NFL

Sean McVay says there WILL be a bronze bust of Eric Weddle in Canton someday ... telling TMZ Sports the safety is a no-brainer Hall of Famer!

"He's a special person -- one of the smartest players I've ever worked with," McVay says. "He's had a great career. He's a Hall of Famer."

Of course, Weddle just announced his retirement last week ... and debates over his HOF candidacy are already pouring in.

Some say the dude didn't do enough to earn a space in the Hall ... but when we got Weddle's old coach with the Rams out at Catch in L.A. over the weekend, he said Eric belongs.

As for Weddle's case ... he could easily prove McVay right -- the 35-year-old was a 6-time Pro Bowler in 13 NFL seasons and he racked up 29 career interceptions.

Russell Wilson is well on his way to becoming a hair icon in 2020 ... 'cause the Seahawks QB debuted a man bun hairstyle while out with Ciara ... and it's a look that would make Jason Momoa proud.

Wilson has been trying new 'dos as of late... and a lot of people have taken notice of the many changes to his appearance.

The newest look -- long, straightened, Uncle Jesse from "Full House" kinda hair -- made its debut at the Tom Ford fashion show over the weekend ... and it's got everyone talking.

TMZ Sports shot Wilson out in West Hollywood with his pregnant wifey on Saturday night ... and he showed off the man bun modification to his hair, proving the dude is serious about the flow lifestyle.

To solidify the look, Wilson also rocked the man bun at the Vanity Fair Oscar party on Sunday night ... doubling down on the statement.

Nnamdi Asomugha has taken his talents to center stage ... 'cause the ex-NFL superstar is a real-deal Broadway actor now!!

The 38-year-old cornerback-turned-actor has hit a milestone in his second career ... starring in the Broadway play, "A Soldier's Play," alongside huge names like Jerry O'Connell, Blair Underwood and David Alan Grier.

Asomugha plays the role of Class Melvin Peterson, which was initially played by Denzel Washington when the play made its Broadway debut back in 1981.

Of course, the 2-time first-team All-Pro has taken a serious approach to acting since leaving the league in 2013 ... with roles in short films and other Off-Broadway gigs.

BTW -- Asomugha is married to "Scandal" star Kerry Washington ... so that's one powerful couple in the industry.

Asomugha ain't the only NFLer to make it to Broadway -- Eddie George made his debut in "Chicago" in 2016!!

"His game is as good as it's ever been."

That's Brett Favre saying he hasn't seen ANY decline in Tom Brady at 42 years old ... telling TMZ Sports TB12's teammates deserve most of the blame for his down year.

"I saw a quarterback still able to do what he normally does but the cast around him was not up to par," Favre says ...

"How many times did we see Tom frustrated this year because guys were not on the same page?"

Tom posted a near career-low 88.0 QB rating this past season ... and his Pats didn't make a deep postseason run for the first time in YEARS.

But, Favre tells us a TB12 decline wasn't the reason for that at all ... saying he believes Tom still consistently showed the same tools that made him the game's G.O.A.T.

"I didn't see any decline in his arm strength," Favre says.

Still, Favre acknowledges Brady might be moving on from the Pats after this season ... and as someone who famously left Green Bay toward the end of his career, he spoke with us about what Tom's mindset could be heading into this offseason.

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are still celebrating their Super Bowl win ... damn near 7 days after beating the 49ers in Miami.

Patty, Travis Kelce and a bunch of the guys from the team were down in Sin City over the weekend -- where they kept the party going in at last two different clubs on the strip. On Friday, the Chiefs players were at JEWEL Nightclub at the ARIA resort and casino.

Looks like they were the center of attention, and were in good company too. Girls were doing shoulder rides and waving around Chiefs signs and flags. Some of the other players who came out ... Damien Williams, Mecole Hardman, Blake Bell, Cam Erving and Austin Reiter.

On Saturday, the boys in red bounced on over to OMNIA Nightclub at Caesars Palace, where a Steve Aoki concert was being held. We got some footage from inside ... looks like the fellas were vibing and feeling themselves.

