NFL

Saquon Barkley isn't letting feisty contract negotiations with the Giants keep him out of the gym ... he just showed he's lifting more than ever -- box squatting somewhere near 600 pounds for reps!!!

Despite currently being in a back-and-forth with New York brass over his pay ... Barkley made it clear he's still prepping for the 2023 season nonetheless -- showing video of him Thursday getting busy in the weight room.

Barkley posted the footage to his Instagram page ... and the strength he displayed while doing box squats in the clip truly looks superhuman.

It's unclear how much exactly it all is -- but if the plates are the standard 45-pound ones ... it's 585 total LBs!!!

And, check out the video ... he got it up and down four times!!!

It all might just be a message to his team ... as both he and the Giants are currently at odds over the running back's contract. He wants a boatload of cash over a multitude of years -- while the Giants seem like they'd be happy if he'd just play on the franchise tag this season for right around $10 million.

Things have gotten so testy between the two ... Barkley told reporters earlier this month he'd contemplate sitting out the season if a deal isn't reached by the NFL's July 17 deadline.

Isaiah Rodgers will be away from an NFL field for the foreseeable future ... the league just suspended the Indianapolis Colts defensive back indefinitely for violating its gambling policy.

NFL officials announced the ruling on Thursday morning ... adding that two other players -- Colts tight end Rashod Berry and free agent defensive lineman Demetrius Taylor -- were also hit with the same punishments.

Titans offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere, meanwhile, was banned six games for gambling policy violations as well.

Rodgers' punishment had been looming for weeks ... after he admitted earlier this month that he had broken the league's betting rules.

It's unclear exactly what all of the guys' violations specifically were -- the NFL didn't say when making its announcement -- but it did reveal Rodgers, Berry and Taylor will only be able to return to the gridiron if they petition for reinstatement at the end of this season.

While Berry and Taylor were viewed as more of role players ... the loss of Rodgers is a big one -- he's played in 45 games for the Colts the last three years, and has been a special teams ace in addition to a productive cornerback.

"I am very sorry for all of this," Rodgers said in a statement earlier this month.

Thursday's bans for gambling violations are hardly the first the NFL has doled out in the last year or so -- stars like Lions wideout Jameson Williams and Jaguars receiver Calvin Ridley have also been punished recently over the betting policy.

Ryan Mallett's death does not appear to have been the result of violent riptides in Florida waters ... according to authorities, the belief is the tragedy was all simply a freak accident.

Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said in a video statement Wednesday there was "no indication of dangerous conditions" in the Destin area where Mallett drowned on Tuesday.

"We were under a yellow flag," Aden said, "which is a just swim with caution."

"It just seems to be just a tragic accident and not something to do with the conditions of the surf or tides or currents."

Initial reports said Mallett was among a group of swimmers who had been out in the ocean struggling to make their way back to shore. Mallett, authorities said, went underwater while fighting to return to safety -- and when he was eventually pulled out, he was unresponsive. He later was pronounced dead at a local emergency room.

Many had believed dangerous and unseen riptides were what caused the tragedy ... but Aden insisted those were "misperceptions out there."

"There were no indications of any 'riptides,'" Aden's office added in a written statement.

Authorities also released some body cam footage Wednesday from the incident ... showing the beach's conditions as officers raced to the scene.

Mallett's death rocked the sports world ... everyone from Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski to Bill Belichick mourned his passing in the hours after the news broke.

Sophia Culpo says Braxton Berrios is lying through his teeth about how their relationship ended ... sharing what she claims are receipts to back her side of the messy breakup.

Olivia's younger sister posted multiple alleged text exchanges and pictures with the Miami Dolphins wide receiver from as recent as February ... which would debunk the NFLer's timeline that the two decided to call it quits a month prior.

In the convos posted to the model/influencer's TikTok, SC and BB appear to be on the rocks ... with the two seemingly discussing the public speculation surrounding their relationship. Berrios' responses make it seem as if he's willing to work through their differences ... reassuring Culpo he will "do everything in my power" to make sure the situation doesn't blow up any further.

The most explosive allegation came in Sophia's caption of the post ... where she says the couple broke up following the Drake concert during Super Bowl weekend when Braxton was "seen making out with another girl."

As we previously reported, Braxton went to Instagram to defend himself earlier this week ... saying cheating was not a factor in the split -- despite rumors he was seeing TikTok star Alix Earle while he was still dating Sophia.

Culpo seems ready to put the drama to bed ... saying, "Not bitter, in fact I know this situation has been one of my biggest blessings."

