NFL

John Metchie III is inching closer to playing football again ... Texans GM Nick Caserio says the young wide receiver, diagnosed with cancer last year, could be ready to go by week 1 next season!

Caserio joined SportsRadio 610 in Houston Wednesday morning ... where he provided an update on the 22 year old, 2nd-round draft pick, who missed his entire rookie season because of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL).

"I'd say there's a chance that he'll be ready for the start of the offseason program," Caserio said. "I think there are still some things that he has to complete or go through. Quite frankly, it's amazing what he's done to this point."

"He actually looks better now than he did when we drafted him in the spring," Caserio said. "He's improved his strength, he's improved his lower body strength. His attitude has been great, even though he's been dealing with a lot of things medically."

Metchie was diagnosed with APL -- a blood cancer characterized by a marked increase in a type of white blood cells known as promyelocytes -- last July, and spent last season fighting the disease. Fortunately, doctors said APL is the "most curable form of Leukemia."

The Texans selected Metchie in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft ... after he started for Nick Saban at Alabama. Metchie compiled over 2,000 yards and 14 touchdowns in his last two seasons with the Crimson Tide.

During the NFL's "My Cause, My Cleats" initiative earlier this season, the Texans wide receivers, led by veteran Brandin Cooks, paid homage to Metchie with custom cleats that read "Metchie Strong" in honor of his fight against cancer.

Odell Beckham Jr. got snippy with a passenger who was annoyed by the NFL star's actions during his infamous plane incident back in November -- calling the person on the airline both "fat" and "ugly."

The interaction was all captured on Nov. 27 on police body camera video, which the Miami-Dade Police Dept. released this week, just moments before the 30-year-old former Rams receiver was booted off the plane.

In the footage, you can see cops approached the American Airlines ride at Miami International Airport and spoke with flight attendants, who told them Beckham was unresponsive despite them instructing him multiple times to put his seatbelt on. They eventually said they wanted him off the ride.

When officers made contact with Beckham, he downplayed the incident to them.

"I've never had this happen to me," Beckham can be heard telling the officers in the video.

Cops eventually told him in the clip, "We're going to have to deplane everybody on this plane, and then you're still going to get off." Beckham responded, "That's fine."

As passengers got off the plane, one of them told the Super Bowl champ to just get off ... and that enraged OBJ.

"You're everything wrong with the world," Beckham can be heard saying in the video. "Looking at me to get off a plane, for you. I would never. Ever in my life get off the plane for you. Specifically you. Maybe everybody else, I would get off the plane."

Beckham continued, "You gon' wait 40 minutes and I'm going to be on a private plane home. Yeah, with your fat ass. Get your ass off the plane for a second."

"Enjoy the cheese board on the way home with your ugly ass."

As we reported, Beckham was eventually escorted off the plane by authorities. His attorney said of the incident that Beckham had simply fallen asleep, and a flight attendant just blew the situation out of proportion.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Dallas Cowboys rookie Sam Williams, TMZ Sports has learned ... over his alleged role in a violent car crash last month.

The Plano Police Department tells us the misdemeanor warrant is for reckless driving ... though further details surrounding the allegations against Williams were not made immediately available.

According to a police spokesperson, "at this time, there is no plan to find and arrest" Williams ... as the 23-year-old football player "has been contacted to turn himself in."

Per the spokesperson, though, if Williams is stopped by police before he turns himself in, "he would be arrested then."

As we reported, Williams slammed his black Corvette into another vehicle at around 2:15 PM in Plano, Texas on Dec. 22. Pictures from the scene showed the collision caused serious damage, leaving debris all over the roadway.

Thankfully, neither Williams nor the other driver were seriously injured in the crash ... but the Dallas pass rusher did end up missing one game following the wreck.

Williams addressed the accident with reporters a few days afterward, and said he was "thankful" to still be alive.

"You're looking at the [totaled] car like, man, but God works in mysterious ways," he said. "I know He has something in store for me."

It's not yet clear if the warrant will impact Williams' availability for the team's playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday.

Damar Hamlin has been released from the hospital and is going home ... 10 days after going into cardiac arrest during Monday Night Football, the Bills announced Wednesday morning!

24-year-old Hamlin made incredible strides during his recovery ... and was transported by air from UC Medical Center in Cincinnati on Monday to Buffalo General Medical Center.

But, Hamlin was still in the hospital ... eating hospital food, and sleeping in a hospital bed.

That is until Wednesday morning, when doctors say they made the determination Hamlin was healthy enough to continue treatment at home.

Damar's critical care physician, Jamie Nadler, MD, provided an update on Hamlin's condition, saying, "We have completed a series of tests and evaluations, and in consultation with the team physicians, we are confident that Damar can be safely discharged to continue his rehabilitation at home and with the Bills."

