NFL

Saquon Barkley will enter the 2023 season without a long-term contract -- the superstar running back and New York Giants were unable to come up with a new deal before Monday's deadline ... and now, the former No. 2 overall pick is weighing in on the stalemate.

Both sides were working until the last minute in hopes of reaching an agreement ... but despite the Giants reportedly upping their offer (there are rumblings they were offering $13 million a year), they were left without a solution.

"It is what it is," Barkley tweeted shortly after the news broke ... which certainly doesn't sound like he's happy with the end result.

The Giants placed the $10 million non-exclusive franchise tag on Barkley shortly after signing quarterback Daniel Jones to an extension in March ... but there's a chance he could now sit out the entire upcoming season.

In fact, Barkley has reportedly already decided to sit out training camp ... which would not result in fines, as he has not signed his tender.

It wouldn't be the first time a player of Barkley's caliber has missed a whole season due to failed negotiations -- Le'Veon Bell skipped all of the 2018 season as a result of his own dispute.

Ex-NFL star Russell Okung just revealed he lost more than 50 pounds after going 40 days without food for a SECOND time ... and the results are nothing short of jaw-dropping.

The former sixth overall pick in the 2010 draft has completely transformed his life in retirement ... embarking on a mental and physical journey through long-term fasting.

Okung -- who weighed more than 300 pounds during his playing days with the Seahawks, Broncos, Chargers and Panthers -- went on his first fast earlier this year, in which he lost more than 100 pounds.

The former offensive lineman is now 192 pounds after completing his second round of fasting over the weekend ... but he makes it clear the challenge is not all about losing weight.

The 34-year-old explained his decision to go through with the process for a second time ... saying, "Ultimately, I was still transitioning out of the NFL, I had a lot of questions about the world."

"My entire worldview was completely shifting. There's still a lot of questions that I have. I don't want to say that they went away, but I do want to acknowledge that I have much more clarity, peace and acceptance that there are things that I cannot change," he added.

"There are things that I can change and I am really [interested] in bringing my entire self to every experience that I encounter. I'm very happy 'cause I feel rooted. I feel grounded. I know why I'm here."

Russell shared a video of his first meal on Sunday ... and he was overcome with emotion as he sipped juice.

NeNe Leakes isn't buying the theory dominating the internet ... Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann got into a super nasty divorce and then suddenly reconciled as a way to get back into reality TV.

We got NeNe at LAX and asked her about Kim and Kroy suddenly calling off their divorce, and if it was all just a ploy to return to "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" ... as lots of folks believe to be the case.

NeNe doubts Kim and Kroy would go to those lengths ... she thinks all the issues with their marriage were legit, as well as all the divorce drama we documented ... and she just can't imagine Kim and Kroy going down that road just to get on TV again.

Of course, the 'RHOA' alum says Kim and Kroy's divorce would make for some TV gold ... and she says all the publicity and mudslinging will probably help Kim get back in front of cameras.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim and Kroy are working through their issues the old-fashioned way ... there's no couple's therapy ... they're just talking every day and relying on their shared Christian faith.

D.J. Hernandez -- the older brother of Aaron Hernandez -- has been arrested after missing a court date in his ESPN brick-throwing case ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The 37-year-old former Division I football player turned himself into the Bristol Police Department at around 7 AM on Friday ... after authorities issued a warrant for his arrest following his no-show in court earlier this month.

According to police documents, D.J. was placed in handcuffs at the station ... before he was booked on a charge of failure to appear.

At one point during processing and fingerprinting, he took a mug shot ... where he was seen smiling ear-to-ear.

We broke the story, D.J. was originally hit with one misdemeanor charge of breach of peace in the case back in March ... after authorities alleged he threw a brick at ESPN's headquarters.

Officials accused D.J. of writing a note on the object that read, in part, "It's about time you all realeyes the affect media has on all family members."

"Since you're a world wide leader maybe you could lead how media and messages are delivered brick by brick. Clean it up!"

Time apparently doesn't heal all wounds for Future ... 'cause the rapper just seemingly dissed the hell outta Russell Wilson in his latest song.