Jason Kelce and his affinity for pouring beer down his throat was on full display once again Wednesday ... this time, the Philadelphia Eagles star chugged 30 ounces of the suds in less than six seconds!!!

It all went down at the start of his third annual charity event in Sea Isle City, N.J. ... when he decided to kick off the fundraising by participating in a drinking contest with radio host James Seltzer.

The two were given huge mugs of beer -- and after Kelce took an early lead, he never looked back ... putting away the booze in 5.7 seconds!!

The crowd roared with delight ... but check out the video -- Kelce sure needed a few moments to let it all settle in his tummy!!

Don't worry -- he was able to recover nicely (as he often does) ... and he went on to compete in a few other events throughout Wednesday to try to help raise money for autism awareness.

During some of the games, he competed with his brother, Chiefs star Travis Kelce, and everyone involved seemed to have a great time.

There's still more left on the docket for Jason too -- he's slated to bartend at the famous Ocean Drive watering hole 'til late this evening in an effort to keep the fundraising going.

Simone Biles is BACK -- the 26-year-old gymnastics legend is set to make her big return to the sport at the U.S. Classic later this year ... her first competition since withdrawing from multiple events at the Olympics to focus on her mental health.

Team USA announced Wednesday Biles will compete at the Aug. 5 event ... saying, "BILES IS BACK."

By the way, Biles is no stranger to the competition -- she's the five-time women's champion.

Biles famously backed out of the individual all-around and the majority of the team final at the Tokyo Games in July 2021 ... revealing she was dealing with a bad case of the "twisties," which could have resulted in serious injury had she fought through the issue.

Biles -- the seven-time Olympic medalist -- went on to win a bronze medal in the balance beam finals ... but since traveling back to the States in 2021, she has only trained her skills in the gym.

"It means more than all of the golds," the two-time Olympian told the Today Show about her third-place finish in 2021.

On Team USA's announcement on Instagram, two-time Olympic gold skier Mikaela Shiffrin celebrated Biles' return ... writing, "Yes!! 🙌 "

Recently, there's been plenty more for the gymnastics G.O.A.T. to celebrate about -- she tied the knot with the Green Bay Packers' Jonathan Owens in May ... and who knows, maybe the couple could take another honeymoon in Paris ... at the 2024 Summer Olympics!!!

Kroy Biermann took out a line of credit for a gambling trip in the Caribbean and never paid the money back ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

The former reality TV star and NFL player is being sued by Sky Warrior, which apparently handles the credit lines at the famous Baha Mar Casino in the Bahamas.

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, Kroy obtained a $100,000 line of credit for use at Baha Mar Casino in advance of a November 2021 trip, and he ended up using $52,500 to gamble.

Sky Warrior claim Kroy agreed to pay back any money he gambled and promised that he had the money in his SunTrust bank account ... but they say he drew $52,500 in chip markers at the casino and didn't repay the amount before leaving.

The suit alleges Kroy still hasn't settled up ... and Sky Warrior say they have been unable to get the money from Kroy's bank account.

It's more financial trouble for Kroy ... he and estranged wife Kim Zolciak allegedly owe the IRS north of $1 million, he's being sued for allegedly missing lease payments on a Rolls-Royce and he's claimed Kim has a gambling problem in their nasty divorce.

Sky Warrior is going after Kroy for the $52,500 they say he owes ... plus interest and attorney's fees.

Kim Zolciak's family friend, who was accused by Kroy Biermann of kidnapping their son, is speaking out ... claiming Kroy's getting desperate in his attempt to keep custody of his kids.

Elise, who says she's the one who took 12-year-old KJ to the rodeo earlier this month, spoke out on Instagram Wednesday, denying the kidnapping claims from Kroy -- backing up the story Kim initially told the Alpharetta Police dispatcher.

Elise blasts Kroy, saying he's "desperately trying to control every move to ensure he gets full custody and child support so he falsely accused me of kidnapping KJ so he can appear as the only parent who takes the kids out."

She ends her post by asking for people to pray for Kim and her kids -- adding they'll need it to "navigate Kroy's narcissistic, controlling behavior."

As we reported, in the 911 call audio, obtained by TMZ, Kim told the dispatcher she gave  KJ permission to go to the rodeo with his friend, with Elise chaperoning the outing. Sources told us Kroy doesn't trust Elise and had no idea Kim let their kid go with her.

What's more, sources said Kroy asked Elise over the phone to bring KJ back, but she allegedly hung up on him. Kim then told cops Kroy threatened to file kidnapping charges against her friend ... although our sources say he never filed.

