NFL

Gisele Bündchen left Tom Brady recently, declaring their marriage was over, but TMZ has learned this was NOT the first time.

Sources connected to Gisele tell TMZ ... Gisele has separated from Tom and threatened to divorce him several times over a period of years ... and it was all over football.

Our sources say the sticking point for years has been that Gisele wanted Tom to get out of the game ... and although she's publicly talked about her fear he would develop CTE, she's been very upset with his NFL schedule ... which takes him around the country for 6 months out of the year. We're told she simply hates it.

We're told Gisele has threatened divorce in the past -- each time over football -- but they were able to work things out. This time, however, we're told it's different.

Both have hired high-profile, family law attorneys in South Florida ... and her lawyer has repped a number of celebs in high-profile divorces. Our sources say the lawyers are already working on terms, including a property settlement.

Le'Veon Bell is either insane or extremely confident ... the former star NFL running back will be fighting MMA star and former UFC fighter Uriah Hall in his pro boxing debut.

Bell will be fighting Hall on the same card as Jake Paul and Anderson Silva -- under "The Problem Child's" MVP promotion -- going down on October 29th in Arizona.

The fight will be fought at 195 lbs. ... and neither man can weigh over 200 lbs. on fight night.

30-year-old Bell is coming off an exhibition fight against Adrian Peterson in September, where he KO'd the 37-year-old running back in the fifth round.

Le'Veon -- who last played football with the Tampa Bay Bucs -- looked pretty impressive that night ... dropping AP with a vicious right hand that seemingly came out of nowhere.

Now, it appears Bell is ready to take that next step (well, like 10 steps) -- and will get in the ring against 38-year-old Hall, one of the most dangerous men in combat sports.

Hall was a top 10 ranked UFC Middleweight ... and beat Anderson Silva, and Gegard Mousasi, amongst many others.

Hall announced in August he was retiring from the UFC.

He may have turned his back on Tom Brady, but Antonio Brown is sticking by Kanye West's side ... channeling his buddy's controversial campaign and saying, "All Lives Matter."

Ye is facing a ton of criticism over the "White Lives Matter" shirt he wore during his YZY Fashion Show on Monday ... but despite the negative reception, he's dug his heels in even more throughout the week.

AB -- who recently trolled TB12 over his marriage issues with Gisele Bündchen -- isn't breaking ties with the artist ... reposting an old clip from August showing the two bouncing music ideas off each other, and including an interesting caption.

"All Lives Matter 🔔 🛎 #CallGod #Boomin," AB said on Instagram ... adding, "#Donda #Always"

AB and Ye have gotten pretty close recently -- they've worked on music together, and the Super Bowl winner even took the reins as president of Donda Sports in February.

Brown has also had his fair share of controversy recently -- video was released this week showing the ex-NFL star appearing to expose himself to a woman in Dubai.

A man is suing the New England Patriots Hall of Fame ... claiming it ruined his one-of-a-kind, Tom Brady signed American flag -- costing him potentially over $1 MILLION.

The guy's name is Daniel Vitale ... and he says in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, that back in early 2020, he acquired a flag that had been autographed by the G.O.A.T.

In his lawsuit, Vitale says the flag was ultra-rare. It had flown at Foxboro Stadium during a Patriots vs. Dolphins game in 2001 -- the same season that Brady first took over as the starter in New England -- and was signed by the quarterback a few years later. Vitale said he believed it to be the only American flag known to be signed by TB12 in existence.

Vitale says in the suit that in 2021, about a year after he got the piece, he reached out to the Pro Football Hall of Fame to see if it wanted to put it on display. He claims it did, but only after Brady and his former head coach, Bill Belichick, had retired.

The HOF, according to Vitale, suggested he reach out to the Patriots Hall of Fame at Gillette Stadium to gauge its interest in the flag in the meantime. Vitale claims in his suit that the Pats HOF wanted it -- and officials there promised him it would be "curated to the highest standard."

