NFL

Jerry Jones is ripping Dallas mayor Eric Johnson for suggesting the city needs a new NFL team -- the L.A. Chargers -- saying it'd have a huge negative effect on the beloved Cowboys.

The 79-year-old billionaire -- who's owned the Cowboys since buying the team in 1989 -- thinks the mayor's suggestion isn't only a bad one -- but also misinformed.

"Well, I like the mayor," Jones told The Dallas Morning News. "I like him personally, but he doesn’t have the depth. He doesn’t have the knowledge that others have regarding how unique Dallas is and how we enjoy the interest in the Cowboys."

"He wouldn’t want to water that down as it relates to Dallas if he knew as much, and has spent as much time in sports as I have," he added.

Jerry is responding to a comment recently made by Johnson ... who suggested the Chargers -- currently embroiled in a nasty legal battle for control of the team -- should move to Dallas.

"Southern Dallas is the fresh start the @Chargers need! Several sites, including @cottonbowlstad and Hensley Field, would be ideal locations for a state of the art practice facility and world headquarters or stadium," Mayor Johnson wrote.

"We’re ready for the @NFL in  @CityOfDallas! @nflcommish"

"You can be rest assured that you would not have the NFL supporting another team because of the kind of value that the game and the NFL receives of having [the] Dallas Cowboys as one of its marquee teams and again," Jones said.

He continued ... "Logic tells you [the NFL] wouldn’t want to water that down."

FYI, Forbes estimates the Cowboys worth at $6.5 billion, making them the NFL's highest-valued team. But, it might be worth even more. JJ recently said he could sell the team for $10 billion, if he wished.

The mayor -- who claims to be a diehard Cowboys fan -- responded to Jones saying, "I like Jerry [Jones] a lot, and he has done a great job turning my beloved Cowboys into the most valuable sports franchise on the planet."

"No team will ever dethrone the Cowboys -- but that's not the point. This region loves football and could certainly support a second team. And as a mayor, my job is to grow my city's economy."

Patrick Mahomes' 1-year-old daughter has quarterback genes in her blood ... and, clearly, the youngster has some hoops ones as well -- 'cause she's already dunking!!

Brittany Mahomes shared video of baby Sterling accomplishing the feat on Thursday morning -- and it's adorable (and impressive!).

In the clip, you can see Sterling walk right up to the rim, and throw it down with ease. Sterling walked off after scoring the basket, but after Brittany encouraged her to shoot it again ... Sterling put home another rim-rattler!

Mom loved it -- cheering on Sterling the entire time ... and even tagging Patrick so Dad knew his baby's athleticism is coming in nicely.

Sterling should have a partner to throw her some lobs in the very near future ... Patrick and Brittany just announced this month the two are expecting another child soon.

Josh Allen's teammate just revealed the Bills superstar is obsessed with cracking "deez nuts" jokes ... saying the QB gets Buffalo rookies with the quip on a regular basis!!

Tight end Dawson Knox explained Allen's infatuation with the joke to a group of reporters on Wednesday ... saying dudes have to walk on thin ice in the locker room whenever Allen asks them a question.

"Every day is a new 'deez nuts' joke," Knox said. "You can never be comfortable around him because anytime he comes up and asks you a question, you just have to walk away."

Knox explained the veterans have become more savvy to it ... but Bills rookies are sitting ducks!

"That's why he loves having the rookies 'cause they have no idea," Knox said. "Anybody new in the locker room."

Knox said it's all fun and games, though ... and even added that it's so generally so humorous, most of the team joins in on it "by the end of the day."

"That's a little peek into his personality," Knox said.

Saints star Marcus Davenport will now only have about 9.5 fingers available to take down opposing ball carriers this year ... he just revealed he had to have the tip of his pinky amputated this offseason.

The New Orleans pass rusher told a throng of reporters on Wednesday following a Saints workout that he had to lose part of the digit after his finger developed an infection from a surgery he had back in 2021.

Davenport had to have a plate placed into the finger that year after injuring it previously ... but the 25-year-old said when the plate broke this offseason, it caused an infection that he got rid of by simply amputating the top of his left pinky.

Davenport said he expects the amputation to have no impact on his ability to play football going forward.

The bad news for Davenport about it all? Losing the body part wasn't even the worst part of his offseason -- the former first-round pick said he also had to have shoulder surgery from an unrelated injury too.

Just seconds before Arizona Cardinals defensive back Jeff Gladney died in a car accident last month ... he was both "swerving" and "flying" down a roadway, this according to a crash report obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the official documents, authorities say Gladney was driving a 2019 Mercedes-Benz with his girlfriend, Mercedes Andrea Palacios, at around 2:20 AM on May 20 on the Woodall Rodgers Service Road in Dallas.

