NFL

The ink is still wet on Tua Tagovailoa's rookie contract ... but the Miami Dolphins top pick is already in the process of giving back -- vowing to help the communities that raised him.

The 22-year-old ex-Alabama superstar just signed a 4-year, $30.3 MILLION deal with nearly $20 mil signing bonus ... and shared a snap of the moment he became a millionaire on Tuesday.

Tua -- who was raised in Hawaii, went on to win a championship with Alabama, and got drafted by the Dolphins -- says he's going to do what he can for all 3 areas that left an impact on his journey.

"Blessed beyond belief 🙏🏼," Tua said on IG. "Thank you to the Miami Dolphins for making this dream come true for me and my family."

Of course, Tua's already proven he's a generous guy -- he just gifted his mom a Cadillac Escalade on Mother's Day -- but the QB says he's just getting started.

"It's in my heart to give back to the communities that have raised me. Plans are underway to start charitable outreach efforts in Hawaii, Alabama and Miami."

On top of his NFL money, Tua's raking in endorsement dough from Adidas, Wingstop, Bose and more ... so he's in prime position to make a huge impact.

Tom Brady just SNAPPED over a report he had beef with Josh McDaniels in New England ... calling the whole thing "nonsense" and pleading with journalists to "be more responsible."

Brady is alleged to have left New England for Tampa, in part, because of a "deteriorating relationship" with McDaniels, this according to longtime NFL reporter Gary Myers.

Myers claimed per an "excellent source" that TB12 was "worn out" from playing under Josh the past decade-plus ... and wanted a change of scenery.

But, Brady went scorched earth on that notion Monday ... writing on social media, "Please stop this nonsense!"

"Please be more responsible with reporting," the QB added. "19 years together and brothers for life."

McDaniels has held some sort of role on the Patriots staff for all but 3 years since 2001 ... and has been Brady's offensive coordinator for most of those seasons.

And, Tom's sure making it known he didn't hate the guy when he finally broke away from the Pats in March.

Johnny Manziel is a LUCKY man -- because he slipped and fell while trying to dive off a cliff ... and fortunately, escaped injury.

The ex-NFL quarterback hit the famous cliffs at Lake Pleasant near Phoenix, Arizona recently and tried to bust out a backflip into the water below.

But, as the 27-year-old tried to launch himself off the rock, he lost his footing ... and barely managed to use his left foot to propel himself far enough away from the cliff, that he avoided disaster.

He's fine ... but man, THAT WAS TOO CLOSE, BRO!!

Manziel joked about the "flawless execution" in a social media post -- but some of his friends had real concern for JM.

"Got spooky for a second," Victor Cruz wrote.

NFL wideout Cayleb Jones wrote, "Johnny chill bro."

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy dropped $250,000 for a private meeting with Roger Goodell ... and tells TMZ Sports he plans to grill the NFL commish like a cheeseburger.

The NFL posted the auction to raise money for COVID-19 relief -- with the winner getting to watch a Monday Night Football game with Goodell in his personal "Man Cave."

Portnoy -- who made a fortune when Barstool was purchased by Penn National Gaming -- decided to drop some of his personal fortune on the opportunity for a face-to-face with Roger.

For those unaware, Portnoy has been very, VERY, critical of Goodell over the years for his handling of Deflategate, the Ray Rice situation and more.

In fact, Portnoy was handcuffed and removed from Super Bowl LIII in 2019 ... days after using bogus credentials to get into a SB media day event.

Portnoy tells TMZ Sports he doesn't know if the NFL has connected the dots and realized that he won the auction -- but says he wouldn't be surprised if they refund his winning bid and gave the prize to the next highest bidder instead.

"I could easily see them canceling this and running."

We reached out to the NFL for comment -- but so far, no word back.

But, you gotta watch the video ... Portnoy makes it clear he will have no mercy for Goodell if the commish goes through with the meeting.

James Harrison might be the only man in America who wasn't surprised to see Rob Gronkowski return to the NFL -- he tells TMZ Sports he knew a Gronk comeback was in the works since at least November!!!

The former Steelers star says he and the future Hall of Fame tight end filmed a TV ad together more than six months ago ... and he could tell then Rob was gearing up to play again.

"I knew then that he was going to come back," Harrison says. "He was talking about it. He was itching then. He was feeling a lot better."