"MARRY HER!!!"

Packers star pass rusher Za'Darius Smith is putting some serious heat on his OWN quarterback, telling TMZ Sports ... Aaron Rodgers needs to marry Danica Patrick ASAP!!!

"Look, 12, I know I'm on TMZ," Smith hilariously told us out at Super Bowl festivities in Miami on Wednesday ... "But, man, most definitely, you should marry that lady!"

Rodgers and Danica have been dating for over two years ... and things are definitely SERIOUS between the two.

They've publicly said "I love yous" ... she's rooted him on at Packers games, despite being a Bears fan ... and the two even just bought a $28 MILLION mansion together in Malibu.

But Rodgers has yet to bend the knee and pop the question ... and Za'Darius tells us his QB needs to change that.

"She's a lovely woman," Smith says. "I've met her."

In fact, Smith says he thinks Rodgers giving Danica a ring could elevate the QB's game ... telling us his own career really took off once he committed to his GF during his Baltimore Ravens days.

"She kept me locked in," Smith said.

Fred Taylor WILL be wearing a gold jacket sometime in the future ... so says the Jaguars legend himself, who tells TMZ Sports he has "no doubt" he'll get in soon.

"We're going to get it," Taylor said leaving Prime 112 in Miami recently. "I believe in the voters."

Fred has a pretty good case ... the former Jacksonville running back ranks 17th on the all-time rushing yards list with 11,695 -- and he did score 66 rushing TDs as well.

But, with his former team not listing him as its greatest-ever franchise player (the Jags famously put Tony Boselli ahead of him last year) ... some wonder if Fred truly will get in.

"Yeah, we'll get it," Fred told us confidently. "No doubt."

As for the current state of the Jags, Taylor had an interesting take on the current QB conundrum in Duval.

The Jags paid Nick Foles a TON of cash to be their starter this past offseason ... but he was outplayed by Gardner Minshew -- and Taylor tells us he thinks Gardner should probably be the guy going forward now.

"I think the locker room might have a little bit more faith and trust in Minshew," Taylor says.

The ex-RB made it clear, though ... don't sleep on Foles by any means in 2020.

Antonio Cromartie says Adam Gase has NO future with the Jets ... telling TMZ Sports if he were running his old team, he'd fire the guy ASAP for Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy!!

Cromartie made the bold statement when we got him out in Miami recently ... and he did NOT mince words when it came to his feelings about AG.

As for why he dislikes the guy so much ... Cromartie says the way Gase treated Le'Veon Bell during the season speaks volumes about his capabilities as a head coach.

"We don't give our running back the ball in the second half of a game," Cromartie says. "It just shows you that you're trying to say that you don't need him."

Cromartie says he would have cut bait with Gase after the season ... but says the Jets are stuck with Gase for at least the 2020 season since they didn't move on from him in January.

As for Cromartie's choice for a Gase replacement ... he tells us Andy Reid's offensive coordinator in Kansas City is the perfect man for Gang Green.

"I would go get Eric Bieniemy," Antonio says.

Prince Amukamara is going to bat for Mitch Trubisky ... telling TMZ Sports he has ZERO doubts about his Bears teammate -- saying the QB is going to be just fine!!!

"You heard it here," Prince says. "In Trubisky we trust!"

Of course, Chicago fans don't share nearly the same level of confidence in Mitch as Prince ... there's talk Bears faithful would rather see a free agent like Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston under center next season.

But, when we got Prince out in Miami recently ... the Chicago cornerback told us the Trubisky doubters need to back off.

"Coming from a guy who sees him work hard, I know what he has in store," Prince says. "I still feel like he played great for us last year and I think he's our guy."

In 15 starts in the 2019 season ... Trubisky threw for 3,138 yards and 17 TDs with 10 INTs -- piling up a not-so-great 83.0 quarterback rating.