Tom Brady sent a heartfelt message to Ryan Mallett and his family after the former quarterback tragically died on Tuesday ... writing in a sweet note, "We lost a great man."

The Patriots legend -- who was teammates with Mallett in New England from 2011 to 2013 -- posted the message to his Instagram page ... adding, "Thank you for everything Ryan."

"Praying for the Mallett family and all their loved ones tonight."

The post went up only hours after cops say Mallett drowned while swimming in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday afternoon.

According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, Mallett was part of a group of swimmers who had been "struggling to make their way back to shore" after getting in the water at around 2:12 PM

Cops say Mallett went under ... and when he was finally pulled from the ocean, he wasn't breathing. He was later pronounced dead at a local emergency room.

The passing shocked the NFL world ... in addition to Brady, several other stars penned tributes to the ex-QB on their social media pages, including J.J. Watt -- Mallett's former teammate in Houston -- who wrote, "Gone way too soon. Rest in Peace brother."

Dez Bryant and Rob Gronkowski added messages of their own to Mallett on their Instagrams as well.

Mallett was just 35 years old.

Former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett -- a third-round pick in 2011 NFL Draft -- has passed away. He was 35 years old.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... Mallett tragically drowned in Florida. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Mallett was a star prospect out of Texas High in Texarkana ... where he was one of the top-ranked signal callers in his class. He went on to play at the collegiate level from 2007-10 for the Michigan Wolverines and Arkansas Razorbacks ... and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2010.

He was the offensive MVP of the Liberty Bowl in 2010 ... and was named All-SEC second team in 2009 and 2010.

Mallett was the 74th-overall pick to the New England Patriots in 2011, serving as a backup to Tom Brady for three seasons.

He was traded to the Houston Texans in 2014, where he would start two games before going down with a season-ending injury. He remained with Houston for six games the next season ... before being traded to the Baltimore Ravens.

Mallett played two more seasons with the Ravens ... taking his last NFL snap during the 2017 season.

The former standout took up coaching after his pro career ... joining White Hall High School's coaching staff in Arkansas.

Is that Sauce Gardner or Tom Brady?!

The G.O.A.T. decided to give defense a try when he hit up a Fanatics charity event in Miami on Tuesday ... and TB12 put the clamps on a young girl who dared test the 7x Super Bowl champion!!

Check out the clip -- the newly retired signal-caller might've missed his calling. The young wide receiver tried to shake Brady with a 5-yard hitch, but he wasn't fooled, reaching in his arm to break up the pass.

Then it was tip drill time ... the ball floated in the air, Tom intercepted it, and took it to the house, shaking a would-be tackler with a move that would make Barry Sanders blush (not really).

The whole Fanatics shindig, called "Merch Madness," was pretty amazing -- more than $20 million in sports apparel was handed out to underserved families throughout the country as part of the organization's Merch Madness: Fan Gear Giveaway.

Cities like L.A., Philly, Miami, and New York all hosted events ... with Brady, DJ Khaled, and Odell Beckham Jr. all making appearances at the Carver Ranches Boys & Girls Club for the Florida location's festivities.

The event will take place every year.

Leonard Fournette experienced a terrifying incident on Tuesday -- the NFL running back's car burst into flames on the highway ... but luckily, he seemingly escaped without injury.

The 28-year-old Super Bowl champ was driving on I-275 in Tampa Bay  ... when suddenly, his whip set ablaze.

The Florida Highway Patrol tells TMZ Sports the fire started due to a mechanical issue, not a crash ... and the flames were extinguished by the local fire department.

The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers star shared footage of his Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat burnt to a crisp ... with the front part of the car absolutely destroyed.

"Man it was one of those days today, but I would like thank God, my car caught on fire while I was driving, But I’am still blessed 🙏," Fournette said on Instagram.

The NFL community commented under Fournette's post ... with several players sharing how grateful they are it wasn't more serious.

"Awww hell naw bro I’m thankful!" Denver Broncos star Frank Clark said. "God talkin."

Stevan Ridley, Jalen Ramsey and Jonathan Stewart also left positive messages.

Ray Lewis gave a powerful speech at his son's funeral on Saturday ... fondly remembering his child less than two weeks after the 28-year-old's tragic death.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer, wearing all white, spoke for several minutes at the service inside of the Calvary Orlando Church in Florida ... as dozens of mourners listened on intently.

"We will see you again," the ex-Baltimore Ravens star said to his child, Ray Lewis III, during his speech.