Harrison says taking 2019 off allowed Rob's body to heal up ... so Harrison could see the writing for a return on the wall.

But, James admits he NEVER saw Tampa Bay coming ... "because of course Tom [Brady] wasn’t there at the time, but once he got there it was like, 'Yeah, it makes sense.'"

As for Tom's departure from New England ... James says he WAS surprised to see his former teammate leave the Pats!!!

By the way, James is finding success in life after football ... he's set to have a role on Starz's new wrestling drama "Heels" -- and he says it's got him thinking about a possible WWE future!

LeRoy Butler says no player in the NFL should EVER wear Bart Starr's #15 again -- telling TMZ Sports it should be retired league-wide just like Jackie Robinson's #42 in the MLB!!

"Bart Starr is the best quarterback all time!" the Green Bay legend says. "Packer history, the guy was phenomenal."

Of course, no number in the NFL has ever been retired league-wide ... but Butler tells us Roger Goodell should consider it, saying Starr was just that legendary.

"He should be just like the 42 in baseball," Butler says. "He just did so much for the franchise having the smallest market."

The argument for it? Starr played in Green Bay from 1956 to 1971, earning MVP honors in 1966 and winning the NFL's first-ever Super Bowls in '67 and '68.

He also made the Hall of Fame in 1977 ... and is one of only 6 players ever to have their jersey numbers officially retired by the Pack.

But, the argument against it? Well, he ain't exactly Jackie Robinson.

Greg Hardy says UFC's "no crowd" rule at UFC 249 was a "game changer" -- because he could hear the TV announcers critiquing him during his fight ... and he adjusted accordingly to get the victory!

Hardy (6-2) was fighting Yorgan De Castro (6-1) in a heavyweight bout Saturday night -- with Hardy taking some serious leg kicks early in the match.

Daniel Cormier -- who's doing the announcing with Joe Rogan -- had said during the broadcast that Hardy needed to figure out a way to check those heavy kicks before they took a real toll on his body.

Of course, Cormier -- one of the greatest UFC fighters of all time -- was talking to the audience at home ... but since you can hear a pin drop in the arena thanks to the COVID-19 safety protocol, Hardy could listen too!

AND, HE WAS PAYING ATTENTION!!!

Hardy ended up winning the match by unanimous decision -- and during the post-fight interview, he gave all the credit to D.C.

"Thank God for not having the crowd," Hardy said ... "Shout out to D.C."

"I heard him tell me to check him, that I needed to figure out how to check it ... so I started trying to check him! Game changer!"

The fans wanted it ... and Nike listened!!

The epic "740" area code shirt Joe Burrow wore during the NFL Draft is hitting the market ... this, after Nike initially said it wouldn't see the light of day, TMZ Sports has learned.

Remember, we reached out to the Swoosh shortly after the draft to get all the info we could about Joe's look when he went #1 overall to the Bengals.

The white long-sleeved shirt featuring the outline of Ohio and his hometown's area code quickly became a fan favorite on draft night ... but unfortunately, Nike said it was a 1-of-1.

But, that's all about to change, because we're told the plan is to release the shirts on May 22 ... which is great news for fans wanting to cop Joe's look.

It's a smart idea, considering a bunch of knockoff websites made bootleg versions to get a quick buck after the draft ... but now, the legit shirts will take over.

Ted Ginn Jr. tells TMZ Sports if he wasn't so damn good at football ... he'd be an Olympic track athlete with a gold medal already on his resume -- saying he's beaten Usain Bolt before!

The new Chicago Bear spoke with us this week about his track past ... and says he had straight-up OLYMPIC speed in high school and college!!!

In fact, Ginn Jr. says he not only clocked a 4.22 40-yard dash back then ... he claims to have beaten track legends like Bolt, Jason Richardson and Kerron Clement as well!!

"I ran against Usain Bolt -- I got him when we was in the 12th grade," Ginn Jr. says. "All of the top guys that have won the Olympics between 2004 'til now, I basically had a chance to race them guys in high school."

Ginn tells us if he hadn't turned into a monster wideout at Ohio State and stuck with track instead ... he'd "for sure" have a gold medal by now.

As for his football future ... 35-year-old Ginn doesn't seem like a guy slowing down anytime soon there -- he spoke with us about his expectations for the Bears in 2020, and dude's clearly fired up for Chicago!