Of course, Hamlin collapsed after tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins during last week's MNF matchup ... and required CPR and defibrillation in the stadium.

Hamlin was resuscitated and taken to a local Intensive Care Unit for treatment. The outlook appeared bleak in the beginning ... however, Damar recovered at an astounding pace.

The country rallied around Damar ... hundreds of thousands of people donated millions of dollars to the young player's charity fundraiser.

Get the Kleenex ready ... 'cause the Arizona Cardinals surprised retiring star J.J. Watt with a farewell video last week -- and his reaction to the footage was so emotional, it'll hit ya right in the feels.

AZ defensive coordinator Vance Joseph sprung the clip on Watt during a team meeting just before the NFL legend's final game against San Francisco ... and almost immediately after it began playing, Watt openly sobbed into his hands.

The video consisted of a grip of messages from Watt's family, friends and former NFL rivals -- and J.J., who announced on Dec. 27 he'd be done with football after this season, could hardly keep his eyes open for it.

The montage started with J.J.'s brother, T.J. Watt, saying, "Brother, J.J., I just want to say congratulations on retirement."

"You ending up in the NFL and you being Defensive Player of the Year, and you having all the success that you had, showed me that it's possible."

Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Dak Prescott and Tom Brady also congratulated J.J. on everything he's accomplished in the NFL ... and the impact he's had on their careers.

"Man, you were a pain in my ass for a long time," Brady said. "It was an honor to share the field with you."

J.J.'s other brother, Derek Watt, also shared how thankful he was to witness J.J.'s career.

J.J.'s parents, John and Connie, and his wife, Kealia Watt (who was holding the couple's newborn son Koa), appeared on-screen too ... with all expressing their gratitude toward the 33-year-old defensive end.

"It has been such an honor to watch you work your ass off these past years and do whatever you needed to do to be the best," Kealia said. "You’ve been so generous and kind and loving to everybody around you, and you never forgot who you are."

"I know Koa will be so proud to be your son."

J.J. -- a three-time Defensive Player of the Year -- wrapped his career on Sunday against the Niners with two sacks, three total tackles and a pass breakup.

Up next for the star? Canton, Ohio in five years.

Damar Hamlin has applied for two trademarks following his scary medical emergency last week ... TMZ Sports has confirmed he's seeking to own the phrases, "Did We Win" and "Three Is Back."

According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office records, Hamlin filed for the trademarks on Jan. 6 -- just days after he went into cardiac arrest on the field during the Bills vs. Bengals "Monday Night Football" game.

As part of the application for the trademarks, the records show Hamlin is intending to use the phrases on shirts, clothing jerseys, sweatshirts, hats, pants, shorts, and jackets ... plus printed and downloadable posters, mugs, and ornamental novelty pins.

The applications also list educational and entertainment services for "motivational and educational speakers in the field of self- and personal improvement" and "health care services in the nature of athletic training."

Of course, the "Did We Win" phrase became iconic and associated with Hamlin after doctors said those were some of the first words he uttered after he woke up at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

The 24-year-old has already created and put out "Did We Win?" shirts ... tweeting earlier this month they were a way to give back to the UC Trauma Center.

"We all won," Hamlin said revealing the tees. "Proceeds of this shirt will go to first responders and the UC Trauma Center. Go get yours!"

The woman who accused Antonio Brown of domestic violence in November also told cops he sent "explicit videos" to her son during the dispute ... new 911 audio, obtained by TMZ Sports, reveals.

In the call, a woman said to a Tampa Police Dept. dispatcher that she and Brown -- the father of her children -- had gotten into "a little argument" at their home in Tampa, Fla. on Nov. 28.

She explained that she had arrived at the house on Nov. 27 ... and hours later, Brown "started throwing a fit." The woman claimed she took the kids and went outside in an effort to diffuse the situation ... but then said to the operator that the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver started to "throw all of my clothes out of the house."

She later added that Brown was "sending explicit videos to my son's phone" as well.

In the call, the woman could be heard appearing to yell at Brown -- telling him, "This is not legal!" before adding, "You might want to go inside! You better hide out!"

A second 911 call was also placed ... and in it, you can hear a woman claiming to be a neighbor telling cops that Brown had thrown the woman out of the house.

As we reported, TPD officers eventually arrived on scene ... and say Brown threw a shoe at the woman during the altercation -- leading them to issue a warrant for his arrest.

Brown, though, was never formally placed into custody ... as prosecutors announced on Dec. 21 they were not filing charges against the 34-year-old, saying the alleged victim "recanted her previous allegations regarding Mr. Brown's intent to strike her or cause her bodily harm."

Travis Kelce is addressing all the rumors surrounding his breakup from Kayla Nicole ... saying it's "crazy" to think money was the reason behind the split.