Lewis also spoke about how he'd watched his son over the last 28 years ... adding, "The referees thought I was crazy running up and down the sideline."

Lewis' good friend, Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin, was also in attendance ... and he said after the ceremony his "heart bleeds" for Ray and the Lewis family.

"NO FATHER should ever have to bury his son!" Irvin said on his social media page. "There is NOT anything, anyone can say to ease this depth of pain. Just know this MY BROTHER, we love you and God has you."

In his post, Irvin also shared a video from the funeral ... showing that a montage featuring clips and pictures of Ray and his son was displayed.

Following the ceremony, some of Lewis' family members and closest friends gathered at the repast at Lake Mary Preparatory School, where they posed for a smiling photo.

As we previously reported, Lewis III died on June 14 ... after cops say he accidentally overdosed.

Ray hadn't spoken publicly about the death until Saturday's service.

Kim Zolciak called the cops on her estranged husband, Kroy Biermann, earlier this month -- and it was all because he allegedly accused Kim's friend of kidnapping their young son.

TMZ obtained audio from the 911 call Kim placed on June 16 in Alpharetta, GA. In her chat with the dispatcher, Kim says she's stressed out about her husband flipping out ... claiming he accused her friend of trying to kidnap their son.

The backstory is a little murky ... but essentially, KZ explains that she'd signed off on her girlfriend to take her son on a playdate. However, based on Kim's description, it sounds like when Kroy caught wind of this, he lost it and threatened to file a kidnapping report against the woman who was picking up their son.

Kim says this caused not only her friend to freak out, but also left Kim's son in tears ... and Kim tells the dispatcher she's going to pick up her son. It's a strange call -- obviously, it doesn't seem to be an emergency -- something Kim acknowledges herself.

BTW ... Kim also accuses Kroy of stealing her bag, which she says is full of divorce docs.

Based on police records, it appears nothing came of this at the time. Kim ends the call by telling the operator she'd call them back if she needs further assistance -- but, on its face, she seems to have just wanted to put this on the cops' radar ... which is exactly how the police noted it in their write-up. They didn't follow up on this address in the aftermath.

Now, when it comes to Kroy's side of things ... sources tell us this was just a case of bad communication. We're told Kroy had no idea their son, KJ, had gotten the green light to go to a rodeo with his friend/their mom. Our sources tell us Kroy's deeply distrustful of the woman who took KJ -- for reasons unexplained -- which is why he was on edge.

We're told when Kroy learned KJ was under the supervision of this woman -- he called her up, but apparently felt like he wasn't getting his point across. At one point, our sources say Kroy demanded she brings KJ back ... she allegedly hung up on him -- which is what led to him threatening to file kidnapping charges over it. He never did, though.

Patrick Mahomes is clearly an All-Pro both in front of the camera and behind one ... showing this weekend he can play an elite photographer for his wife!!

Brittany Mahomes enlisted the NFL superstar for the gig when she wanted to grab some sexy bikini pics while out on vacation with the fam ... and check it out, Patrick dove headfirst into the role.

The 27-year-old quarterback made sure to get all of the angles for his bae ... even getting down in a little half crouch to get some shots.

Brittany was apparently a big fan of Patrick's work ... she posted two of his pics -- and called him a "10/10 Husband" for all the effort he put in.

The QB's supporters loved it all too -- gushing over the signal-caller's impromptu photo shoot enthusiasm in the comment section on Brittany's post.

Angel Reese just keeps stackin' up trophies ... the LSU hoop star and 2023 NCAA champ just won a BET Award -- and she was hyped!

The annual ceremony went down Sunday at the Microsoft Theatre in downtown Los Angeles ... where some of the top rappers, singers, and entertainers won awards.

That included 21-year-old Reese, whose squad won the 2023 NCAA championship, beat out female stars like Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, and Candace Parker, for the Sportswoman of the Year award.

"Thank you BET!" Reese said on Twitter after the announcement. "So sad I couldn’t be there but I really appreciate this! This means a lot!"

The 21-year-old forward couldn't be in L.A. to receive her award in person ... 'cause what else -- she was hooping.

"I’m at USA basketball right now trying to win a gold medal when I could be at the BET awards," Reese tweeted to a fan.

Reese was named to the Team USA roster for the 2023 women's FIBA AmeriCup, a tournament held every two years with top female players from around the globe.

The US women's first game is against Venezuela on July 1.

When it comes to male athletes, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts took home BET's Sportsman of the Year award, beating LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes, Steph Curry, Aaron Judge, Gervonta Davis, and Bubba Wallace.