NFL

Colin Kaepernick's plight in the NFL has seeped into the upper echelons of hip-hop ... 'cause Jay-Z dedicated 1 of his most racially charged songs to the QB during a live show.

Jay was performing his new hit, "The Story of O.J.," Friday night in NYC, when he gave a shout out to Kaep and said the performance was for him ... and the late activist Dick Gregory, who died last month.

He also said ... "I want to dedicate this song to anyone that was held back and you overcame whatever it was."

Ezekiel Elliott is clapping back at the NFL after they filed a motion in court this morning ... saying the league "will stop at nothing" to nail the star RB.

The NFL filed an appeal in a Federal Appeals court Friday morning arguing that Zeke should have to sit until his appeal plays out in court.

Last week, a judge in a Texas court ruled the opposite ... saying E.E. can play until the larger matter is sorted out.

Elliott's reps quickly responded, saying, "The NFL's latest legal maneuvering appears to be indicative of a league with an agenda: trying to navigate a public relations crisis rather than focus on fairness and fact finding."

"The only conclusion that can be drawn is that the NFL believes it can write its own rules and will stop at nothing to further its agenda of enforcing its unfounded assertions regarding Mr. Elliott."

In the league's filing, they asked the judge to make a decision by September 26 ... week 4 of the NFL season.

Colin Kaepernick isn't suiting up on Sundays, but he's still rackin' up MVP awards ... for his community service.

The NFL Players Association announced Kaep as the winner of its weekly Community MVP award for his recent $100k donation to 4 youth charities and "Back to School Backpack Giveaway."

Along with the contribution ... Kaep is being recognized for his "Know Your Rights Camp," which focuses on empowering youth.

With the honor, Kaep gets a $10k donation from the NFLPA to the charity of his choice ... and will now be considered for the Byron Whizzer White Award, "which is the highest honor that the NFLPA can bestow upon a player."

7:20 PM PT -- Russell's rep tells TMZ Sports, "Russell was simply an ambassador for the company at one point, but no longer has any active involvement. He simply has nothing to do with this situation and has no knowledge of the current status of Eat the Ball."

Russell Wilson's tasty edible ball business is blowing up in his face ... this according to two former employees who claim they got the stiff-arm when their paychecks were supposed to come.

The Seattle Seahawks QB is being sued along with a food company called Eat the Ball -- which makes bread in the shapes of footballs, baseballs, basketballs and soccer balls. All of the balls.

Russell has been a spokesperson for the company since it launched -- and according to the lawsuit, he's also a minority owner.

The two people suing are Joseph Carter (who says he was hired as managing director for annual starting salary of $170k) and Bridget Botting (who says she was hired for marketing with an $85k salary).

Both Carter and Botting say they didn't get paid on several occasions -- and haven't gotten a dime since July.

They're suing for a ton of cash plus damages ... and since Wilson's on-board, they've included his name as a defendant along with the company.

We reached out to Wilson's rep for comment -- so far, no word back.

If you think it's time for Tom Brady to retire ... PUT DOWN THE CRACK PIPE, so says Brady's old teammate ... who believes anyone saying he's washed up has gotta be on drugs.

TMZ Sports spoke with Jermaine Wiggins -- who won Super Bowl XXXVI with the Pats -- about New England's week 1 loss to the Chiefs ... and he says TB12 naysayers don't know football.

"The people that say he's finished, those generally are the people that have no clue what they're talking about," Wiggins says. "They don't know their ass from their elbow."

Mia Khalifa says she loooooves Houston Texans rookie Deshaun Watson ... but insists it's strictly platonic.

The ex-porn star wished the QB a happy 22nd birthday Thursday with a video of them playing mini basketball in her apartment this past June ... leaving people speculating whether they were a "thing."

But we spoke with Mia who tells us there's nothing but serious friendship goin' on ... and it all started over a home-cooked meal when Deshaun moved to H-Town.

Mia says she lives close to Watson and, with him being new to the area, she invited him to her place for some hospitality ... and they've been tight ever since. No sex though.

Still ... good for you, Deshaun. Good for you.

O.J. Simpson's actually got some misgivings about his impending release ... he feels a bond with his comrades in lockup and is finding it hard to say goodbye.

O.J.'s lawyer, Malcolm LaVergne, tells TMZ ... Juice has been bored and sad in his current situation -- in an isolated cell for his own safety since he was granted parole in July. He says the decision was bittersweet for Simpson, because he's developed close friendships during his 9 years behind bars.

LaVergne says O.J. actually "loved being in general population" because he's super social and feels most comfortable around other people, and he even misses his prison jobs ... like being commissioner of the softball league.

Still ... LaVergne says O.J.'s ready for a return to normal life, and there's a chance he'll get to say goodbye to his prison buddies.

LaVergne tells us O.J. is working on paperwork to get himself moved to Florida to be with his family once he's released ... which he expects to be the second week of October.

New Orleans Saints long snapper and star magician Jon Dorenbos is "resting comfortably" after open-heart surgery on Tuesday -- this according to Dorenbos' former NFL coach.

Dorenbos -- who crushed it on "America's Got Talent" -- was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm during his physical for the Saints last week ... which prompted the emergency surgery.

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson gave an update on his ex-player's condition, saying, "Everything went well yesterday with surgery and he's resting comfortably."

"Just wish him and his family well, our prayers are with him and hope for a speedy recovery."

The NFL vet shared a video of his friends and family before going under the knife, saying, "Thank you to my beautiful amazing wife, my family, my friends and videos like this. This brought out some tears. I feel the love and support."

Get well soon, Jon!