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar and model officially called it quits in 2022 after 5 years together ... with reports -- citing anonymous friends close to Kayla -- claiming the tight end kept a tight grip on his wallet during their relationship, despite making more than $64 million over the course of his career.

Kelce voiced his side of the story on "The Pivot Podcast" this week ... calling all the speculation complete nonsense.

"How crazy is that?!" the 33-year-old said on Tuesday. "Don't buy into that s***!"

"We were in a relationship for 5 years," he added. "A hundred dollars here and hundred dollars there wasn't even thought about, which is ridiculous."

In fact, Kelce says Kayla had her own money to begin with ... so it's not like she needed a handout.

"I would never say that I was supporting her," Kelce said. "She had a very financially stable life and what she was doing in her career."

The Super Bowl champ also talked about his current dating life -- or lack, thereof -- saying he's still single, and the only committed relationship he has right now is with football.

"I'm in the free market right now. I'm out there just enjoying life, focused on my profession," Kelce said.

"I'm outside, though," he added with a laugh.

Former NFL wide receiver Charles Johnson -- who won a Super Bowl with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the 2001 season -- died by suicide in July ... a report released Monday by the North Carolina state medical examiner's office revealed.

In the ME documents, obtained by USA Today, officials said Johnson passed away after appearing to overdose on drugs. He was just 50 years old.

Johnson was initially found dead on July 17 inside a hotel room in Raleigh ... one day after his wife had reported him missing. A cause of death had remained a mystery -- until the ME's report was released this week.

Officials said in the docs, according to USA Today, that Johnson had oxycodone, hydrocodone and mirtazapine in his system at the time of his death ... despite having no active prescriptions.

The outlet had previously reported the former NFL wideout had claimed to have suffered disabilities from his time in the league.

Johnson played for the Steelers, Eagles, Patriots and Bills in his nine years in the NFL ... after being picked in the first round of the 1994 draft.

Following his death, the North Carolina high school he had been working at said in a statement he would "be missed by so many, especially your Husky Family."

Damar Hamlin says he's receiving the best care as he undergoes -- and passes -- more health-related tests at a Buffalo hospital ... asking his supporters to keep praying for him as he continues to recover.

"Not home quite just yet," the Buffalo Bills safety tweeted minutes ago. "Still doing & passing a bunch of tests."

"Special thank-you to Buffalo General it’s been nothing but love since arrival!"

As we previously reported, 24-year-old Hamlin has improved to the point where he was discharged from UC Medical Center on Monday ... and he flew back to Buffalo to undergo more treatment.

Hamlin has made incredible strides since suffering cardiac arrest during the Bills vs. Bengals matchup on Monday Night Football ... and was able to watch his team take care of business from his hospital room on Sunday.

In fact, the physicians who took care of Hamlin say he was so pumped about the win, he set off all the alarms in the ICU!!

Cardi B and Offset are taking the Super Bowl by storm with some lovey dovey burgers and fries, because they've teamed up with the golden arches for a major ad ... and it's all about love.

Sources tell TMZ the couple shot a commercial for McDonald's right around Christmas time ... which was filmed with a small crew -- even though we're told the scale of the ad is going to be huge, and it's expected to make a splash on game day.

Cardi and Offset shot it solo -- so, no kids in this -- and our sources tell us it's Valentine's Day themed. Unclear what exactly is going to be depicted, but we imagine it'll be lovey-dovey ... which CB and Offset already are on their own.

Obviously, this is going to air on Feb. 12 -- the day of SB LVII -- just a couple days before V-Day.

As for why these two decided to shoot during the Christmas holiday ... we're told everyone felt it'd be the best day to get some work done, seeing how everyone (celebs included) usually take it easy. It also gave them a good window to get some work done without distractions.

This is Cardi's second go-around when it comes to Super Bowl ads -- she famously did one for Pepsi a few years ago ... and now, she's been tapped by another giant corporation.

"Like 'Dumb and Dumber,' baby. You're sayin' there's a chance."

That's Rob Gronkowski channeling Lloyd Christmas ... and NOT shutting down the possibility of playing in the NFL next season, though it sounds like it'll cost a team a pretty penny.

33-year-old Gronk joined Babcock and Mojo on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1) ... where the G.O.A.T. tight end was asked about playing next season.

"Like Dumb and Dumber, baby. You're sayin' there's a chance. You never know. What if someone wanted to throw the whole salary cap at me, baby, or half of the salary cap, then you gotta think about it. Throw me some quarterback money. Then you're talking, so there's always a possibility."

Remember, Rob sat out the 2019 season but returned in 2020 with the Tampa Bay Bucs. Gronkowski played two more seasons before sitting out this year.

As for whether he ever got an itch this season watching football, Gronk says no, he didn't.