The Atlanta M.C. dropped the controversial bar in his "Turn Yo Clic Up" collab with Quavo on Friday ... rapping in his verse, "I got it out the field, f*** Russell."

Future hasn't shied away from his thoughts on his ex-fiancée and mother of his child, Ciara, moving on with the NFL quarterback ... going in on the now-married couple multiple times in interviews.

Remember, Future Hendrix bashed Ciara for having Russell around Future Jr. early in their relationship ... telling "The Breakfast Club" in 2015, "You don't bring a man around your son."

"You've known this man for a few months and you're bringing him around your kid? Who does that?"

He later went in on Russell in 2019 ... saying he's not a real man in their relationship.

"He not telling her, 'Chill out with that on the internet. Don't even talk to him. I'm your husband. You better not even bring Future's name up!" he said on Apple Music.

"If that was me, she couldn't even bring his name up. She know that. She couldn't even bring her exes names up."

Russell and Ciara have been married since 2016 ... and they have two kids of their own.

Wilson has since become a father figure for Future Jr. as well ... even spending a lot of time working on their football skills together.

Russell doesn't seem bothered by Future's constant gripes -- this past Father's Day, he said, "Future, Sienna & Win ... I Love You Forever! Glad we get to raise them together Momma! @ciara."

Former Detroit Lions CB Stanley Wilson Jr. died from a pulmonary thromboembolism likely caused by deep vein thrombosis -- a blood clot in a deep vein -- according to an autopsy report obtained by TMZ Sports.

Wilson, who was 40 years old, was pronounced deceased at the Metropolitan State Hospital in Los Angeles County on February 1 ... after officials said he suddenly collapsed, never regaining consciousness.

Stanley's family, however, wasn't buying the explanation ... hiring an attorney who filed three lawsuits against the county in March, accusing them of being deceitful with the truth.

"The County has grossly misrepresented the cause and circumstances of Stanley Wilson Jr.'s death," the attorney said in the court filings at the time.

However, an autopsy conducted on February 4 by the medical examiner in L.A. concluded Wilson Jr. passed away naturally from a pulmonary thromboembolism.

According to the Mayo Clinic, that's a "blood clot that blocks and stops blood flow to an artery in the lung. In most cases, the blood clot starts in a deep vein in the leg and travels to the lung."

The report does mention "red abrasions" to the "forehead, right hand, and right knee" ... but they were described by the doctor as "superficial."

The report says Wilson Jr. was in a prescreening area of the hospital and complained of anxiety before he collapsed. Officials say medics responded to the scene, but unfortunately they weren't able to save Stanley.

Philip Rivers' family is one step closer to having their very own offspring football team -- the ex-NFL star's wife is pregnant with their 10th child!!

The former Chargers and Colts quarterback revealed the exciting news this week ... saying a baby boy is slated to arrive this fall.

"We are all fired up," Rivers told AL.com. "Everyone was pulling for a boy. Even our girls wanted a boy."

Rivers -- who currently shares nine children ranging from age 4-21 with wife Tiffany -- pointed out his mom AND dad come from families of nine kids ... and he initially thought it would be the same for his own clan, but "God decided" they would reach double digits.

As for a baby name, the 17-year veteran said they haven't figured it out just let ... but they have a lot of options to pick from.

When he's not taking care of his kids, Philip also spends his retirement as a high school football coach ... entering his third season at St. Michael Catholic in Fairhope, AL.

Lil Wayne was undeniably a vital part of this year's ESPY Awards ... the Young Money rap star had every athlete in the building rocking when he opened the event with a sports-themed rendition of his classic banger "A Milli!!!"

The electrifying performance peaked when Wayne went into the crowd and bounced with reigning Super Bowl champ Travis Kelce, but the hip-hop legend wasn't done highlighting the festivities.

Weezy F. Baby later introduced WNBA 🐐 Sue Bird to the podium and linked up with Angel Reese, 2 Chainz and NBA champ Jamal Murray throughout the evening.

Backstage, Wayne and Quavo dapped it up, and we're told it was the first time they've seen one another since Lil Weezyana Fest last year -- which, tragically, was Takeoff's final show before he was killed.