Vitale says he handed it over under that premise ... and it was almost immediately displayed underneath the Brady Super Bowl XLIX jersey that had been infamously stolen and later recovered.

Vitale, though, said months later ... he was considering asking for it back. He said due to Brady's potential retirement and the subsequent skyrocketing value of Brady memorabilia, he was thinking about putting it up for auction.

But, that's when he says he found out that the QB's autograph had faded due to what he claims is the way the HOF improperly displayed the piece.

In the suit, Vitale said "neither the lighting at [the facility] nor the glass [it] used for case displaying the flag were designed to protect autographed sports memorabilia."

He added, "there was a significant gap in the glass directly in front of the flag through which unfiltered light and heat could pass."

All of it, he said, caused the T and other parts of Brady's signature to significantly fade.

In a video of Vitale recovering the flag, you can hear he was crushed to see the state it was in.

In the suit, he said due to the Patriots HOF's mishandling of the flag, the value of it decreased by potentially as much as over $1 million.

He's asking for damages.

The fan who was leveled by Bobby Wagner after running onto the field during "Monday Night Football" this week has now filed a police report over the incident ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The man went to the Santa Clara Police Dept. on Tuesday following the Rams vs. 49ers game, cops tell us, and filed the report. A spokesperson did not reveal any further details.

A rep for Direct Action Everywhere -- the org. that took credit for the wild scene at Levi's Stadium -- told us the report stems from a "blatant assault" by two Rams players.

As we reported, two protesters jumped railing at the stadium during the second quarter of the contest ... and armed with pink smoke bombs, they attempted to disrupt the action on the field.

One of the protesters, a woman, was taken down before she could get onto the playing surface. The other protester, though, evaded security long enough to take a jaunt on the gridiron.

The guy juked stadium staffers for several moments ... but as he headed toward the Rams' sideline, Wagner -- with some help from teammate Takkarist McKinley -- flattened him.

Security took over, and the fans were eventually detained, cited and released.

According to Direct Action Everywhere, the individuals performed the stunt in order to raise awareness for a trial involving the alleged theft of pigs from a factory farm. The org. said the man suffered a burn injury during the incident.

"Otherwise," they said in a statement, "they're a bit beaten up but in good spirits."

For his part, Wagner said after the game he jumped in to help security for safety reasons.

"You don't know what that fan got or what they're doing," the star linebacker said.

Wagner has not been arrested or charged with any crime.

Joe Burrow is speaking out about his own experiences with hard hits to the head following Tua Tagovailoa's recent injury ... revealing he's blacked out and completely lost memory of parts of games.

The Cincinnati Bengals superstar's comments come as the topic of concussions has returned to the spotlight this season ... after the Dolphins allowed their star QB to play in a game just four days after he appeared to suffer a serious head injury against the Bills.

Burrow says, unfortunately, these things will continue to happen due to the nature of the sport ... and players know what they're signing up for.

"You're going to have head injuries," Burrow said on Colin Cowherd's podcast. "You're going to tear your ACL. You're going to break your arm. That's the game that we play. That's the life that we live."

Burrow -- who said he's had concussions where he didn't remember the second half of a game or an entire game -- said there's an inherent risk associated with the sport that he accepts.

"I know I got a little dizzy at one point," Burrow said on the podcast. "But nothing long-lasting."

Tua's situation has sparked serious concern with the Dolphins' handling of concussions ... with many questioning why he was even on the field to get hit in the head again on Thursday after suffering what looked like a possible head injury just four days prior against the Bills.

Tagovailoa's situation was so serious, Dr. Bennet Omalu -- the famed neurologist portrayed by actor Will Smith in the 2015 movie "Concussion" -- told us Tua should walk away from the NFL.

"If you love your life, if you love your family, you love your kids -- if you have kids -- it's time to gallantly walk away," Omalu said. "Go find something else to do."

"Sometimes money is not more valuable than human life. $20 billion is not worth more than your brain."

