NFL

New York Jets linebacker Dylan Donahue -- the guy who crashed into a bus in the Lincoln Tunnel -- has pled guilty to drunk driving ... TMZ Sports has learned.

As we previously reported, officials say the 25-year-old was driving his Dodge Charger Hellcat the wrong way in the Lincoln Tunnel on Feb. 26, when he slammed into a jitney bus (a private passenger bus) which was carrying 15 people. 4 of those people were hospitalized.

Donahue was initially hit with 4 charges-- but, he struck a deal with prosecutors in which 3 of those were dropped in exchange for pleading guilty to operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

His sentence -- his license was suspended for 3 months, he must have an ignition interlock device (which tests for alcohol on his breath) on his car for 1 year and must complete a DUI education program.

Meanwhile, Donahue has been participating at Jets camp -- and reportedly impressing the coaching staff.

Johnny Manziel ain't just playing for a Montreal Alouettes win on Friday night -- his NFL future could be on the line as well ... so says NFL legend Warren Moon.

TMZ Sports spoke with the only man in the CFL and Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he tells us NFL GMs will absolutely have their eyes on Manziel's first-ever Canadian start.

"They're going to be paying attention the rest of the season," Moon says.

Warren tells us that doesn't just mean on the field ... but off of it as well.

"He needs to focus all of his energy and all of his comments on football," Warren says.

"And, stay away from anything that has to do with social stuff because that's what kind of got him in trouble before."

NY Giants co-owner Steve Tisch -- who's also a huge movie producer -- says he's down to put Odell Beckham Jr. in one of his flicks ... BUT, there's a catch.

"After a long career," Tisch tells TMZ Sports.

Still ... Tisch has produced movies like "The Equalizer," "Southpaw" and "Forrest Gump" (he won an Oscar) -- and can you fathom OBJ in any of those down the road?!

As for if Tisch envisions the receiver spending that long football career in New York ... he didn't exactly specify -- but his tone seems to suggest the Giants DO want to pay him long-term.

NFL rookie Jordan Mailata might look like the Hulk ... but he can SANG like Jack Johnson -- 'cause the seventh round draft pick just SLAYED it on the guitar at Eagles camp!!

If you're unfamiliar ... Jordan is one of the baddest dudes on the planet, having consistently run over guys with his 6-foot-8, 346-pound frame on the rugby pitch in Australia the last few years.

But Philadelphia media members caught the new Eagles OL in a weak moment with his guitar Tuesday ... and the world is now a better place for it.

Jordan belted out 53 seconds of Mark Lowndes' "Hold" ... and it's guaranteed to make you swoon.

Ted Cruz believes the NFL has mishandled the national anthem controversy in a big way -- and tells TMZ Sports it's football fans who are ultimately losing out.

"I will say, I think the NFL did itself a lot of harm last year," the Republican senator from Texas told us at Reagan Airport in D.C.

"An awful lot of their fans, folks who go to games and like to cheer on football, found themselves thrust in the middle of politics."

He added ... "People ought to be able to enjoy football without it being turned into a political statement that many understandably see as a slight to our flag and to the many people who stood up and fought to defend our country."

Cruz has previously supported Colin Kaepernick's right to protest -- but does not support taking a knee during the anthem.

Le'Veon Bell is spending his time away from Steelers camp in epic fashion ... turning up with his girlfriend and smackin' a whole lotta butts at a strip club -- and it's all on video.

The Pro Bowl running back is staying away from Pittsburgh practices after he didn't get the contract extension he wanted ... and he's livin' it up in Miami with his GF, Marliesia Ortiz, in the meantime.

The two hit up Rockwell in South Beach on Monday ... where we're told gold bottles of Ace of Spades were flowing to his table all night.

The party didn't stop there ... Bell bounced to a strip club after -- where he got pretty hands-on with some booty ... while Marliesia watched!!

FYI ... Steelers coach Mike Tomlin shaded Bell before his big night out Monday, telling CBS Sports he hopes Le'Veon shows up in better condition than he did after returning from his holdout last season.

He's not closing the book on his NFL career, but Richie Incognito is already planning for life after football -- telling TMZ Sports he wants to be a politician.

The 35-year-old Pro Bowl lineman joined the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show -- and spelled out his career plan after he hangs up the pads for good.

"I'm all about the land of opportunity. I'm about enriching everybody in America. And, you know, hopefully one day run for public office," Incognito said.

"I see myself as a public servant now, now that I'm done playing. I love it. I want to be a politician."

So, what experience does he have?

"I think I'm the president of the HOA now," Richie joked ... "I've written some pretty nasty emails for cars parked in the yard."

As for Richie's NFL future -- Incognito says he's gotten calls from several teams ... but he's still weighing his options.

LeBron James says Donald Trump is using sports to create a racial divide in America ... and he won't sit back quietly anymore.

"What I've noticed over the last few months that he's kinda used sport to kinda divide us, and that's something that I can't relate to," James told CNN's Don Lemon at the opening of his I Promise school in Akron, Ohio.

It seems James is referencing Trump's stance on the national anthem demonstrations in the NFL -- the President has suggested firing any player who takes a knee during "The Star-Spangled Banner."

But, James says sports shouldn't divide people -- it should bring people of all races and backgrounds together.

"Sports was the first time I was ever around someone white. I got an opportunity to see them and learn about them, and they got the opportunity to learn about me and we became very good friends and I was like, ‘Oh wow, this is all because of sports.'”

Of course, LeBron has been very critical of Trump in the past -- even calling him a clown.

No tweet from Trump yet ... but guessing that's just a matter of time.

Ex-NFL quarterback Christian Ponder and his wife, ESPN host Samantha Ponder, say their newborn is home and recovering after undergoing emergency surgery just days after she was born.

