NFL

Jim Brown, arguably the greatest football player of all time, has died at the age of 87, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

"It is with profound sadness that I announce the passing of my husband, Jim Brown," Monique Brown tells us. "He passed away peacefully last night at our L.A. home. To the world he was an activist, actor and football star."

"To our family, he was a loving and wonderful husband, father and grandfather. Our hearts are broken."

We're told Jim hadn't been doing well ... and was recently visited by several of his close friends including Marshall Faulk, Eric Dickerson and Flavor Flav.

Brown, a first-round pick in 1957 (6th overall), went on to win 3 NFL MVP awards. Jim was named to 8 First Team All-Pro teams over the course of his incredible career. He led the NFL in rushing 8 times, and rushing touchdowns, 5. He won a championship in 1964.

Aside from his prowess on the football field, Brown was also a legendary lacrosse player at Syracuse, where he earned All-American honors.

After his athletic career, Jim went on to star as a Hollywood actor ... in films like "The Dirty Dozen" and "Any Given Sunday."

In addition to his incredible athleticism and talent on the big screen, Jim was also one of the most prominent voices on the civil rights scene.

Brown held the Cleveland Summit in June 1967, in support of Muhammad Ali, who refused to serve in the Vietnam War.

Brown was joined by Bill Russell and Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), and others.

The Cleveland Browns released a statement on Friday ... saying, "Legend. Leader. Activist. Visionary."

"It's impossible to describe the profound love and gratitude we feel for having the opportunity to be a small piece of Jim’s incredible life and legacy. We mourn his passing, but celebrate the indelible light he brought to the world."

"Our hearts are with Jim’s family, loved ones, and all those he impacted along the way."

Brown, whose #32 was retired by the Browns, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 ... and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995. He's also a member of the Lacrosse HOF.

Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter also spoke on Brown's passing ... saying, "When Jim Brown’s name was announced in a room, other Hall of Famers stood and applauded him."

"His persona has stood the test of time -- a fearless and dominant football player. Jim will always be remembered as one of pro football’s greatest individuals."

Brown was last seen out in public during Super Bowl weekend ... appearing at the NFL Honors ceremony, where Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders announced the league's annual rushing trophy would be named in his honor.

Flav shared a picture with Brown from that night in his tribute to the legend ... saying, "Today, I lost my mentor and hero. RIP Jim Brown. My deepest sympathies to your wife, Monique and your entire family."

LeBron James also shared a touching post in Brown's honor ... saying, "We lost a hero today. Rest in Paradise to the legend Jim Brown."

"I hope every Black athlete takes the time to educate themselves about this incredible man and what he did to change all of our lives. We all stand on your shoulders Jim Brown."

Brown's life off the field was not without controversy -- he was arrested over numerous allegations of violence against women spanning several decades. He was charged with rape, sexual battery and assault in 1985, although the case was later dismissed.

Brown was also busted for smashing the windows of his wife's car in 1999 ... and served three months behind bars after skipping mandatory domestic violence counseling.

R.I.P.

We discussed Jim Brown's legacy in a recent episode of the Last Days Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

A man begged cops over and over again at the scene of the Henry Ruggs car crash in Las Vegas to get help for the ex-NFL star "ASAP" ... newly released police video shows.

In the footage, which was captured on Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. officers' body cameras just after Ruggs had crashed his Corvette into Tina Tintor's Toyota on Nov. 2, 2021, you can see one of the people at the scene of the fiery wreck was desperate to get aid for Ruggs.

Repeatedly, the man can be heard on camera telling a cop to have medical personnel rush to Ruggs quickly ... as 23-year-old Tintor and her dog were dying in a blaze just feet away.

"I know somebody probably in there," the man said of Tintor's Rav4, "but this is Henry Ruggs right here. This is Henry Ruggs right here. He plays for the Raiders. He needs help ASAP."

An officer told the guy to calm down ... but he continued to plead for aid for the former wide receiver as cops surveyed the crash site.

"Hey, look, he plays for the Raiders," the man repeated. "He needs help ASAP, bro."

Eventually, a cop told the man and others at the scene medical responders were on their way to Ruggs, who was sitting on the street near a curb.

