NFL

NFL running back Duke Johnson waited THREE YEARS to get revenge on Baker Mayfield ... and he finally got it by roasting the QB amid his uncertain future with the Browns.

26-year-old Baker released a lengthy, heartfelt message to the Dawg Pound on Tuesday ... breaking his silence as the Browns reportedly pursue 3-time Pro Bowler Deshaun Watson.

The post almost certainly seemed like a goodbye to the city that welcomed Mayfield in 2018 ... with lines like, "I have given this franchise everything I have," and mentioning how he'll work hard "wherever I take my next snap."

Johnson -- who played one year with Baker on the Browns before requesting a trade in 2019 -- wasn't feeling the mushy post, though ... and made his reaction known by referencing an old quote the Heisman Trophy winner made during their time together.

Of course, the trainwreck tweet is a shot at comments Baker made about Duke's trade request ... when the QB said, "You're either on this train or you're not."

Johnson chose the latter ... as he was eventually traded to the Houston Texans, where he played for 2 seasons.

Seahawks defensive lineman Rasheem Green tells TMZ Sports he'd have no issues at all if his team signed Colin Kaepernick ... saying the quarterback would work well in Seattle.

"That's not really up to me," Green told us outside of JLT Performance Gym on Tuesday, "But I feel like he would be a good fit there."

Kaepernick-to-Seattle rumors have heated up this week ... after the former 49ers star threw a bunch of passes to Seahawks star receiver Tyler Lockett in a workout on Monday afternoon.

The two seemed to have a ton of chemistry -- and complimented each other's games on Twitter afterward. And, with head coach Pete Carroll previously having interest in Kaep several years ago, it seems the signal-caller could land in the Pacific Northwest if he were to get another shot in the league.

Green told us he'd welcome that signing ... explaining, "He's a great guy. Like what he stands for."

"But," Green added, "it's not my position to put him on the team."

Kaepernick has said over and over again he's still ready to lead a franchise -- despite the fact that he hasn't played since the 2016 season.

A Buccaneers fan is selling off a Tom Brady touchdown ball ... hoping it brings him enough cash to start a foundation in his late mother's honor.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Andrew Rice received the ball from Mike Evans after the Tampa Bay star caught the touchdown pass from Brady on Nov. 14, 2021, against the Washington Football Team.

Rice was ecstatic to receive the pigskin -- photographers at the stadium caught him grinning ear-to-ear while Evans handed it over -- but now, Rice is ready to part with it, for a good cause.

Officials at Gotta Have Rock and Roll tell us Rice is auctioning off the ball -- and a bunch of Brady rookie cards that he's amassed over the years -- in an effort to get money to kick-start a charity that honors his mother, who recently died of cancer.

The officials say even with Brady's retirement, they expect the ball and the cards to fetch over $100K.

As for why ... the ball is a historic one even if Brady throws a few more TDs next season after unretiring on Sunday. In addition to being Brady's 608th all-time TD pass -- it was also Evans' 71st TD catch, which tied Tampa Bay's all-time receiving TD record.

NFL running back Gus Edwards says his diamond chain and fancy watch were taken at gunpoint outside of an L.A. strip club back in December -- and now, he's suing the place and its valet service, claiming the heist was all their fault.

The 26-year-old Baltimore Ravens player spelled out the allegations in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, saying he and his friend, Loomis Zayzay, were at Crazy Girls on Dec. 11, 2021 when the robbery went down.

Edwards says he and Zayzay drove their vehicle to the club's valet and paid the $60 fee to leave their ride there. Edwards says the two then entered the venue, and paid another $800 to sit in a private area guarded by security.

But, Edwards says after about an hour, Crazy Girls employees began fighting -- so the two men left. When they went to pick up their car at the valet outside the club, Edwards says five masked men -- each holding a firearm -- got out of a car, confronted them, and demanded their jewelry.

Edwards says he and Zayzay attempted to fend off the robbers -- but, in the suit, the football player says the men eventually ended up taking his $50,000 custom necklace and $25,000 watch. Edwards says Zayzay's $60,000 Audemars Piguet watch was also stolen in the altercation.

Edwards says they obtained video of the incident that showed Crazy Girls security guards made no attempt to intervene in the robbery. Edwards also says the club's head of security told them to call 911.