Myles Garrett is back on the football field ... just over one week after his terrifying car crash in Ohio.

The Cleveland Browns superstar was seen doing drills during team practice on Wednesday ... and you can tell the guy was hyped about putting on the pads once again.

The media at the Browns' training facility recorded the defensive end warming up and participating in individual defensive drills.

Ashley Bastock of Cleveland.Com said the 26-year-old even winked at the camera during his workout.

This is definitely a good look for Garrett ... especially since the three-time Pro Bowler suffered a shoulder and bicep strain after his Porsche 911 Turbo S flipped multiple times in a vicious crash last Monday.

Garrett -- who was cited for the accident -- says he was with a female passenger in Sharon Township, Medina County when he was speeding at 65 MPH in the 45 zone ... and confessed that this incident was a "wake-up call".

"Just trying to be smart overall with driving," Garrett said to the media last week. "Don't take it for granted ... You know, just take my time."

Gisele Bündchen got the kids out of the house for a workout -- hitting the gym in Miami as the supermodel and Tom Brady's marriage is seemingly all but over.

42-year-old Bündchen -- who was also spotted at the gym on Monday -- is focusing on her fitness as she remains in South Beach ... and on Tuesday, she brought Ben and Vivian along for the sweat session.

Gisele rocked a white tank and gray sweats for the workout -- and per usual, she was not wearing her wedding ring.

TMZ Sports broke the story -- Gisele and Tom have been on the hunt for divorce lawyers for weeks ... and our sources say their relationship is pretty much beyond repair. In fact, Page Six is reporting Bündchen has already hired representation.

Both Gisele and Tom were forced to head south ahead of Hurricane Ian ... but while Brady returned to Tampa for the Bucs' game against the Chiefs, Bündchen elected to stay in Miami.

Rihanna is finally breaking her silence on her hugely anticipated Super Bowl halftime performance ... telling us exactly how she feels leading up to the big day and even offering a tiny hint at who might join her onstage.

RiRi was shopping at Bristol Farms Tuesday in L.A., and of course we had to ask about the big game. At first, Rihanna says she feels "nervous" for the performance, but says she's excited to hit the stage.

We then shifted the convo to who might join her for a song or two. TMZ broke the story, we were told there's a roster of close to 50 names of possibilities ... basically almost anyone she's collabed with in the past.

While Rihanna wasn't offering up any info, we pressed about the possibility of her longtime bf and baby daddy, A$AP Rocky hitting the stage -- RiRi shrugged and finally did say something.

Rihanna's halftime show will mark her big comeback to music, it's been 6 years since she last released an album, when she dropped "Anti" in 2016.

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen's hunt for divorce lawyers have actually run much deeper than reported -- it's been in the works for weeks, and as things stand now, the marriage is beyond saving ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We've spoken to sources on both sides who tell us the estranged couple has independently contacted some big divorce lawyers, with talks starting several weeks ago.

Our sources say if divorce docs are filed -- which seems like a certainty at this point -- it'll happen in Florida. According to Page Six, the attorneys have already been hired.

Neither Tom nor Gisele has publicly addressed their reported issues ... but the former supermodel has been noticeably absent from all 4 Bucs games this season, and they're reportedly living in separate homes.

Gisele was spotted Monday in Miami leaving a workout.

45-year-old Brady and 42-year-old Bündchen tied the knot in February 2009 -- and share two children together, 12-year-old Benjamin and 9-year-old Vivian. Tom has a third child, 15-year-old Jack, with ex-Bridget Moynahan. Tom and Gisele are said to have a solid prenup in place.

Minnesota Vikings safety Lewis Cine has officially begun his road to recovery after suffering a horrific leg injury in a game on Sunday -- the team just announced he's undergone successful surgery to fix his compound fracture.

Cine sustained the gruesome injury while playing against the Saints in London -- and it was bad. He came down awkwardly on his left leg while trying to make a block ... and a bone in his lower leg snapped in half.