"Mike the Tiger is not my favorite part of campus."

Heisman winner Joe Burrow says he's not a big fan of LSU having a live mascot ... saying he's against keeping wild animals in captivity.

The #1 overall pick made the revelation while discussing the super-popular Netflix doc, "Tiger King," on Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" on Friday ... saying he probably won't tune in to the series due to the subject matter.

"Actually, I haven't watched it yet," Burrow says. "I'm anti animal in cage. So, I'm not gonna watch it, I don't think."

That's when co-host Big Cat brought up Mike VII -- LSU's beloved mascot that lives on campus -- and Burrow said he was against the idea.

FWIW -- Mike has a huge habitat on campus for students to check out the kitty in between classes ... and there's a vet on-site to make sure all is well.

There's even a live cam for people across the world to check in on Mike ... although the thing seems to be chilling most of the time.

As for "Tiger King," Big Cat and PFT Commenter say it's probably for the best he sits that one out ... and Burrow agrees.

"Very sad, yeah."

The good news?? Burrow's Cincinnati Bengals don't have a live mascot ... they just have a grown-ass dude dressed up as a tiger named "Who Dey" ... so, silver lining!!

NFL star Malcolm Jenkins wants justice for murdered Georgia man Ahmaud Arbery -- who would have turned 26 today -- and he's doing his part by going on a jog to show support for Maud's family.

"Happy birthday to Ahmaud Arbery," Jenkins said while out on a 2.23-mile jog ... "Rest in peace, King."

Malcolm's workout is all part of the #RunWithMaud movement -- which is encouraging people to go on a jog to honor Maud -- while his family continues to push for justice.

The 2.23-mile run represents the date Arbery was shot and killed while jogging on Feb. 23.

Two men -- Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory -- have been arrested for the shooting and are facing murder charges.

"Doing my job for you," Jenkins added while encouraging others to follow his lead. "Even though they arrested those two men, we gotta make sure they don't forget his face and that he gets his justice in court."

"Y'all continue to support my brother, uplift his name, show his face, stay diligent. Love y'all."

Ex-NFL wideout Torrey Smith also participated in the run -- saying, "I hate distance running but I hate our justice system and racism more."

Other athletes, including LeBron James, Reggie Bush and more, have voiced their outrage over the incident ... with the Lakers superstar saying, "We’re literally hunted EVERYDAY/EVERYTIME we step foot outside the comfort of our homes!"

Seems Earl Thomas is on decent terms with his wife -- despite allegations she held a gun to his head -- because he's flashing a new diamond chain she got him for his birthday.

The Baltimore Ravens star turned 31 on Thursday -- and showed off his flashy new gift on social media ... a diamond pendant featuring a picture of Earl with his late grandfather, Pastor Earl Thomas.

His grandfather passed away in 2018 -- but Earl has spoken publicly about how much Pastor Earl meant to him.

Earl praised Nina Thomas for the gift -- saying, "Thank You [Nina Thomas]."

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Nina was arrested on April 13 after cops say she stormed an Airbnb home in Texas and held Earl at gunpoint after she caught him cheating.

Earl posted a video statement on May 6 saying, "Stuff like this happens" -- and noting that he has "been talking" with his wife.

So, does the chain represent a full reconciliation?

Rob Gronkowski better WATCH OUT ... 'cause Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians says he's got his eyes on the WWE 24/7 belt ... so he better keep his head on a swivel!!!

Of course, Gronk feared this exact scenario last week ... saying he had to defend his shiny, new belt from everyone at all times -- even at the Bucs facility.

"Imagine coming out of the meeting room, I'm like looking to my left down the hallway ... looking to my right to make sure no one is out of the meetings yet, and then all of a sudden ... Coach Arians just comes out of nowhere with a flying elbow and takes me out and pins me and becomes the 24/7 champ," Gronk said on the "Gronk'd UP" podcast.

It's for good reason ... because Bruce joined ESPN on Thursday and said he's already plotting his plan of attack.

"[Gronk] better keep his head on a swivel ... I may take it from him," Coach said on "NFL Live."

Of course, Arians was kidding ... or was he!?

We can't really be sure at this point. Maybe we're all just pawns in his strategy to get the belt from Gronk??

"First of all, let’s not put the words fitness and Ben Roethlisberger together, they are allergic to each other."