According to the docs, a witness told investigators Gladney sideswiped a Lexus while traveling at "a very high rate of speed."

Investigators say Gladney then lost control of his ride, traveled into a nearby grassy area, and flipped into a bridge pillar. The collision, according to the report, caused the car to burst into flames.

In the docs, authorities say a witness on the scene filled out an affidavit claiming Gladney was both "swerving" and "flying" prior to colliding with the Lexus. The witness, investigators say, claimed Gladney caused the crash.

In the docs, investigators noted neither Gladney nor Palacios were wearing seatbelts. They listed "unsafe speed" and "faulty evasive action" as contributing factors in the accident.

Authorities also noted in the docs that responders arrived eight minutes after they were initially notified of the wreck.

As we previously reported, both Gladney and Palacios were tragically killed in the crash. Gladney was just 25 years old; Palacios was just 26.

It's unclear if either alcohol or drugs played a role in the accident, the crash report notes specimens were not taken at the scene. The Dallas County Medical Examiners Office, meanwhile, told TMZ Sports on Wednesday autopsy results for Gladney are still pending.

Gladney -- a former Minnesota Vikings first-round pick in 2020 -- had just signed with the Cardinals this offseason and was expected to compete for a starting cornerback role.

Deshaun Watson faced the Cleveland media for the first time since his intro presser with the Browns ... saying it's been "tough" to fight the sexual misconduct allegations made against him, but doubling down and adamantly denying he did anything wrong.

The Browns' $230-million man spoke with reporters after practice on Tuesday ... and gave detail on how he's doing as a mountain of lawsuits from two dozen massage therapists stands before him.

"Honestly, it's been tough," Watson said. "Just trying to make sure that I stay balanced with my mental and just my social life. But, I have a great family. I have a great legal team. and I have a great support cast here in this organization."

Watson says his focus has been on making the Cleveland Browns a better team ... and the support from his teammates and fans has made it easier on him as he tries to defend his name.

26-year-old Watson also spoke about his time with NFL investigators ... saying, "I spent hours with the people that they brought down and that's all I can do, is be honest and tell them exactly what happened."

"I know they have a job and I have to respect that and that's what we want to do, is cooperate, and they have to make a decision best for the league."

Watson -- who's accused of meeting with over 60 different masseuses over a 17-month span -- says the recent New York Times report doesn't sound right to him ... and he'll continue to fight to defend his name.

Deshaun previously spoke with the media about the allegations in March ... saying he "never assaulted any woman."

Two more lawsuits were filed after that statement.

MLB star Joey Votto made a fan's day at the ballpark on Monday -- by fulfilling her request to create a TikTok video!!!

The adorable scene went down just before Votto's Cincinnati Reds played the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix ... when a young fan's sign caught the attention of the 38-year-old first baseman.

"Joey Votto," the girl's sign read, "will you make a TikTok with me?"

Votto, a fan favorite and a budding TikTok star himself, was all-in on the idea ... and immediately went to work with the fan -- a 12-year-old from Phoenix.

The two eventually had the idea to hit "The Griddy" -- a dance move popularized by NFL stars Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase -- and, check out the footage, it clearly came out awesome.

Joey did the dance well, but the girl clearly stole the show ... it certainly looked like she had some experience hitting it before!!

Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany, is at war with social media trolls once again ... this time, she's calling one of 'em out after a very offensive and triggering comment made on Instagram.

The remark was left under a photo of Brittany, her superstar husband, and their daughter, Sterling ... announcing they're expecting another baby.

The troll unleashed the disgusting comment in a reply to another user -- saying, "if I was stuck w this woman for life I'd kill myself."

The 26-year-old rightfully took offense ... and put the hater on blast in a response via her IG story.

"Making comments like this are very very concerning but also highly inappropriate," Matthews said. "'Killing yourself' is not a term to just be throwing around like this."

"It's actually a very serious matter. People deal with these thoughts often. And it can be VERY TRIGGERING to some people."

Brittany continued, saying in today's world, cyberbullying can be "extremely hurtful" and because we don't know anyone's mindset, we need to be more cautious.

"Please be aware when you say stuff like this and know it can affect a lot of people if they even read or see these words. Let's be better."

FYI, suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in the U.S. according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Brittany has come forward about being on the receiving end of hurtful messages on social media in the past -- she even made "Team Brittany" shirts to help raise money for an anti-bullying organization after getting hate for her champagne celebration during a Chiefs playoff win this past season.

Russell Wilson had a crowd of new grads and their families in stitches over the weekend ... after he thanked them and other officials for finally not introducing him as "Ciara's husband."