In the docs, Edwards says cops showed up and took a report, and everyone went home.

But, roughly a week later, Edwards says a person with the username "Johnny Blaze" sent him a message on Instagram, and told him he had been "set up by the valet." Edwards also says "Blaze" told him the jewelry had been taken to a local jewelry business. Edwards claims in his suit the jeweler there "confirmed that someone did try to sell him" Edwards and Zayzay's jewelry, though he declined to purchase it all.

Edwards and Zayzay are now suing the club and the valet service, asking for more than $800,000 in damages.

We reached out to Edwards' attorney, Jason J. Chong, for a statement ... but he declined to comment. We also reached out to Crazy Girls for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

Russell Wilson and Ciara are wasting no time giving back to their new community -- the power couple visited patients at a Denver children's hospital ... just one week after Russ was traded to the Broncos.

The star quarterback and his famous wife were spotted at the medical facility early Tuesday afternoon ... talking with kids and taking photos at The Ryan Seacrest Foundation Studios.

Denver-based sports reporter Taylor Brooks shared the news on Tuesday ... saying someone who was getting a checkup at the hospital spotted Russ and Ciara making rounds, so they decided to take a snap of their visit.

In the pic, you can see Ciara is already supporting her man's new team -- wearing a blue and orange crewneck sweater with the word "Broncos" on it.

Wilson and Ciara are no strangers to philanthropy -- not only do they make regular appearances in the community, but they also have the "Why Not You" foundation, which is dedicated to fighting poverty through education and empowering youth to lead.

Colin Kaepernick is putting his arm on display for NFL teams once again ... this time, he did it while throwing to Seattle Seahawks star Tyler Lockett.

Kap posted the footage of the Monday workout on his Instagram page -- showing him hitting Lockett over and over again while the wideout ran routes for the QB at a high school field.

Kaepernick looked good, throwing short, intermediate and deep -- completing every pass he threw in the video.

As for how the two linked up -- Kaepernick put out a tweet on Sunday asking for receivers to throw to, and Lockett quickly responded.

"Let’s do it bro!" Lockett said Sunday. "Me and my brother will come run routes for you!"

No word on if the meetup means Seattle has any interest in the quarterback -- but the 'Hawks do need help in the QB room after trading away Russell Wilson just a few days ago.

As for Kaepernick, he's insisted repeatedly that he's ready to lead a team to a Super Bowl once again ... saying in a statement on his Twitter page last week that he's "still working."

Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since the 2016 season.

Simone Biles brought her 25th birthday celebration to the sand of Turks and Caicos ... enjoying a romantic walk on the beach, and a private dinner with fiancé Jonathan Owens.

The couple shared some of the bday fun on social media on Monday ... and it looks and sounds amazing.

"Want to wish my beautiful fiancée a happy birthday!!!" Owens said in a sweet message on IG.

"What's a better place to bring it in than paradise 🤪🍾."

They were definitely livin' it up on the islands -- the 4x Olympic gold medalist was even surprised with a private dinner on the beach.

"Here's to your best birthday yet, and we just getting started!!!!" the Houston Texans safety said, "More surprises to come 👀😘."

"I love you more than you would ever know baby ❤️❤️ #twentyfiiiiine 🥵"

Owens added, "Looking forward to making endless memories with you on this journey of life together, everything happens for a reason and it's obvious we were made for each other."

The gymnast and NFL player have been dating since 2020 ... when Biles slid in his DMs. The two got engaged on Valentine's Day this year and plan to say 'I do' in 2023.

Jason Kelce is apparently a man of many talents ... it turns out, the Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman can both bench press defensive linemen AND sing!!!

The NFL star showed off his huge pipes on Monday night -- belting out the national anthem before the 76ers' game against the Nuggets ... and dude did a great job!!

Kelce stood at center court for the song, rocking a Sixers shirt, and serenaded a capacity crowd with his rendition of the "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The fans in the crowd loved it, cheering on every note -- and check out the video, Kelce sure seemed to feel like he crushed the performance.

As for why the Eagles Pro Bowler was tapped to be the guest singer for the game, it's all because of charity.

Kelce agreed to perform at the Wells Fargo Center if his former teammate, Connor Barwin, raised $100,000 or more for his Make The World Better Foundation by the end of 2021, and once he did, it was singing time for JK.

