NFL

Iggy Azalea is giving athletes another try ... 'cause she just confirmed she's dating NFL superstar DeAndre Hopkins!!

The "Kream" rapper's first run with a professional baller didn't go so well ... she had a disastrous breakup with Nick Young -- and things didn't look promising for other athletes.

But ... apparently she's willing to give it another shot -- with one of football's best players!!

"Yeah, we're in a relationship," Iggy said of Hopkins to Y100 in Miami.

There had been rumors about the two for a week or so ... especially after the Texans star was awfully flirty with her in some of his IG posts.

Ice Cube is going to bat for Dak Prescott -- saying people trashing the QB for wanting to stand for the national anthem can go eff themselves.

Dak's been getting crap for backing up Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones who recently said his players will NOT take a knee during the anthem.

Dak was quoted as saying, "I never protest during the anthem, and I don't think that's the time or the venue to do so."

The backlash was swift ... including a mural in Dallas that depicted Prescott in the "Sunken Place," a reference from the movie "Get Out", which means Prescott has forgotten his place as a black man.

Cube tells TMZ Sports the mural is "bullsh*t" -- and has this message for Prescott ... "Do what you want to do, man. F*ck everybody."

Mike Tolbert only needed to see 17 seconds of Greg Hardy in an Octagon to make a HUGE prediction about his ex-NFL teammate ... telling TMZ Sports, "I could see him being the heavyweight champ of the UFC one day!"

The ex-Panthers fullback -- who was with Hardy for three seasons in Carolina -- tells us he was so impressed with Greg after his fight Tuesday ... he sees a belt in Hardy's future.

"I think if he stays true to it and puts all of his effort into it and continues training," Tolbert says, "... I think he'll be one of the top names in the UFC the next few years."

It's a big statement from Mike ... considering Greg's two fights in a UFC Octagon only total 74 seconds -- but Tolbert knows firsthand what Greg's capable of achieving.

"One of the most athletic people I've ever played with," Mike says.

Ex-Chicago Bears quarterback Erik Kramer has been charged with misdemeanor battery stemming from his alleged domestic violence incident back in June ... TMZ Sports has learned.

As we previously reported ... the former NFL player was arrested after he admitted to police he got physical with his wife, Cortney Baird, during a fight at their Agoura Hills home.

Baird claims Kramer flipped out after she confronted him about an argument the two previously had ... saying the ex-QB got violent and threw various household items at her.

Kramer was booked on suspicion of felony corporal injury to a spouse and released on $50k bond.

Now ... we're told cops are hitting Kramer with one count of misdemeanor battery for the incident -- and the ex-QB is facing up to six months in jail if convicted.

Antonio Callaway had gun parts and ammunition in his car (in addition to weed) when he was pulled over in Ohio ... and the police video obtained by TMZ Sports shows it made the lead officer get "real nervous."

The Cleveland Browns rookie WR -- selected in the 4th round of the 2018 NFL Draft -- was pulled over on August 5 at 2:59 AM in Strongsville, Ohio for a routine traffic violation.

The cop smelled weed and searched the car -- finding a small amount of marijuana under the driver's seat ... along with the backstrap of a Glock firearm and several rounds of ammo.

You can see the officer gets very serious when he finds the bullets and gun parts -- ordering Callaway to put his hands in the air and stay put.

Antonio told the officer there was NO gun in the car -- just the parts. The officer eventually verified Callaway's claim, but admits to his partner he got anxious when he found the bullets.

In the end, the officer realizes Antonio is a Cleveland Browns player and admitted he felt bad busting him ... since he didn't appear drunk or high and was super polite during the arrest.

At one point, the officer admits he's excited to watch Callaway play -- saying he's "fast as sh*t."

The 49ers are paying tribute to the guys behind the most famous play in the team's history -- erecting a 2-piece "The Catch" statue at Levi's Stadium featuring Joe Montana and Dwight Clark.

Clark died in June at the age of 61 after his battle with ALS -- and it seems the 49ers are pushing the plans forward to honor him as quickly as possible. The team is also wearing #87 stickers on their helmets this year.

As for the statues -- Dwight's sculpture (full arms outstretched) will stand exactly 23 yards from his QB ... to replicate the moment from the 1981 NFC Championship vs. the Dallas Cowboys.