But, Amukamara doesn't even want the Bears to sign a veteran to try to push the 25-year-old in 2020 ... telling us, "I've seen the work he's put in. He's the guy."

By the way, we got Prince leaving a sick Super Bowl gifting suite ... and he says he estimates the gear he copped was worth 5 to 10 RACKS!!!

Tragic day for the Cleveland Browns ... the team's first-ever live mascot, Swagger, has passed away after a battle with cancer. He was 6 years old.

The 145-pound bullmastiff joined the Browns as a puppy at the beginning of the 2014 season ... and ran out with the players before every home game until Week 10 of the 2019 season.

The only home game Swagger missed was in 2017 ... when the Browns played in London.

Swagger's son, SJ, took over the mascot duties as the cancer progressed ... and the beloved dog served as "Dawg Pound Captain" during his final Browns game.

Swagger was a fan favorite at FirstEnergy Stadium ... and even got some one-on-one time with folks like UFC champ Stipe Miocic and Baker Mayfield.

According to Browns fans in our office ... the dog was a true bright spot during some of the Browns' worst years.

Mayfield posted a tribute to Swagger, saying "Doggy heaven got a good one today."

The team says SJ will continue to fill his dad's shoes for 2020 and beyond.

#RIP

Antonio Brown just took a HUGE loss in his condo-trashing case ... the former NFL All-Pro was found liable for the damage done to his pricey apartment after an April 2018 incident.

... and now the only question is, how fat will the check be that Brown will be forced to write??? (insert "Whole Lotta Money" joke here).

As we previously reported, Brown is being sued after his former apartment complex, The Mansions at Acqualina in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., accused him of destroying his fancy pad.

Attorneys for the complex claim Brown threw cushions and a vase off his balcony in an April 24, 2018 incident ... and trashed his apartment during the fit of rage as well.

The Attorneys say Brown did everything from cracking mirrors, to breaking tables, to staining couch cushions ... and they provided pictures to the court of the alleged damage.

Brown fought the case in court throughout the past year and a half (remember, he famously caused headaches during the case's depositions), claiming it was actually his former trainer who did the damage.

But a judge just ruled Brown IS responsible for it all, regardless ... ruling in favor of the apartment complex this week.

Here's Eli Manning clearly devastated he ain't playing football any -- AHHH JUST KIDDING!! ELI'S HITTING THE LINKS WITH HIS BIG BRO AND OBVIOUSLY LOVING RETIREMENT!!!

The ex-NY Giants QB -- who just officially called it an NFL career on Jan. 22 -- hit the pro-am at Pebble Beach on Thursday ... and he sure didn't look like a guy who's missing getting hit for a living.

Eli and Peyton were part of a foursome alongside pros Kevin Chappell and Luke Donald ... and the Manning bros actually played pretty well.

Eli -- a 10 handicap -- posted an 8-under total with Chappell ... while Peyton -- an 8 handicap -- carded a 5-under with Donald. Not bad for two old retired guys!!

Of course, the tournament's also filled with a TON of other celebs and athletes ... including NFL legends like Steve Young and Larry Fitzgerald.

But it was another QB who stole the highlight show for the day ... Aaron Rodgers made some tremendous shots on the course -- and even walked in one of his putts!!

And, as for the non-professional athletes, country superstar Jake Owen really had himself a day ... check out these two shots he poured in from distance!!!

Miami Dolphins star cornerback Xavien Howard is off the hook in his domestic violence case ... TMZ Sports has learned his battery charge was dropped Thursday.

Howard's attorney, Michael C. Grieco, says it was announced at a short hearing in a Broward County courtroom that the case against the NFL player has been dismissed.

It's huge news for the 26-year-old, who was facing jail time after his fiancee alleged he roughed her up after an argument at their Davie, Fla. home on Dec. 29.

In the police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, the woman says Howard grabbed her, pushed her against a mirrored wall, and when he let her go, she fell on one of his crutches.

Cops say in the report they noticed visible scratches, redness and an abrasion on the woman's body ... and arrested the 6-foot-1, 200-pound cornerback.