WARNING -- video of the play is hard to watch.

The injury was so bad ... Cine stayed overseas to receive medical care, but on Tuesday, the Vikings said the Cleveland Clinic London's Dr. Aswinkumar Vasireddy operated on him -- and, thankfully, everything went smoothly and he should return home soon.

"We look forward to welcoming Lewis back to Minnesota to be around his teammates and coaches," the Vikings said in a statement, "and begin the rehabilitation process with the Vikings medical staff in the very near future."

Cine was the Vikings' first-round pick in this year's NFL draft. He had played in three games for the team this season.

There's a lot Kayvon Thibodeaux could've done on his off day, but the New York Giants star rookie decided to take a mini road trip, traveling two hours to fill boxes at a food bank, all to help people in need.

The #5 overall pick even brought his mom, Shawnta Loice, along to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, about 120 miles south of the Giants' home.

The 21-year-old outside linebacker, sporting his Giants cap, stacked boxes with cans and cans of Campbell's soup ... before signing autographs for all who helped lend a hand.

The food drive is part of the ‘Chunky Sacks Hunger’ program ... recently launched by Campbell's. The soup company, a longtime NFL sponsor, is aiming to "fight food insecurity and donate one million meals to people in need".

Several NFL star defensive players are also participating in the program this season including Ravens' Calais Campbell, Bengals' Sam Hubbard, and Eagles' Jordan Davis.

"Fueling people through nutritious meals is embedded in Chunky’s DNA," Gary Mazur, Campbell Soup exec. said in September.

"In today’s world, where many continue to face hunger, we’re proud to launch Chunky Sacks Hunger and help bring more attention to this issue, while serving our partner communities through our pledge of donating one million meals."

FYI, Thibodeaux -- who's off to a nice start after missing the first two games of a season with a leg injury -- has his own charity called The Jream Foundation ... which helps underprivileged kids get the help they need.

KT also donated $50k to a dog organization in exchange for Graham Gano's number 5 Giants jersey.

Tom Brady admits he never imagined his son, Jack, would follow his footsteps and have a football career ... but he says watching his 15-year-old compete is "one of the great highlights in my life."

Jack -- Brady's son with actress Bridget Moynahan -- is currently playing high school ball as a free safety and quarterback (go figure) ... and while there could be a TON of pressure having the GOAT for a father, the Buccaneers superstar says that's not the case.

"I don't give a s*** how well he does," Brady said on his "Let's Go!" podcast with Jim Gray and Larry Fitzgerald. "I just love watching him and seeing him enjoy it with his friends."

BTW -- Jack hit up one of Brady's games recently ... and that kid is certainly growing up quickly!!

"I think one of the great highlights of my life is watching him play," Brady added. "I love watching him dig deep."

Brady says it's "so much fun" to check out Jack's games ... and believes the kid is already a better athlete than he was at 15.

"I love watching him playing quarterback," Tom said. "He's a very good athlete, great hand-eye coordination. He actually moves better than I did at his age."

Jack's football interest was clear when he hit up Bucs training camp in 2021 ... serving as a ball boy for a bit.

Brady quipped that he's mostly a one-trick pony when it comes to life skills ... but if there's one thing he can help Jack with, it's playing the QB position.

"I don't have a lot of specialties in life other than throwing the football," he said. "He's way smarter. He's got a great work ethic. He's just a great kid."

"But I can definitely help him at quarterback. That's one thing I'd say I can definitely help him with in the future."

A woman says ex-NFL star and "pro-life" Senate candidate Herschel Walker paid for her abortion back in 2009, an allegation the football-player-turned-politician calls "a flat-out lie" ... but Walker's son, Christian, is now also putting him on blast.

According to The Daily Beast, the woman -- who did not want to be ID'ed publicly "out of privacy concerns" -- became pregnant with Walker's child in 2009. She claims a short time later, Walker asked her to get an abortion. She told the outlet she went through with it, and Walker funded the entire thing.