Dwight's statue will stand 11 feet tall. Both pieces will weigh 350 lbs.

Clark had a huge career for the Niners after being picked in the 10th round of the 1979 NFL Draft ... winning two Super Bowls and having his No. 87 jersey retired in 1988.

Greg Hardy just destroyed a grown-ass man in 17 seconds in his second UFC fight ... and Dana White is fired up!

Hardy -- the former NFL star -- had already won a UFC contract on Dana's Tuesday night contender series back in June, but Dana wanted to book him a second fight on the show to get him more experience.

So, Hardy stepped in the Octagon again Tuesday night against Tebaris Gordon, and if you blinked ... you missed Hardy unleash an epic can of whoop ass that resulted in another ferocious victory.

Hardy has only had a handful of MMA fights since he decided to focus on becoming a pro fighter -- but he's destroyed every single opponent he's faced. Dana has previously told us he wants to get Hardy more fights before putting him on a major UFC card.

Richie Incognito says Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer is straight-up lying about the NFL lineman's claim that he was talking with the team about a job this offseason ... and it's getting nasty.

It all started when Richie appeared on "TMZ Sports" last week and he told us he'd been speaking with multiple teams about a possible contract ... including Minnesota.

"I'm still in great shape, just waiting on that call. I've had calls from Minnesota, Seattle ... I really just don't want to go to training camp, so we'll see."

Zimmer was asked about Incognito's comments during a press conference on Tuesday -- and straight-up said Incognito was wrong.

"No interest and totally false," Zimmer said ... "Tweet that."

Incognito -- needless to say -- was furious over Zimmer's comments and tweeted, "Mike Zimmer is a F**KING LIAR!!"

Incognito claims he had been talking with Vikings line coach Tony Sparano all summer long and posted screen shots of text conversations. Sparano passed away a few weeks ago.

The screenshots show Incognito was interested in a job -- but they don't show Tony ever made a direct offer. Incognito claims they "spoke weekly this off-season" and believes Tony was seriously interested.

Forget Von Miller and Case Keenum ... the hottest autographed Denver Broncos jersey is TAYLOR SWIFT!

The singer signed a #13 jersey for the NFL team's big Kickoff Luncheon charity auction -- and it's already getting more heat than some of the biggest players on the team.

At time of post, bidding is already at $450 -- more than twice the price for an autographed helmet from Terrell Davis ... who's a HALL OF FAMER!!!

Some of the other items up for auction -- a Peyton Manning signed football (less than Swift), Tiger Woods signed hat (way less than Swift) and a Ryan Tannehill signed helmet (not even close).

As for the Swift jersey, the Broncos say she signed the uni during her May concert at Mile High Stadium and she got #13 because it's her lucky number. Also, she was born on Dec. 13.

The money from the auction will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club -- so get in there and SPEND SOME MONEY.

On the field, Steve Smith Sr. appeared to be the most confident NFL player on the planet -- but privately, the WR was struggling with depression and admits he felt "trapped, inferior and alone."

The ex-Ravens and Panthers star went public with his mental health issues on NFL.com -- revealing he REALLY began to "take ownership" of the situation when he retired following the 2016 season.

Smith says, despite his carefree demeanor, he never really enjoyed any of his football accomplishments and often felt "mentally, physically and emotionally broken."

Smith says he first tried counseling in 2013 -- but didn't really take it seriously.

But, since he hung up his cleats, Smith says he's been able to focus on his mental health and has learned a lot about himself.

"I find myself, as an extreme introvert defined by my counselor, looking for excuses on how to avoid large crowds and retreating during public appearances, big events and even family gatherings," Smith says.

"Being in public is a constant struggle, not because I don't want to attract attention or think I'm 'important,' but because of my inner battle."

"This is all proof that I still face my demons often, but I'm gradually learning how to cope with them."

Smith says he has a message to other people suffering from mental health issues -- ask for help.

EA Sports has fixed the Colin Kaepernick "mistake" -- removing the edit that scrubbed the QB's name from a song that's on the soundtrack for the Madden NFL 19 video game.

As we previously reported, Colin's name is a part of the original lyrics for YG's track, "Big Bank" -- which is featured in the game. But, on the version released on Madden, Kaep's name was mysteriously absent.

