belong to their child.

Ron Jaworski is praising the Eagles for NOT signing Antonio Brown when they were down in the dumps this year ... telling TMZ Sports that move could have been a train wreck.

"Short term, it might have been a good move," Jaws says. "But, I think long-term, it could've have been disastrous."

Jaws says he certainly considered the idea of his ex-team adding the troubled superstar ... especially when Philly was 5-7 and its wideouts were dropping like flies due to injuries.

But, Jaworski tells us once he really broke it down ... he realized the move could have SERIOUSLY damaged the Eagles' locker room.

"Antonio Brown is a fantastic football player, but he's also an incredible distraction," Ron says.

"And, when you build your team on guys of high character and team focus, it's hard to bring an outsider in, despite all that talent, and think he's going to integrate into your culture in a short period of time."

It appears Jaws -- and the Eagles' brass, for that matter -- made the right call, 'cause the team ended up winning the NFC East without Brown ... and has a real shot to beat the Seattle Seahawks in their Wild Card game Sunday.

As for that matchup, Jaworski tells us he's confident Carson Wentz can replicate what Nick Foles has previously done for the team in the playoffs -- saying CW is more physically gifted than the Super Bowl LII MVP.

Ohio State defensive end Chase Young -- one of the top college football players in 2019 -- has officially declared for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Of course, back in December, the superstar told TMZ Sports "the plan" was to return to Ohio State for his senior year.

Hey, like we said at the time ... plans change. We get it. Go be a millionaire!!

After our clip about his future intentions made headlines, Young clarified his comments, saying, "That moment was just a real spontaneous moment, caught me off-guard,"

Now, the 20-year-old made his next move official in an announcement on Twitter Friday ... saying, "After an amazing three years at Ohio State, it's time for me to begin the next chapter."

"I am extremely grateful to everyone who helped me make it to this point. I give thanks and praise to God for blessing me with the ability to play football and the opportunity to be part of something bigger than myself."

Despite missing a few games due to suspension in 2019, Young was a Heisman Trophy finalist and led the country with 16.5 sacks. He is projected to be the 2nd overall pick to the Washington Redskins in the draft in April.

"To me, Alabama was the best team but they aren't gonna be playing in the championship."

That's legendary college football coach Lou Holtz telling TMZ Sports he believes the BEST team in the country will NOT be playing on Jan. 13 ... and it all comes down to luck.

Unclear why Holtz believes The Tide got unlucky during the 2019 season, but it seems pretty clear he thinks they're the most talented squad.

Bama finished the season with an 11-2 record ... losing to LSU and Auburn.

When they played LSU, star QB Tua Tagovailoa was playing with a banged-up ankle, but the team as a whole simply got outplayed.

As for the Auburn game, Tua had suffered a season-ending hip injury before that game ... and Bama was playing with their #2 QB Mac Jones. They lost 48-45.

Bama went on to crush Michigan in the Citrus Bowl in a 35-16 shellacking.

So, is Holtz saying a healthy Tua gets Bama to the Natty? Maybe ... since Bama played in the National Championship game last season and won the title with Tua the year before.

There's more ... Holtz also talks about why he thinks Joe Burrow will go #1 in the NFL Draft and reflects on why his former Notre Dame star WR Rocket Ismail could be considered the greatest college football player he's ever seen.