The Daily Beast says the woman provided it with an abortion clinic receipt for $575, a "get well" card that Walker allegedly penned to her -- as well as "a bank deposit receipt that included an image of a signed $700 personal check from Walker."

Herschel, though, said the claims are complete BS -- writing in a statement shortly after the outlet published the article, "I deny this in the strongest possible terms."

"It's disgusting, gutter politics," said Walker, a Republican who's gunning to unseat Sen. Raphael Warnock in next month's midterm elections in Georgia.

"I'm not taking this anymore," he added. "I planning to sue the Daily Beast for this defamatory lie."

Walker's son, Christian, a conservative, posted a video shortly after his dad's denial accusing the 60-year-old of, among other things, threatening to kill him and his family in the past.

"I know my mom and I would really appreciate if my father Herschel Walker stopped lying and making a mockery of us," Christian Walker said on his Twitter page. "You're not a 'family man' when you left us to bang a bunch of women, threatened to kill us, and had us move over 6 times in 6 months running from your violence."

He added, "I don't care about someone who has a bad past and takes accountability. But how DARE YOU LIE and act as though you’re some 'moral, Christian, upright man.' You've lived a life of DESTROYING other peoples lives. How dare you."

Herschel said in a tweet of his own following Christian's, "I LOVE my son no matter what."

Antonio Brown ruthlessly went after his old buddy, Tom Brady, during the quarterback's reported rough patch with Gisele Bündchen ... trolling TB12 by posting an old pic of him hugging the supermodel after the Super Bowl.

AB -- who once lived with Brady and Gisele after joining the Patriots and Buccaneers -- has seemingly turned on the 7-time champ as his marriage appears to be on thin ice.

Brown didn't go into detail on the reason behind his post -- his caption only referenced his viral rap song, "Put That S*** On."

The relationship between the two ex-teammates has seemingly deteriorated since his shirtless exit from the Bucs last season ... despite Brady going out on a limb and vouching for AB to get him in New England and Tampa Bay.

Brown has shaded Brady on numerous occasions since their split ... and even went after him for spending time away from the team during training camp.

"Tom Brady manipulate the game gets 14 days go home get his mind rt lol," Brown tweeted at the time. "Now u see the difference. Put that s*** on."

Brown's pic was seen as distasteful in some eyes ... and drew criticism from NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, who called him a "clown."

Brown -- who remains team-less since his outburst at MetLife Stadium -- found himself in more hot water over the weekend after a video surfaced of him appearing to expose himself to a woman in a pool in Dubai earlier this year.

Rams star Bobby Wagner gave security guards a hell of an assist during "Monday Night Football" ... knocking the snot out of a fan who had invaded the field with a smoke bomb in the middle of the game.

The wild scene happened just before halftime of L.A.'s loss to the Niners in Northern California ... when a protester hopped over Levi's Stadium railing and began running wild on the turf.

The man -- holding a smoke bomb that filled the air with pink fumes -- managed to evade stadium staffers for several moments ... until he made his way over to the Rams' sideline.

That's where Wagner buried his shoulder straight into the dude's chest -- leveling him to the grass. Security guards were then able to pile on the guy ... and he was removed without further incident.

The Manning brothers -- Peyton and Eli -- found the whole situation pretty funny while they were in the middle of broadcasting the action ... but Wagner said afterward he had legit concerns that the fan had nefarious intentions.

"We don't know what they're carrying in their pockets," the 32-year-old told media members.

"That's just keeping it safe," he added. "You don't know what that fan got or what they're doing."

Animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere took credit for the scene after the game ... explaining the man, and another protester who had been taken down before reaching the pitch, had hit the field in order to raise awareness for a trial involving the alleged theft of pigs from a factory farm.

The org. said the protesters were cited by police and ultimately released from custody. It added that the man who was tackled by Wagner suffered a burn on his arm.