We're also told Wayne's choice of attire was intentional -- he repped for the late Kobe Bryant in a "Mamba Mentality" sweater, and also donned an LSU hat to signify women's accomplishments ... most notably Angel and Flau'jae Johnson, who has a song collab with Wayne dropping soon.

Alix Earle and Braxton Berrios took their romance to the red carpet on Wednesday ... hitting up the ESPYs together amid the NFL player's nasty breakup with Sophia Culpo.

The TikTok star and Miami Dolphins receiver eliminated any doubt about whether they're actually a couple at the sports award show ... with their appearance being considered a "hard launch" for their relationship.

The two initially sparked dating rumors following BB's split from Olivia Culpo's younger sister earlier this year ... which resulted in numerous cheating allegations from Sophia.

Braxton has adamantly denied being unfaithful at any point in the relationship ... and Earle insisted she is not "dating" the footballer, despite including a short snippet of them hugging in a TikTok posted to her page on June 25.

But let's be real -- they certainly looked like BF and GF as they dressed up in sharp outfits for the event ... posing for pics together before entering the Dolby Theater.

Sophia has seemingly decided to chill on posting any drama-related content surrounding Berrios and Earle's appearance ... but that could always change.

As for Earle, she shared a vid of her prep for the big night ... and revealed the couple had a 6 AM flight they'd most likely miss Thursday morning.

Shaquil Barrett paid tribute to his late daughter in a touching way this week ... getting the 2-year-old's face tattooed on his forearm -- just three months after she tragically died in a drowning accident.

The NFL star turned to Tattoo Red to get the piece of little Arrayah done ... and the homage came out perfectly.

The ink features an image of the little girl from her second birthday party ... as well as some stars and a ray of light shining through clouds.

Tattoo Red -- who's been inking athletes and musicians for 14 years -- tells TMZ Sports ... it all took about five hours to put down. The artist also said Barrett's wife, Jordanna, got a tattoo on her wrist in honor of Arrayah too.

"Knowing what an emotional piece this was for the family made me feel honored," Tattoo Red said. "I wanted to give them the best piece I could."

Jordanna -- who also has three other kids with Barrett -- recently announced they are expecting another baby ... saying in the big reveal, "Arrayah had a special hand in picking this sweet girl to add to our family!"

The HBO cameras will be rolling when Aaron Rodgers gears up for his first training camp in the Big Apple -- the New York Jets have reportedly been picked to appear on the next season of "Hard Knocks."

The news broke via Adam Schefter on Wednesday ... who announced Gang Green was selected over the Saints, Bears, and Commanders, who were also eligible to participate in the annual docuseries.

Fans might be thrilled with the choice, but Jets head coach Robert Saleh previously said the squad was opposed to being followed around throughout camp.

When it comes to entertainment value, the Jets were the clear favorites for the gig ... considering Rodgers -- a 4-time MVP and Super Bowl winner -- was traded to the Jets in April, and it will be his first time on the show.

Outside of Rodgers, the team is full of personalities, including star cornerback Sauce Gardner ... who's already had some viral moments in his young career.

The Jets were also on Hard Knocks in 2010 ... which resulted in some memorable clips, including an expletive-filled speech from then-coach Rex Ryan.

Alvin Kamara has cut a deal with prosecutors in his Las Vegas assault case, TMZ Sports has learned ... and the whole episode could now be put behind the New Orleans Saints star in just a matter of weeks.

According to court documents filed in Nevada on Tuesday, Kamara has agreed to enter a no-contest plea to a lesser charge of misdemeanor breach of peace in the case.

Kamara agreed that as punishment, he'll perform 30 hours of community service, pay a $500 fine, and shell out $105,196.17 to Darnell Greene -- the man who claimed the NFL running back beat the hell out of him during an incident a The Cromwell Hotel and Casino in February 2022.

According to the docs ... prosecutors accepted Kamara's stipulations -- and in exchange, they said they'd drop the charges of felony battery and misdemeanor conspiracy to commit battery that they had initially hit him with following the incident.