The video also shows just how horrifying the crash was -- in the clip, you can hear explosions coming from Tintor's vehicle as it burned in the middle of the roadway.

After the scene had been cleared, cops were seen on video discussing the crash ... with one officer saying he believed he could see skid marks and debris several yards away from where the two vehicles came to a stop following the collision.

As we reported, Ruggs was ultimately hit with five charges over his role in the crash ... after authorities alleged he had been traveling at 156 MPH while drunk just moments before he slammed into Tintor.

Ruggs, 24, reached an agreement with prosecutors to close out the case earlier this month ... pleading guilty to one felony count of a DUI resulting in death and one misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter. In exchange, the rest of the charges against Ruggs were dropped.

Tom Brady and Travis Scott are sharing some of their immense wisdom ... mentoring a group of star rookie quarterbacks including #1 overall pick, Bryce Young, as they transition from college to the pros.

TB12 and La Flame both found the time to attend a luncheon hosted by Michael Rubin at his L.A. home ... where the trio gave all kinds of advice on business and brand building to CJ Stroud, Will Levis, and Anthony Richardson, in addition to Young.

Video shows Brady telling the guys not to be discouraged, even in the face of adversity, a window into how the 7x Super Bowl champion overcome failure during his legendary career.

Tom also shared one of the keys to his longevity, saying he didn't get complacent with his early success, remembering he was selected No.199 in the sixth round. That allowed him to play more than 20 seasons.

"I just outlasted everybody," Brady said. "There's another me back there. So how do I keep my edge on everybody? I had to keep working. I didn't go, 'Hey, I'm good. I won three Super Bowls.'"

Rubin's message to the guys was simple ... mistakes are a part of the process, but don't let them stress you out ... saying it's all about how you bounce back.

"Every day we're screwing things up," Rubin said. "We've just got to get a lot more right than wrong and keep learning from it ... The tougher s*** gets, the more focused I am."

As for Travis, he drilled home the importance of Young, Stroud, Richardson, and Levis having a core group of people they can rely on daily, and hold them accountable.

New England Patriots player Ty Montgomery is providing a life-changing opportunity to a group of former foster kids this summer ... sending them to Israel for what is being described as a "transformative experience."

TMZ Sports is told -- the wide receiver will send 11 foster care alumni to the Holy Land for a 10-day Jerusalem Encounter tour ... with the intent to give them some guidance right as they adjust to living on their own.

The trip will include a tour of Israel, reading the Bible, and getting a better understanding of the history behind their faith ... something Montgomery did back in 2022.

Of course, the cause means a lot to Montgomery ... whose mother, Lisa, raised foster kids throughout his childhood.

Montgomery spoke about his decision to help out ... saying, "I want to send these people to Israel because God has asked me to, and I believe this experience will transform their lives."

"Those who have been in the foster care system will always hold a special place in my heart. I know the love they need. I saw it firsthand as my mom raised 17 foster youth alongside me."

"What better way to impact the lives of those exiting foster care than providing this experience of a lifetime."

Montgomery is hoping to make the trip an annual thing through his charity My 10 Percent ... and has already gotten financial support from NASCAR stars Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace to help the cause.

Antonio Brown might be taking matters into his own hands to help his struggling National Arena League team ... 'cause the former Pro Bowl receiver is considering unretiring to play for the Albany Empire.

Brown's tenure as a team owner has gotten off to a shaky start ... with the two-time defending champions struggling to get wins and put butts in seats at home games.

But, AB is now looking into solving both problems in one swift motion by dusting off his helmet and cleats ... because a rep for the former Pittsburgh Steelers star says he could possibly become a player-owner as soon as May 27 when the Empire host the Fayetteville Mustangs.

"He wants his team to win and give the community a good show," the rep tells us. "But, we will see."

TMZ Sports spoke with NAL commissioner Chris Siegfried about the "Put That S*** On" rapper's potential plans ... and he says Brown has not submitted a player contract to the league offices just yet.

If Brown does file the paperwork, we're told he has the league's support if he so chooses to play.

We also asked if there were any restrictions that would keep AB from playing while he holds ownership (some leagues like the NBA have a rule against it) ... and Siegfried pointed out the pretty unique circumstances, considering the NAL hasn't had an owner with Brown's youth and athletic abilities in the past.