Russ made the joke as he was delivering the commencement address for the 2022 Dartmouth College graduating class in New Hampshire on Sunday ... right after he was referred to as a Super Bowl champ and NFL star.

"Thank you very much for that introduction," Russ said. "Usually I just get introduced as 'Ciara’s husband,' so that was cool."

Russ took the quip even further ... adding, "And, let me start by answering the question that is on so many of your minds: Yes, she’s here too."

Russ' speech was captured on video ... and Ciara was spotted by cameras sitting in attendance and laughing big at the witty remarks.

"Yeah," he said. "Level up, level up."

Russ was tapped to give the speech 45 years after his father, Harry Wilson, graduated from the school ... and, following the opening funnies, Russ offered plenty of kind words about the university and what it did for his father and his family.

The Denver Broncos QB also spoke to the graduates about the impact his father had on his life following his time at Dartmouth ... and challenged them to reflect on what they want their legacies to look like after leaving the school as well.

The Game felt some type of way after he was excluded from the Super Bowl halftime show in his city ... the L.A. rapper saying he was "hurt" Dr. Dre didn't hit him up to perform.

Super Bowl LVI was basically L.A.-themed -- going down at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA -- with the Rams repping the NFC. Most Los Angeles of all, the halftime performers ... including L.A. rappers Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Kendrick Lamar.

But, The Game -- an L.A. native who always reps for the city -- was not included in the lineup ... something the 46-year-old rapper said wasn't right while appearing on the "I Am Athlete" podcast.

"The f****** Rams was in the Super Bowl, bro!" The Game said, "L.A., L.A., L.A. all around the Super Bowl and I don't get the call. I was hurt by that.”

"Dre should've called and said why. I would've understand that 'cause I talk to Dre. I talk to Dre often and I just know if I was Dre and he was Game, then he woulda been up there. That's just it. It's L.A. and I am L.A. I'm in the streets."

What made Game even more upset was the fact that Eminem and 50 Cent got to perform ... when they're not even born and raised L.A. rappers.

"Snoop is icon. Dre is icon. Em is an icon, but Em is not from L.A. 50 is not from L.A," Game said.

"I’m not taking away from the fact that they were on the Super Bowl, but L.A. n***** wouldn’t have been in the Detroit Super Bowl or New York Super Bowl. It just wouldn’t have happened."

Even though Game's feelings were hurt, he gets why he didn't get the call -- he's "not a safe artist."

"You don't know what Game gon' do when he get up there," Game said, "They went with the safe artists."

Bills legend Bruce Smith tells TMZ Sports he played a role in bringing Von Miller to his former team ... saying he personally told Buffalo coaches and execs the ex-Rams star is exactly what they need to get to a Super Bowl.

Smith made the revelation in a conversation with us this week ... explaining that prior to Miller's Bills signing this offseason, Smith had a conversation with head coach Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane to convince them to go after Miller.

"I told them," Smith said, "I said, 'Look, this is the guy we need rushing the quarterback.'"

Smith said in previous convos he's had with McDermott, he's stressed the importance of having a game-wrecking pass rusher on the team ... and explained that when Miller became available, he believed the 33-year-old was the perfect guy for that role.

"His body of work speaks for itself," Smith said. "And that's what you have to focus on."

Obviously, McDermott and Beane listened to Smith -- because, after all, the guy is the NFL's all-time sacks leader -- and ended up signing Miller to a six-year contract.

Smith said the move now pushes Buffalo's defense to a whole 'nother level ... and makes them a big-time contender for this season's Lombardi Trophy.

Jack Del Rio won't lose his job over his Jan. 6 comments earlier this week ... but his wallet will be lighter -- the team just fined him $100,000 for the remark.

Head coach Ron Rivera just announced the punishment ... saying Del Rio's comments "do not reflect the organization's views and are extremely hurtful to our great community here in the DMV."

Rivera added that Del Rio's money will now be donated to the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund.

"I feel strongly that after our conversation this morning," Rivera said, "[Del Rio] will have a greater understanding for the impact of his language and the values that our team stands for."

Del Rio initially made the controversial comments on Wednesday ... when he was trying to explain to a throng of media members why he believed the riots following George Floyd's death in 2020 should be investigated in the same way as the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

"I see the images on TV, people's livelihoods are being destroyed. Businesses are being burned down -- no problem," Del Rio told reporters at Washington practice. "And then we have a dust-up at the Capitol, where nothing burned down. And we're going to make that a major deal."

Del Rio eventually apologized for the remarks ... but the backlash was still swift, with many slamming him over the words.

In fact, NAACP president Derrick Johnson said he believed the coach should have lost his job over it all.

JaMarcus Russell is opening up about his codeine use in college and the NFL ... saying he would drink lean to cope with injuries instead of taking painkillers.