Two former NFL stars are hoping their former teammate, Andre Johnson, can help spearhead a J.J. Watt-style recovery effort in Miami.

Bryant McKinnie and Phillip Buchanon both joined the "TMZ Sports" TV show this week -- after leaving Miami right before Hurricane Irma struck.

The guys said the city is in desperate need of help and they're hoping to launch a fundraising initiative like Watt.

Both Bryant and Philip went to the University of Miami, where AJ went to school -- and since Andre knows J.J. Watt (from the Houston Texans), they're hoping he can be the piece that brings everyone together.

Michael Bennett and his lawyer are making it very clear -- their plan is to sue the Las Vegas Metro Police Department over that August 27 incident where he was detained at gunpoint.

The NFL superstar and his lawyer, John Burris, sat down with ABC News where they doubled down on claims he was racially profiled when 2 officers ordered him to the ground during an investigation into a possible active shooter at a Vegas hotel.

The Seattle Seahawks star is still adamant he was detained because he's a black man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time -- and says he was physically and verbally abused until cops realized he was an NFL player.

In fact, Bennett says it was only when cops Googled him, the abuse stopped.

"I went from being a black man to a football player."

Burris has laid down the gauntlet with the LVMPD -- saying, "Unless something changes drastically that we don't know of, we're gonna file a lawsuit."

O.J. Simpson will be playing a cat-and-mouse game with the media when he's released, and it involves his safety.

We've learned the media has a 1 in 18 chance of spotting the famous convict when he's released from Lovelock Correctional Center in Nevada. That's because there are 18 release points and our prison sources say they are keeping the actual release site and date on the DL.

As for why the clandestine release ... we're told it's because prison officials are concerned for Simpson's safety. You'll recall, just after Simpson was granted parole, he was moved to a protective wing of the prison.

Prison sources tell us they're not just concerned about Simpson's safety. They worry a chase could ensue and prison staff, bystanders and Simpson himself could be injured or even worse. As one prison official told us, "We don't want another chase on our hands."

And, we're told, Simpson himself has made it clear to prison officials, he wants nothing to do with the media when the prison doors open. We're guessing it's part of a bigger plan for him to cash in with a splashy interview. The more he's seen, the more the value goes down.

Our prison sources wanted to make it clear ... the secrecy and conditions of Simpson's release will be made by the prison ... not O.J.

1:15 PM PT -- TMZ Sports just obtained Browner's mug shot

Ex-Seattle Seahawks star Brandon Browner was arrested in Los Angeles on Monday night, TMZ Sports has learned.

The former Pro Bowl cornerback -- part of the original Legion of Boom -- was booked for allegedly making criminal threats, a felony. Sources tell us the alleged victim is a woman.

Browner was taken into custody and his bail was set at $50,000. He posted bail and was released just after 11 PM.

According to his booking sheet, 33-year-old Browner is listed as 6'3", 215 lbs.

The Miami Dolphins can't wait to get back to South Beach to pick up the pieces from Hurricane Irma, so says RB Kenyan Drake who tells TMZ Sports the team is committed to aiding in the recovery.

We got Drake at LAX on his way back down to the 305, and asked him what his feelings are about returning home after the storm blew through Florida.

The Dolphins got their Week 1 game against the Bucs moved to Week 11, but Drake told our guy football is only part of the reason he's anxious to get back.

Baker Mayfield has a target on his back for that whole flag-planting stunt -- and the Ohio State alums in the NFL will make him pay for it ... so says ex-Buckeyes star Beanie Wells.

The former OSU running back tells TMZ Sports Mayfield's move was "the ultimate disrespect ... a slap in the face" -- and current and former Ohio State players are pretty pissed about it.

Wells says he spoke with a bunch of current OSU players after they got beaten by Oklahoma this weekend -- and they're embarrassed.

But Wells keeps it real saying if they didn't wanna be dissed, they shoulda won the game!

Still, Mayfield's gonna pay for the move ... whether it's now or later.

"There's gonna be a bullseye on his back. If he goes to the National Football League and plays, any Buckeyes are gonna be after him."

FYI, there's a bunch of pretty solid OSU guys in the league right now ... Joey Bosa, Cameron Heyward, Gareon Conley, Johnathan Hankins.

You've been warned ...

Tom Brady says he doesn't have any sort of relationship with Colin Kaepernick -- explaining, "I've never really had a conversation with him."

The New England Patriots QB called in to WEEI radio on Monday and was asked if he's been paying attention to the Kaepernick saga -- and the ongoing national anthem demonstrations around the league.

Brady says he doesn't give Kaepernick much thought because his attention "goes a lot of places" at this time of the year ... and he's too busy to think about Colin.

Tom was also pressed on if he was proud that his teammates don't sit or take a knee during the anthem -- to which he explained, "I don't really pay attention to that."

As far as Tom's non-relationship with Colin -- Kaepernick went to bat for Tom back in 2015 during the Deflategate scandal ... saying, "No football in the world is going to help you win by 38! Let it go and let Tom be great!"

Colin Kaepernick is NOT being blackballed by the NFL, he's unemployed because he's not a good quarterback -- so says Kid Rock.

The rock star has been blasting Kaepernick at his concerts for a while -- pissed off over his national anthem protest.

But after his latest shot at Kaep, Kid decided to clarify his stance on the QB.

"To be clear -- F*ck ANYONE who takes a knee or sits during our national anthem," Kid Rock said in a Facebook post.

"Pretty sure if Russell Wilson or Tom Brady were doing it they would have no problem finding a job playing for any team they wanted in the NFL! So cut the bullsh*t!"

Kid Rock has been under fire for using the Confederate flag at his shows. Some people have straight up called him racist -- but Kid says he's not.