Kim Zolciak says she's witnessed her estranged husband, Kroy Biermann, smoke pot -- and she's afraid for her kids' safety -- asking a judge to step in and force him to get a drug test.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Zolciak says she's got serious concerns for the safety and well-being of her 4 minor kids while in Kroy's care ... and she points to his marijuana smoking as the source of her fear.

Zolciak is asking the judge to force Kroy to submit to a five-panel hair follicle drug screen ... and that he not cut or remove any of his hair until the screen is complete.

TMZ broke the story ... both Kim and Kroy filed separate petitions for divorce last week. Both are asking for sole physical custody of their kids ... and Kroy's asking for sole legal custody as well.

We were also the first to report the estranged couple's financial problems, owing more than $1 million to the IRS. In his divorce docs, Kroy asks Kim to retain all financial documents -- including expense reports as well as income and tax records.

Kim states she and Kroy are still living under the same roof with their kids, the same home that went into foreclosure earlier this year ... but you gotta imagine tensions are running high between the two.

Forget Rookie of the Year ... is new Ravens wideout Zay Flowers already the Son of the Year?!?

Baltimore's first-rounder sure made a great case for that accolade this week ... buying his dad a new car as a thank-you present following April's NFL draft!!

Flowers' agent, Eric Dounn, said the 2023 Mercedes Benz GLE 450 was the first thing the former Boston College star picked up with the new marketing money he got after the Ravens took him with the No. 22 overall pick ... and, check out the video, Poppa Flowers was clearly elated with the present.

In the footage, you can see Willie Flowers smiling ear-to-ear while looking at the new car before he shared an emotional handshake and hug with his 22-year-old son.

Of course, Willie had every reason to be jacked for the gift ... the luxury car can cost right around six figures with all of the bells and whistles on it.

"Dream was to always buy his dad a car!" Dounn said when sharing the news of the present earlier this week. "He DID just that."

Zay has always spoken highly of his Dad ... recently telling the Ravens' team website that he gets all of his work ethic from the way he watched Willie raise him and his siblings.

According to Dounn, Zay's NFL contract has yet to be finalized ... so there's still a ton more money coming in for the wideout.

Jackson Mahomes appeared in a Kansas courtroom on Tuesday afternoon ... marking one of the first times he's been seen in public since he was arrested for aggravated sexual battery earlier this month.

Patrick Mahomes' little brother -- a social media star who's amassed over 1 million followers on TikTok -- showed up to the Johnson County court looking sharp ... wearing a grey suit, a dark tie, and some sunglasses.

Jackson briefly sat before a judge in order to request a modification of his bond.

The 23-year-old was asking to be able to contact four people that he had been previously barred from speaking with as part of the conditions of his release from jail on May 3.

During Tuesday's proceedings, the judge ruled he could have contact with three of the four.

Jackson then left the court without speaking to reporters on the scene. He's due back for another hearing in late August.

As we reported, Jackson was arrested earlier this month and hit with four charges -- including three counts of aggravated sexual battery -- after a restaurant owner claimed he tried to forcibly kiss her multiple times during an incident back in February.

At the time of the alleged encounter, the owner also claimed Jackson had shoved a male member of her wait staff earlier in the evening.

Jackson, through his attorney, Brandan Davies, has said he's done nothing wrong.

Bad news for anyone hoping to see two ex-NFL stars settle their longstanding beef in the ring ... 'cause Vontaze Burfict is slamming the door on a boxing match with Le'Veon Bell -- saying he wants to golf instead!!

In case you missed it, Bell was talking about potential future opponents on the "Misfits Boxing" podcast recently ... and said he wanted to get revenge for what he felt was a dirty play during a game in 2015.

It's pretty obvious who he was referring to, considering Bell suffered a knee injury in Week 8 against the Bengals that season ... after Burfict and another Cincinnati defender made a tackle on the running back.

"It's someone from football," Bell said. "They had purposely injured me. I don’t think I want to say the name, but people who watched my career when I hurt my knee, people know. Yeah, people know. I would love to put my hands on him in a ring."