Sam -- who hosts ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown" -- said their daughter, Price, "ended up in emergency surgery in the middle of the night" after a series of "terrifying and sudden events."

"We were short on time and frankly, in shock," Ponder wrote on social media.

Ponder didn't specify the details surrounding the medical emergency -- but says the surgery was a success and now Price is at home and recovering.

"Her recovery in the #NICU was nothing short of miraculous for a tiny body that had just undergone such trauma."

Ex-Seattle Seahawks star Brandon Browner hit an L.A. courtroom on Monday in a different uniform than he's used to wearing -- an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs ... and TMZ Sports has the video.

Browner was in court to be arraigned on an attempted murder charge stemming from a July 8 incident in which he allegedly dragged and smothered his ex-GF in front of her 2 children.

The 6'4", 220 pound Super Bowl champ was walked into the courtroom in handcuffs -- and didn't say much during the hearing. He did plead not guilty to the attempted murder charge.

If convicted, the 33-year-old cornerback faces up to life in prison.

Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury heard all the unkind things Baker Mayfield said about him on his new docuseries -- and now, he's got some quotes of his own for his former QB.

As we previously reported, Mayfield said Kingsbury treated him GREAT at TT during his freshman year ... only to kick him to the curb when he suffered a knee injury during a game against Kansas.

Both Baker and his father went in on Kingsbury during the FOX Sports series 'All The Way Up' -- and said the final straw was when TT refused to offer him a scholarship, despite racking up 5 wins as a walk-on.

We reached out to Kingsbury for comment and he told us:

"I’ve always been a huge fan of Baker and loved working with him. He had an incredible career at Oklahoma, and I wish him nothing but continued success as he begins his NFL career."

"As one of the most famous athletes in the country, Mr. Beckham presents an enticing target for shakedown artists."

That's how Odell Beckham has opened his new lawsuit against a man allegedly trying to extort the NFL star for $1 MILLION.

Beckham is suing Ishmael Temple -- who claims Odell is responsible for a brutal 2017 attack at Beckham's Beverly Hills home that left him with serious injuries to his face. Temple says the men who beat him up were working for Odell at the time and the NFL star did nothing to stop it.

But, Odell claims Temple is full of crap -- and, in new court docs, claims Temple and his attorney were only after a huge payday ... and threatened to ruin Odell's reputation by leaking salacious allegations about him to the media if he didn't pony up.

Beckham claims Temple initially demanded a $999,999 settlement -- but then lowered the asking price to $225k.

"Suffice it to say, Mr. Beckham refused to be extorted," the lawsuit claims.

Baker Mayfield opened up about why he hates his former Texas Tech coach, Kliff Kingsbury, so much -- essentially saying the guy kicked him to the curb when he got injured during a game.

The QB pulled no punches in his new FOX Sports docu-series, 'All The Way Up' -- saying Kliff treated him like a god when he stepped in and won 5 games as a freshman walk-on back in 2013.

But, when Baker sprained his MCL against Kansas -- Mayfield says everything changed.

"It went from being 'the guy' for Coach Kingsbury ... and then when I got hurt, it just changed a little bit ... not a little bit, a lot."

"All the sudden it was as if I hadn't played for him, hadn't done anything for him. It was just different after I got hurt."

Baker's father says the coach "completely withdrew his contact" with the QB after the injury -- "He didn't talk to Baker. He didn't include Baker in the meetings."

But, Mayfield says what REALLY pissed him off was when Texas Tech officials told him they didn't have a scholarship for him after that season ... despite the fact he was 5-0 as a starter.

"I've invested a lot into this and now you're telling me you don't have a scholarship for a guy who won 5 games after choosing to come here? That was the final straw for me."

Everything really IS bigger in Texas ... just check out Robert Griffin III's massive house on the lake, which just hit the market for $2.6 million, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 7 bed, 7 bathroom crib -- located right on Lake Conroe outside Houston -- is totally tricked out with a game room, theater, wine grotto and wet bar, pool with a swim-up bar and a private dock.

The mansion is located just a few hours from where RG3 grew up in Copperas Cove ... but now that the dude's got a new job in Baltimore, he's ready to part ways with the pad.

In case normal pics ain't your thing, there's a virtual tour you can take to scope out all the bells and whistles.

Jerry Jones' biggest star is going to bat for the Dallas Cowboys owner and his new hardline stance on the national anthem kneeling ... with Dak Prescott saying the anthem ain't the time or place to protest.

The QB addressed reporters at Cowboys camp Friday and said he's fine with Jerry's new rule that forces players to stand ... 'cause it's something he's always believed in himself.

"I never protest during the anthem and I don’t think that’s the time or venue to do so," Dak said.

"The game of football has always brought me such at peace and I think it does the same for a lot of people playing the game, watching the game and a lot of people that have any impact of the game."

"So, when you bring such a controversy to the stadium, to the field, to the game … it takes away. It takes away from the joy and to the love that football brings a lot of people."

Don't get it twisted ... Dak says he's all for fighting the battle against social injustices in America -- he's just ready to take a different step than kneeling during the anthem.

Jerry Jones officially laid the hammer down on the Cowboys' national anthem stance Thursday ... telling reporters, "Our policy is that you stand at the anthem, toe on the line."

Guess who was thrilled to hear that??

"Way to go Jerry," Donald Trump tweeted early Friday morning ... "This is what the league should do!"

The Cowboys owner wasn't the only one going bold on the issue this week ... with Jerry's son and Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones implying the Cowboys could CUT players if they don't follow the orders.

"When you're wearing the Dallas Cowboy uniform and a Dallas Cowboy helmet and you're working for the Dallas Cowboys, you check the 'I' and the 'me' at the door, and you're a part of a team," Stephen says.