EA Sports claimed they made "an unfortunate mistake" when "members of our team misunderstood the fact that while we don’t have rights to include Colin Kaepernick in the game, this doesn’t affect soundtracks."

EA added, "We messed up, and the edit should never have happened. We will make it right, with an update to Madden NFL 19 on August 6 that will include the reference again."

Turns out, EA kept their word on that -- and now, Colin's name can be heard on the song in the game.

Mickey Rourke tells TMZ Sports ... Donald Trump is a "garbage can" president -- and he'd gladly protest with the NFL kneelers as a way to stick it to our "sh**ty" Commander in Chief.

"The Expendables" star was at Ago on Saturday night when we asked him about the LeBron James vs. Donald Trump beef ... and where he stood.

That's when Rourke unloaded on POTUS -- and made it clear he's pissed at the way Trump has treated NFL stars like Colin Kaepernick, who took a knee during the national anthem to shine a spotlight on police brutality against minorities.

"Everything is bulls**t. You can't trust nothing," Rourke said ... explaining that Trump's simply a "sh**ty president" and the country is gonna have to wait him out.

Ex-Oakland Raiders star CB Sean Smith is slated to be released from jail next month -- after serving less than half of his year-long sentence in his street fight case ... TMZ Sports has learned.

As we previously reported ... Sean got 1 year in jail and 5 years probation after pleading guilty to felony assault in a July 2017 incident where he beat the hell out of his sister's boyfriend in Old Town Pasadena. The victim suffered several major injuries in the attack.

But now, officials have set his release date as Sept. 5 -- about half a year earlier than sentenced -- citing good behavior and overcrowding.

Of course, Smith could screw it all up if he doesn't keep his nose clean -- but we're told if all goes smoothly, Smith will be a free man ... 1 day before the NFL season kicks off.

The timing is a huge deal for Sean -- who signed a $40 million contract with the Raiders in 2016 but was cut later after the attack -- because it may give him a chance to make a squad this year.

We've reached out to the NFL to find out if Smith will have to serve a suspension (he most likely will) ... or if he'll be eligible at all to play in the 2018 season.

Buffalo Bills WR Zay Jones says he ain't just grateful to be back out on the football field after his bloody, naked arrest in March ... he's happy to be alive, telling reporters at Bills camp, "I could have lost my life."

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the Buffalo WR was involved in a bizarre naked struggle with his brother in a downtown L.A. apartment building -- where he allegedly tried to jump from a 30th floor window.

Zay was asked about the incident on Sunday -- and, while he explained he didn't want to relive the "very traumatic" moment, he did say the whole ordeal almost killed him.

"I'm grateful. I could have lost my life," Jones said.

"I'm grateful to just be here. And to be on this field and to be with my teammates. To see my family. I don't think there's any other words to describe it but just thankful and grateful."

Jones was arrested for felony vandalism after the incident ... but he won't face criminal charges after his family agreed to cover the cost for repairs.

Odell Beckham is taking training camp ice baths to a whole 'nother level ... 'cause the NY Giants star just got a handful of diamonds implanted onto his tooth!!

OBJ had the procedure done a few days ago ... and it wasn't cheap -- coming in at around $5,000 -- and his dentist tells TMZ Sports it wasn't exactly easy to do, either.

"I got my ceramist to make a porcelain veneer that looked just like his tooth," New York dentist Dr. Lee Gause says.

"And then, on that porcelain veneer, I got a diamond cross made from Odell's jeweler that he actually made on a 3D rendering that I printed and sent to his shop."

Gause tells us he then locked in the jewels on Odell's canine tooth ... and they ain't removable unless Beckham returns to the dentist's chair.

YG, whose song "Big Bank" triggered a fierce war that goes to the heart of civil rights and racial prejudice in America, says the Madden CEO called him to express regret over editing out Colin Kaepernick from the song ... but it may be too little, too late.

YG was leaving Craig's in WeHo Friday night, before his album release party, and he said Andrew Wilson, the CEO of Electronic Arts, which got on the horn to say Colin's name would be back in the Madden game come Monday.

As you know, YG's version included Colin but it not-so-mysteriously disappeared when the game was unveiled, triggering outrage. It can only be viewed as kneeling to NFL fans who embrace Donald Trump's version of America.