That's Jay Glazer keeping it ALL THE WAY real about Big Ben's offseason workout routines ... and it's pretty savage/hilarious.

The NFL insider was filling out a mailbag piece for The Athletic this week ... when one fan asked about the Steelers QB and a return to "85% plus fitness" after arm surgery.

Glazer's response?

"There is no fitness in Ben Roethlisberger."

Ouch.

Jay continued, "His idea of a great off-season workout program is doing one yoga session, playing golf, and drinking some beer."

Don't get it twisted ... Jay had some compliments for Big Ben too, saying the way the QB and coach Mike Tomlin have won over the years in Pitt is nothing short of "incredible."

Of course, it ain't like Glazer was wrong anyhow ... have you seen Big Ben this offseason?!?!

NFL star Earl Thomas is lucky to be alive after cops say his wife held a loaded gun less than a foot from his head ... after she allegedly caught him cheating with another woman.

It's all spelled out in court documents obtained by TMZ Sports ... detailing a violent April 13 altercation involving the Baltimore Ravens player, Nina Thomas and several other people.

The Austin Police Dept. responded to a home in the Austin, Texas area at 3:41 AM after getting a call about a disturbance.

When cops arrived, they say "we observed that a black female wearing an orange sweater with a knife in her hand, later identified as Nina Thomas, was chasing a shirtless black male, later identified as Earl Thomas, with a pistol in his hand around a vehicle."

Cops drew their weapons and ordered both Nina and Earl to the ground -- and they complied without incident. That's when the investigation began and things got WILD.

Here's Nina's story, according to court docs ...

Nina claims Earl, 30, left their home earlier in the day after an argument over the NFL player's drinking. She claims Earl's brother, Seth Thomas, picked him up.

But, a short time later, she decided to check on his whereabouts by logging into his Snapchat account -- and that's when she says she found video of Earl with another woman.

Nina says she used Earl's Snapchat account to track his location to a nearby Airbnb rental home ... and says she called up two other women to help her confront Earl at the pad. Nina also claims she grabbed Earl's pistol, a 9mm Berreta, in the process with the intention to "scare him."

When the women arrived at the house, they "discovered Earl and Seth naked in bed with other women."

That's when Nina admits she pulled out the gun and put it to Earl's head -- stating "that she took out the magazine thinking that the gun could not fire." But, cops say Nina was "unaware that the gun had a round in the chamber."

Cops say one of the women in the house shot cell phone video of the incident ... which they say shows Nina pointing the gun at Earl's head "from less than a foot away and it can clearly be seen that Nina's finger was on the trigger and the safety is disengaged."

Fortunately for Earl, cops say the Ravens defensive back was able to wrestle the gun away from her.

Cops say the cell phone video also shows Nina striking Earl in the nose before it ends.

Cops also spoke with Earl, who essentially corroborated the story ... adding that Nina repeatedly hit him while he attempted to take the firearm away.

In an interview with Earl's alleged mistress at the scene, she claimed Nina also threatened her and the other woman in the house -- pointing the gun at them and yelling "I got something for all you hoes!"

The woman claims one of Nina's other friends was carrying a knife and swinging it aggressively during the altercation as well.

After speaking with everyone, cops ultimately arrested Nina and both members of her posse. Nina was booked for burglary of a residence with intent to commit aggravated assault with a deadly weapon -- family violence, and later bonded out.

Earl was NOT arrested.

Court records show Nina was also hit with an emergency protective order ... requiring her to stay 200 yards away from Earl and his alleged mistress.

As we previously reported, Earl and Nina were married in an extravagant wedding back in April 2016 ... Russell Wilson and Ciara even attended the ceremony.

Earl is one of the best defensive players in the NFL -- he's a 7-time Pro Bowl defensive back who won Super Bowl XLVIII as a member of the Seattle Seahawks.

Thomas was a key part of Seattle's legendary "Legion of Boom" -- along with Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor.

When contacted by TMZ Sports, Nina's attorney, Jonathan Goins, told us, "I am here to declare that my client unequivocally and categorically denies these allegations and we look forward to our day in court where we can clear her good name."

We also reached out to Earl Thomas for comment before we published the story -- and he released a statement on social media.

"Instead of talking about us, just keep us in y'all prayers," Thomas says. "Stuff like this happens. We try to live the best lives we possibly can. Sometimes it doesn't go as planned."