"Ya know I really didn't have the itch. I just had a couple thoughts throughout the 17 weeks of football. It was about week 10, week 11, week 12, right around there where I was thinking about it, but I really never got the itch. It was just a couple of thoughts."

Rob continued ... "I'm not gonna ever go back to football if I'm just thinking about it and don't really have that itch. That trigger was not gonna be pulled to go back and play football this year. It was not there, man."

There's more ... while Rob won't be playing in the Super Bowl, he'll be in Arizona, throwing one of the biggest and best parties of the week -- Gronk Beach!

In addition to Rob, 21 Savage, Diplo, Lil Jon and other celebs and performers will be at Talking Stick Resort on February 11, the day before the Super Bowl.

Of course, Gronk's no stranger to Arizona ... he was an Arizona Wildcat, so he's done his fair share of partying in the state.

"It's the big game weekend's number 1 event. I'm going back to Arizona," Rob said, explaining he needs to hit his AZ party quota.

Here it is -- Odell Beckham Jr.'s repaired knee back in action during a recent pickup basketball game ... and the NFL superstar looks GOOD!!

The 30-year-old free agent hasn't played a down of football since going down with a torn ACL in the Super Bowl last February ... and despite visiting with several potential teams, he remains without a home.

While fans almost certainly won't see him on the field this season, he's improved to the point where he was able to hit the hardwood in Miami on Jan. 6 ... showing off his impressive skills in the process.

OBJ -- wearing an "I Love Oral Sex" shirt for some reason -- backs down his defender and squeezes past him for a finger roll ... and follows up with some solid defense, stealing the ball and hitting his teammate with an alley-oop off the glass on a fast break.

He also displayed some serious range in the sesh ... draining a long three-pointer.

Clear out some space at UGA and start getting the bronze ready ... ex-Georgia star Nakobe Dean says following the Bulldogs' second national championship in as many years -- the school needs to erect a statue for Stetson Bennett on campus ASAP!!

The former Dawgs captain made the proclamation on the SoFi Stadium turf after Bennett and UGA blew out TCU to win the title in Los Angeles ... explaining the quarterback has now done everything necessary to receive the permanent honor in Athens.

"Nobody has done what he has done at Georgia," the ex-Georgia linebacker told 11Alive's Maria Martin. "Nobody has done what he has done in life. His whole story and everything -- he's just going to be a great story."

Bennett was nearly perfect in UGA's victory over the Horned Frogs ... completing 18 of his 25 passes for 304 yards and four TDs. He added 39 yards and two more TDs on the ground as well.

And, Dean, who played with Bennett and won a title with the 25-year-old last season, called it all awesome -- and a performance deserving of a campus fixture forever.

"I'ma be there when they reveal it!" he said.

The bad news for Dean? Bennett's time in Georgia is now over -- and the Philadelphia Eagles rookie linebacker might have to face off against the guy in NFL games next season.

The CPR touchdown celebration in the Madden video game franchise will be no more ... TMZ Sports has learned EA Sports is in the process of removing the animation in wake of the Damar Hamlin emergency last week.

A spokesperson for the gaming giant tells us ... the virtual end zone dance will be taken away as part of an update to "Madden NFL 23" in the next few days.

The celebration has been a popular one amongst gamers this year -- as it allowed players who scored TDs to pretend they were in need, while other avatars raced in to administer CPR in an effort to "revive" them.

Many, however, are now finding the animations to be insensitive and crass ... considering Hamlin actually needed the life-saving efforts during the Bills vs. Bengals game last Monday night.

Surprisingly, real-life NFL players didn't do away with the celebration on Sunday despite the scene in Cincinnati ... with the Pittsburgh Steelers mimicking CPR following a big play against the Cleveland Browns.

Panthers running back D'Onta Foreman says he was way out of character when he punched Saints star Marcus Davenport during Sunday's game ... and for that, he's apologizing.

The altercation went down after the defensive end tackled Foreman in the third quarter of the Panthers vs. Saints game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

After the tackle, Foreman pushed Davenport ... who responded by smacking the 26-year-old's helmet.

This pissed D'Onta off to the point where he ended up throwing a right hook ... and the punch landed directly in Davenport's facemask. Both players were then ejected from the game.

Foreman -- who signed a one-year contract with Carolina in March -- apologized on Monday for his behavior ... saying his actions "were totally out of my character."

"To the organization, my teammates, and our amazing fans, I sincerely and truly apologize for my actions in yesterday's game and not being available," Foreman said.

"I am deeply regretful of everything that happened and assure you it will never happen again. I absolutely love being a Panther and wholeheartedly look forward to this journey together."

Foreman wasn't the only NFL star to put out an apology today ... Packers star Quay Walker tweeted an "I'm sorry" statement after the rookie shoved a Detroit Lions trainer on the field.