Of course, the troubled history of Russell is well-known ... from his short venture with the Oakland Raiders (2007-2009) to being arrested in 2010 for possession of codeine syrup.

The 36-year-old says he first drank lean when he was just 14 -- when he accidentally grabbed it (thinking it was soda) from a cooler while hanging out with friends at a park in Mobile, Alabama.

"That was my first time drinking syrup," Russell said in the Players' Tribune. "Wasn’t the last time."

He added ... "Some syrup, for us, that’s like you might drink some wine or something. I’m not glorifying it, but back then, that was the cheapest way for them boys to sip on something. You grow up in poverty, you’re going to figure out a way to cope with it, you feel me?"

Russell says he eventually used codeine to deal with his pain in college ... days after injuring his shoulder in the 2005 SEC Championship Game.

"I was in so much pain that one morning I just said f*** it and took some drank with me to class," Russell said.

"Looked just like a soda from the cafeteria. I don’t know how the hell the teacher even found out, but somebody in class snitched on me."

Russell says LSU coaches found out about it and suspended him for the 2005 Peach Bowl.

"I ain’t no saint, but come on, man," he added. "They shoot your ass up with the strongest painkillers on earth just to get you out on the field. But, you’re drinking some cough syrup and now you’re a criminal?"

Russell says his drinking continued in the NFL ... claiming the team would hand out painkillers "like Skittles" ... but he preferred to do things on his own terms.

"Was I perfect? As a player? As a person? Hell no," Russell said. "I shouldn’t have been sippin’ like that, in the NFL. I should’ve stayed in better shape. I should’ve been more of a student of the game. I got to live with my mistakes. I’d do it 10 times differently today, if I was coming up in a different era."

The NAACP is urging the Washington Commanders to can Jack Del Rio ... after the assistant coach called the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol a "dust-up."

NAACP president Derrick Johnson pleaded with the NFL team to make the move immediately in a statement on Thursday afternoon -- saying Del Rio's remarks "could not have been more offensive and ignorant."

If the Commanders don't make the move, Johnson urged Del Rio to flat-out resign.

The strong statement from Johnson came just one day after Del Rio attempted to explain why he believed the national riots following George Floyd's death in 2020 should be investigated the same way as the 2021 insurrection in D.C.

"I see the images on TV, people's livelihoods are being destroyed. Businesses are being burned down -- no problem," Del Rio told reporters at Washington practice. "And then we have a dust-up at the Capitol, where nothing burned down. And we're going to make that a major deal."

Del Rio later apologized for the remarks -- though Johnson is clearly not ready to accept it.

"Downplaying the insurrection by comparing it to nationwide protests, which were in response to a public lynching, is twisted," Johnson said. "You can’t coach a majority Black team while turning your back on the Black community. It's time for you to pack up and step off the field."

Indianapolis Colts star linebacker Darius Leonard is stepping up in the midst of tragedy ... by donating $15K to help pay for the caskets of the Uvalde shooting victims.

Leonard and his wife Kayla made the generous donation through his foundation -- The Maniac Foundation -- to the owner of Soulshine, the Texas company that provided custom caskets for all the victims.

"Once I heard the terrible news about the Uvalde school shooting, I knew that I wanted to do something to help those suffering," Leonard said.

"I am pleased to announce that The Maniac Foundation has donated 15k to Soulshine who provided each victim of the shooting with a custom casket."

Soulshine owner Trey Ganem said when his team was asked to help with the caskets, he agreed without hesitation ... explaining he knew God would send an army to help them fulfill their mission.

21 innocent people, including 19 kids, were savagely murdered inside Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX on May 24.

The devastation from the senseless violence has reverberated throughout the sports world ... with many high-profile names from LeBron James to Warriors coach Steve Kerr making impassioned pleas to politicians to fix the issue.

The Eagles might go 17-0 this season ... and it's all thanks to Coldplay's beautiful performance of the team's "Fly Eagles Fly" fight song at their concert in Philadelphia.

The show went down at Lincoln Financial Field -- home of the Eagles -- on Wednesday ... as part of the band's "Music of the Spheres" tour.

The group made sure to give the hometown fans what they REALLY wanted ... pausing their regularly scheduled setlist to bring a tear to any Eagles fan's eye.

Of course, the tune is usually shouted out by any drunk fan wearing a Brian Dawkins jersey at the bar on NFL Sundays ... but frontman Chris Martin basically turned it into a Billboard Top 100 ballad.

The crowd clearly loved it ... chanting along as Martin even finished it off with the signature "E-A-G-L-E-S" chant.

Well done by the "Viva La Vida" crew ... but football fans can only hope they turn this into a tradition everywhere they go now.

Maybe the Eagles play this before every game from now on??