Vontaze got wind of Le'Veon's comments, and instead of accepting the offer the ex-Steelers running back laid down, Burfict suggested they do a charity golf event instead.

“[Le’Veon Bell] why we lookin to fight?" Burfict wrote on Instagram. "Why not show everyone WE can change the narrative. Let’s show the world WE can squash beef in other ways than boxing. Let’s meet and compete on the golf course."

He continued ... "Get some charities involved so WE can help people in need and show kids that we resolved our differences to make the world a better place.”

Le'Veon didn't seem too thrilled with Burfict's idea ... writing, "lol sure bro."

But that didn't stop him from clapping back at Burfict's former teammate, Adam "Pacman" Jones, who said he'd bet $100k that VB beats Bell in a fight.

"I throw hands, I don't wrestle .. tell em step in the squared circle tho & i’ll beat the dog s*** out of him … & you can put whatever you want on dude, it’s yo money to lose," Bell tweeted at Jones.

Jimmy Graham ain't letting his horrible bike crash stop him from pedaling again ... the ex-NFL star said Tuesday he's already back on the road -- "stitches and all."

The former Saints tight end was all smiles as he, once again, cruised through the roadways on two wheels in Miami ... less than a week after a car slammed into him and his bike, injuring his back and leg.

Check out footage the 36-year-old posted of his AM ride to his Instagram page ... he looked overjoyed to be healthy and riding again.

"Back on it," Graham captioned the video.

Graham was initially hurt last week ... when the 5-time Pro Bowler said a vehicle turned into him while he was going around 20 MPH.

Graham initially thought his leg was broken when he got hit ... but, thankfully, all of his bones were intact. The former footballer said he did suffer wounds, though, sustaining a massive gash on his calf while losing skin on his back.

"I guess the guy in the one lane didn't see me because the sun was coming up and just took a left and T-boned me," Graham said of the accident on "The Pat McAfee Show."

"Luckily I had a helmet on."

You can also see in Graham's clip that he got a new ride ... and thanked MPH Paint and Elite Cycling Miami for "getting me back on the road with the new Pinn-Daddy."

Damar Hamlin was just handed one of the NFL's highest honors -- the Bills safety has been named the George Halas Award winner for his perseverance after suffering cardiac arrest during a game.

The league made the announcement on Monday ... saying the 25-year-old is the NFLer who overcame the most adversity to succeed in 2023.

Damar experienced commotio cordis after making a tackle during a Monday Night Football game against the Bengals in January ... requiring immediate CPR and being rushed to the hospital.

Despite his medical emergency, Hamlin has been fully cleared to play in the NFL again ... and has been using his story to influence change throughout the country ahead of next season.

In March, Hamlin visited Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where he urged lawmakers to put more AEDs in schools nationwide.

Hamlin -- who started a campaign to spread CPR awareness and training with the American Heart Association -- also met with President Joe Biden during the trip ... with the two sides having a conversation about the cause.

Josh Allen can drop dimes and apparently hit bombs too ... the Buffalo Bills star quarterback swung by Blue Jays batting practice on Monday -- and swatted several dingers!!!

The 26-year-old signal-caller was in Toronto to cheer on the Jays as they get set to begin a series with the Yankees ... and the MLB team allowed him to step in the batter's box for a few hacks -- and he put on a show.

According to reporters on the scene, Allen hit multiple balls over the fences at Rogers Centre ... with some even landing in the stadium's second deck!!

Check out his swing ... the dude can clearly rake.

Of course, we shouldn't be too surprised by this ... 'cause just a couple days ago, he blasted several balls to the moon during a charity softball game.

But, get this ... he said after stepping into the cage on Monday that he wasn't even the most impressive Bill with a bat.

Allen said that honor actually belonged to backup QB Matt Barkley, who he says hit five "deep shots" during the workout.

Chris Claybrooks' domestic assault case has been dropped ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According to court records, prosecutors dismissed the two misdemeanor charges against the Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back on Monday morning.

It's unclear why -- we've reached out to the Davidson County District Attorney's office and Claybrooks' lawyer for comment ... but so far, no word back yet.

Claybrooks was initially hit with one count of domestic assault with bodily injury and one count of vandalism under $1,000 after authorities claimed he got into a dispute with a woman in a movie theater parking lot in Nashville on April 14.