What's worse ... in 911 audio from the incident, the woman -- who has three children with Howard -- insinuated the NFL player had repeatedly abused her in the past.

It's unclear what prompted the state attorney's office to not pursue charges this week ... we're working on it.

Howard -- who made the Pro Bowl in 2018 -- is still subject to NFL discipline under the league's personal conduct policy.

Kyler Murray touchdown pass to ... Antonio Brown?!?!

AZ Cardinals safety Budda Baker tells TMZ Sports he would not hate seeing that one bit in 2020 ... saying he and his Cardinals squad would welcome the troubled receiver with arms wide-open.

"I feel like a lot of teams can use Antonio Brown," Baker tells us. "He's a great player ... Hopefully he can get back to the league because the league is definitely better with AB."

A Brown signing would make the Cards pretty damn elite on offense -- there's Murray, Larry Fitzgerald, Kenyan Drake, Christian Kirk and others -- and when we brought that possibility up to Budda, he loved the idea.

"That would be crazy!" he said.

The problem with the vision? It's unclear if the NFL will ever let Brown play again.

AB is currently in the middle of civil cases and a criminal investigation ... with rape allegations from his former trainer and assault accusations from a moving truck driver hanging over his head.

The NFL is probing all of the claims ... and when commissioner Roger Goodell was asked about all of it earlier this week, he said the league is working to make sure AB is healthy off the field first and foremost.

It's currently 26 degrees in Kansas City, MO for the Chiefs Super Bowl parade ... and Travis Kelce is staying warm in 2 ways -- a beer blanket and a $20,000 Louis Vuitton coat!!!

Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and the boys are braving the cold to celebrate their big win over the 49ers ... and we're expecting a BUNCH of drunken debaucheries. Hey, they earned it!

Kelce and his stunning GF, Kayla Nicole, got the party started early ... with their group belting out Queen's "We Are The Champions" at the top of their lungs while Trav downed a Budweiser.

But, it wasn't the screeching rendition of the song that caught our attention, it was Kelce's threads -- which, after doing some research, are even more eye-popping.

According to the Louis V website, Killa Trav's coat is worth almost a whopping $20k, with an $18,600 price tag.

Other Chiefs players are already poppin' bottles of Ace of Spades and spraying the crowd!!

Mahomes is already joining Kelce in the beer chuggin' ... doing his best Gronk impression as the parade rolls on.

Among others on Kelce's float are Patrick and his biggest supporter, GF Brittany Matthews ... and we'll be sure to update the post with as much of that great content that's bound to happen.

We can already hear the screaming.

Turns out, getting pulled over for speeding with an open bottle of vodka in the car -- and admitting you'd fail a drug test -- does not go over well with your boss.

At least, that's the takeaway from Jimmy Haslam's comments about Kareem Hunt -- with the Cleveland Browns owner ripping his running back over that Jan. 21 police incident.

"What he did was not acceptable. He's got to do better," Haslam said Wednesday ... "It's not good. Kareem knows he's got to do better."

FYI, Hunt is now a restricted free agent -- and after watching the clip, you gotta wonder if the Browns are just gonna cut bait with the guy considering his controversial past.

Haslam said there's still a chance they keep Hunt around for one more season -- but even if they do, he's clearly on super-thin ice.

As we previously reported, Hunt was pulled over for speeding in Rocky River, Ohio -- and during the stop, cops say they found weed and an open bottle of vodka in his ride.

In police footage, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see the pullover was not the best look for Hunt ... who straight-up admitted he would have failed an NFL drug test at the time of the stop.

Hunt was issued a citation for speeding ... but he was NOT cited for the pot -- and was sent on his way by the officer.

Haslam was asked about the incident during a press conference announcing the team's new GM ... and his disappointment in the 24-year-old was palpable.

"We have and will continue to work closely with Kareem," Haslam said. "But he knows our expectations are higher than what he showed a week or two ago."