In a rare public appearance, former NFL star Colin Kaepernick was spotted at the Lakers game Sunday night, choppin' it up with Dodgers star outfielder Mookie Betts.

During the broadcast of the Lakers-Suns game, cameras panned to Kaepernick, who was standing with Betts during a TV timeout ... which, of course, is worth noting 'cause Kap maintains a relatively low profile.

Seeing Betts and Kap together is interesting. Colin's known for kneeling and Mookie, at one point, said he'd never kneel because his father served in the Air Force. Betts later changed his position by kneeling before a Dodgers game in 2020, saying, "I wasn't educated. My fault."

Kap's attendance at the game comes on the heels of the 34-year-old releasing a video last week of him working out ... which clearly served to put NFL owners on notice that he's still interested and capable of playing QB in the NFL.

The last time Kaepernick took a snap under center in the NFL was in 2016 ... as quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers. Kap's final season certainly wasn't his best, but the dual-threat QB contends he's been doing his part to stay in shape, and he's ready to play.

"For The past 5 years, I’ve been working out and staying ready in case an opportunity to play presented itself," Colin tweeted on Sunday. "I’m really grateful to my trainer, who I’ve been throwing to all this time."

"But man, do I miss throwing to professional route runners. Who’s working?? I will pull up."

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett stepped up and responded to Kap's request -- telling him that he would run routes for him. “Let’s do it bro! Me and my brother will come run routes for you!” Lockett wrote to Kap.

Mo Alie-Cox might be a free agent this offseason, but he's hoping to stay put ... telling TMZ Sports he'd love to re-sign with the Colts!!

The 28-year-old has played in Indianapolis since signing on as an undrafted free agent in 2017 ... after starring as a college basketball player at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Alie-Cox has developed into a solid player over the first four seasons of his career -- last year, he banked in 316 yards and 4 touchdowns after signing a one-year deal for $3 million.

Alie-Cox is now at liberty to sign with any team he wants as he hits free agency ... but he tells us, he'd rather keep it going in Indy.

"I'd love to go back to Indy," AC told us this week. "Been there for my whole career."

"That's the only place I know, so if they extend an offer or the right opportunity presents itself, I would definitely love to go back."

Of course, we had to ask about the rumors of MAC going over to the NFC to play with Eagles QB Jalen Hurts ... and that was news to him.

"Shoot, I haven't heard me going to Philly," he said.

It would make sense -- Alie-Cox's former Colts TE coach, Jason Michael, and OC, Nick Sirianni, are running things in Philly now .. and they could use more talent at the position.

But, Mo says he hasn't heard anything about it -- and it's clear he loves Indy.

Troy Aikman appears to believe the hammer the NFL dropped on Calvin Ridley for betting on NFL games was too strong ... telling TMZ Sports the one-year ban "seems like an awful lot."

Ridley was just suspended for the entire 2022 season ... after the NFL says he bet on contests while away from the Atlanta Falcons on the non-football illness list this past November.

Ridley said the totals of his bets were only $1,500 -- and while he reportedly bet on Falcons games, he was said to have never bet against his team.

Still, the NFL barred the star receiver for all 17 of next season's games, and left the door open to banning him even longer.

When we asked Troy this week for his thoughts on the length of the suspension -- he seemed to think the league could have, and perhaps should have, gone softer.

"On the one hand, you have the league encouraging everybody to gamble," Aikman said, "and yet, here Calvin Ridley is suspended for an entire season."

The Dallas Cowboys legend said he does see the NFL's side of the situation, saying the league should take betting on games very seriously ... but he added, "When you look at it against some of the other suspensions, I would agree that it seems like an awful lot."

Jason Kelce isn't ready to call it a career just yet -- the Philadelphia Eagles center just announced his return for the 2022 season ... by chugging an ice-cold beer!!

The 34-year-old Super Bowl champ has been mulling retirement for the past few off-seasons ... and many were wondering if this past campaign would be the last time #62 would take the field.

Kelce -- a 4-time first-team All-Pro -- put the rumors to rest on Thursday ... by pouring a brew into a blue plastic cup and downing it before getting to the actual reason behind the vid.

"Go a lot of questions on the air (with WIP-FM in Philadelphia) yesterday about my future," he said. "So, I decided I'd clear it up right now."