During the alleged incident, prosecutors said Claybrooks grabbed the woman's phone from her hand and destroyed it. Authorities added in court documents that the altercation resulted in bruises and abrasions on the woman's hand.

TMZ Sports spoke with Claybrooks about the alleged incident ... and he's adamant he never put his hands on the woman.

Claybrooks says she showed up at the movie theater with a wig on and confronted him about money ... and he only threw her phone after he feared for his son's safety.

At the time, the Jaguars said in a statement they were aware of the allegations and were in "the process of gathering information."

Tom Brady isn't harboring any ill will on Mother's Day -- in fact, it's the opposite ... 'cause the guy's wishing his two exes/baby mamas a happy holiday, with photo evidence to boot.

The ex-QB threw up a post on Instagram Sunday to celebrate the mothers in his life -- including his ex-wife, Gisele Bundchen, and his ex-GF Bridget Moynahan ... who's the mother of his 15-year-old son, Jack. Gisele, of course, is the mother of his two younger kids.

He writes, "Happy Mothers Day to all these amazing women who have given our family so much throughout their lives. Thank you all for your love, compassion and kindness, and for setting such an amazing example for all of our little ones."

TB adds, "We are all so grateful for your support and helping us all achieve our dreams. I wish all the mothers in the world a special day with the people that love them the most."

Along with the caption, Tom added several family photos ... showing off both Gisele with their kids, as well as Bridget with their own. He also added pics of his own mom, Galynn, plus a ton of other family-friendly snapshots of the Brady bunch at large.

Now, as for who exactly Tom might be spending the actual holiday with in person ... it's anyone's guess. We haven't seen him anywhere near Gisele in public lately -- remember, they just got divorced a few months ago ... and she's been spending a lot of time in Costa Rica.

While they may not be hanging out a lot these days -- except, perhaps, for days like this -- the two superstars have spoken fondly of each other in the wake of the divorce ... and it seems like they're on decent terms.

As for Bridget, Tom's relationship with her ended years ago -- way back in the 2000s ... but they seem to have co-parented phenomenally since. Indeed, it's a very blended family.

There have been lots of theories thrown around as to what led to the downfall of Kim Zolciak's marriage to Kroy Biermann -- from rumors of cheating to claims the two had an open marriage ... but we're told all that noise is far from the truth.

Here's the deal -- the rumor mill has been going crazy since Kim filed for divorce from the former NFL star earlier this week ... with smoke online about possible affairs.

On the opposite end of that spectrum ... the anonymous gossip site DeuxMoi claimed the two had an open marriage.

However, sources with direct knowledge say that's all BS ... saying there was neither cheating nor any flexibility in the now-estranged couple's sex life.

Lots of 'RHOA' fans have also been wondering if Kim will be making her return to the show, or even if she’ll be a part of the upcoming cast of the spin-off "The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip" amid her nasty divorce -- but sources say she has no interest in the reality TV game right now, and instead is focused on her kids.

TMZ broke the story, Kim pulled the plug on her 11-year marriage at the end of April ... saying it was "irretrievably broken with no hope of reconciliation." They've got 4 kids together, and she's asking for primary physical custody of them and joint legal custody. Kroy wants sole custody -- thus, the battle.

Raiders fans ... want to just win (baby) all the time? According to Jay Glazer, ya better hope Tom Brady gets a piece of the franchise!!!

The FOX reporter made it crystal clear to us out at LAX this week that if Brady does, indeed, complete his deal with Mark Davis to become a minority owner of Vegas' team ... he expects victories on the field to follow in bunches.

"Anything Tom touches, he's going to be successful," Glazer told us. "Any time you have Tom Brady around, it's going to help. It's not going to hurt. He's a winner."

According to reports, Brady has been working with Davis to land a small ownership stake in the Raiders for weeks ... and an agreement could be on its way soon.

While the new role reportedly would not include any final say in roster decisions or day-to-day operations, Glazer said he expects it to make a huge impact on the franchise nonetheless.

Glazer told us Brady's work ethic will rub off on everyone ... and, if the G.O.A.T.'s able to take a peek at a QB or two and offer an opinion, Glazer said that'd obviously help as well.