"Unfortunately, I've decided to announce I'm retiring from hosting WIP ... but I'm definitely not retiring from playing for the Philadelphia Eagles."

"I'm having way too much fun doing that."

The Eagles finished 9-8 last season ... losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round of the 2022 playoffs.

Kelce says he's looking forward to another season with Philly ... and has a special message for his teammates.

NFL cornerback Jeff Gladney -- a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft -- was just found not guilty of assaulting his girlfriend, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Court documents show a jury "unanimously" came to the decision in a Dallas County courtroom on Thursday afternoon.

As we previously reported, Gladney had been hit with a felony domestic violence charge back in August after he allegedly roughed up his GF in April following an argument over the contents of his phone.

In court documents, officials say Gladney's accuser told them the football player snapped on her ... hitting her, choking her and dragging her by her hair across the ground.

Gladney was not only released by the Vikings following the charge ... he was also facing up to 10 years behind bars if convicted.

Gladney's attorney, though, said after he was hit with the charge that the former TCU standout was innocent.

Gladney sat out all of the 2021 season with the case hanging over his head. He's still a free agent and is available to sign with any team.

It's been nearly SIX years since Colin Kaepernick last took a snap in the NFL ... but the quarterback said on Thursday he's "still working" to make it back.

The 34-year-old made the announcement on his social media page ... while sharing a video of one of his latest workouts.

In the clip, Kaepernick can be seen dropping back on a football field, rolling to his right, and throwing a pass several yards downfield.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported following the video's release that a source close to Kap says the ex-49ers star is currently "in the best shape of his life."

"He wants to play," Schefter said the source added. "He's ready play. He would be a great fit for teams with QB vacancies to fill who want to win a Super Bowl."

It's the first time in months that Kaepernick has said he still has NFL aspirations. You'll recall, he most recently spoke about a potential comeback in October, when he told Ebony that he's "training five, six days a week" to make it back.

We're told Kap's reps have been reaching out to teams in need of a quarterback ... in an effort to let teams know Colin is ready to play.

Kaepernick last played in an NFL game on Jan. 1, 2017. He threw for 215 yards and a touchdown in that game, which resulted in a loss to the Seahawks.

Kap has claimed repeatedly since then that the league was blackballing him over the way he started kneeling demonstrations during pregame national anthems.

Patrick Mahomes and Brittany Matthews are days from getting hitched -- the couple just arrived in Hawaii for their wedding day!!

Mahomes' lil' bro, Jackson, is providing some breadcrumbs surrounding the ceremony via Instagram ... revealing everyone's in Maui leading up to the big event.

Now that the location has been confirmed, the next question is -- who are Patrick's groomsmen?!

Jackson shed a bit of light on that, too ... revealing he's Patrick's best man by posting a pic with the superstar QB (sporting a bright-patterned RompHim) and saying, "Best Man type vibes 🤙🏽."

The Mahomeses aren't the only ones in paradise ... Matthews and her friend (and Travis Kelce's girlfriend) Kayla Nicole took a flight on a private jet to the island.

"Let the fun begin sister girl," Nicole said on social media.

Of course, Mahomes and Matthews had plenty of fun last month -- the Super Bowl champ went all out in Vegas for his bachelor party ... and his fiancée enjoyed a getaway with the girls.

Mahomes and his high school sweetheart got engaged in 2020 ... and had their first child, daughter Sterling Skye, on February 20, 2021.

Deion Sanders is revealing what his left foot looks like following the amputation of two of his toes -- and, warning, it's extremely graphic.

The NFL legend, in continuing to release details of his horrifying foot injury in bits and pieces, showed the mangled body part in a new video posted to his social media page Wednesday.

In the clip, Deion is showing his sons, Shedeur and Shilo, the injury for the first time -- and imploring them to use his bloody wound and the ensuing recovery process as a reminder to always work hard.

"Anytime y'all ever think about giving up anything, y'all think about this," Deion said. "I've fought through all of this for y'all."

Sanders' two sons -- who both play football for Deion at Jackson State -- appeared to be in shock over the injury, with one of them telling the former Dallas Cowboys cornerback in the footage, "You're a good man."

Shilo added in a post on his social media page Thursday, "I still haven't looked straight at it til this day."