The agreement has yet to be signed off by a judge -- though that is expected to happen at a hearing later this month.

In addition, Kamara also closed out his civil case with Greene on Wednesday -- according to Greene's attorney, Tony Buzbee.

In a social media post, Buzbee said the two sides "settled on confidential terms" -- while adding that Kamara signed a public mea culpa as part of the settlement that read, "Please accept my sincere apologies for the events of February 5, 2022 in Las Vegas."

Greene had initially accused Kamara of getting violent with him at an elevator near Drai's at around 6:30 AM. Greene said the altercation all started because Kamara wouldn't let him on the lift ... adding that he suffered serious facial injuries in the confrontation. He sued, and sought $10 million in compensatory and punitive damages.

Le'Veon Bell is having painful flashbacks about being swindled by Moneybagg Yo and DaBaby's artist Stunna 4 Vegas ... after he claims he paid them cold hard cash for some BS bars.

The NFL free agent made the unsolicited revelations on social media while recalling several high-profile rapper collabs ... and singled out Moneybagg and Stunna for not giving their all on the tracks and just maybe not respecting his talent!!!

LB says platinum-selling producer Tay Keith held up his end of the bargain on the Moneybagg track, but Mr. Wockesha didn't deliver and Bell thinks he and Stunna used him as a cash grab.

Drake, SZA, and Rihanna are the only artists LB says he'll let get away with sending over a lame feature without any rebuttal ... but he did go out of his way to salute both Lil Durk, Snoop Dogg, and the late Lil Keed for being stand-up guys in the studio with him.

LB says he's been holding on to the Snoop track since his early years playing with Pittsburgh after he had to choose a career, but hopes to bring it to life one day.

Kim Zolciak has a new lease on life (and love) -- which she seems to be signaling to the world with a sneak peek at her rockin' mom bod.

The 'RHOA' star posted some footage Monday night on her Instagram where she's whipping her hair around after a salon visit and looks very happy with the results ... as she thanked the owners of the joint.

Of course, the obvious image here that stands out -- besides her golden locks -- is her cleavage, because she posted the vid wearing just her bra, and Kim's cups runneth over.

Thirst traps from 'Housewives' are nothing new, but the timing of this one is interesting. Obviously, Kim just patched things up with her husband, Kroy Biermann, and called off their divorce ... which had gotten very ugly very quickly.

If this were a week ago, everyone would assume Kim did it to get under Kroy's skin -- but now that they're mending fences ... we're guessing she's just feeling good, and wanting to show she's looking good too.

It's a vibe.

Like we reported, Kim and Kroy are working through their issues the old-fashioned way -- just talking every day, without any 3rd party help.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann's sudden, and dramatic, u-turn on getting divorced isn't fueled by therapy appointments ... instead, they're leaning on a higher power to stay together.

Sources connected to the couple tell TMZ ... Kim and Kroy are not doing couple's therapy in the aftermath of calling off their divorce -- a decision that seemed to come out of nowhere, especially considering how acrimonious things had gotten between them lately.

While ya might think they'd spent time on a shrink's couch to address their problems ... we're told that's not the case, and this rekindling is somewhat old-fashioned.

Our sources say Kim and Kroy believe they can fix their relationship with just face-to-face conversations, and a little help from God ... as they're relying on their shared Christian faith to push through the issues that brought them to the brink of divorce.

We're told Kim's always believed in a higher power, and Kroy's recently found God himself. Now, going to church as a family is becoming a regular thing for them and their kids.

Bottom line ... they don't believe they need a 3rd party to mediate, as of now, and are just going to lean on each other to get their marriage back on track. As for what led to them filing for divorce in the first place -- well, it's still a bit of a mystery.

Aaron Hernadez's brother, D.J. Hernandez, could get hauled to jail in Connecticut once again ... TMZ Sports has learned a re-arrest has been ordered for him after he failed to show up last week for a hearing in his ESPN brick-throwing case.

According to court records, D.J. was supposed to be at a courthouse in New Britain for proceedings on Friday ... though an official tells us he didn't appear.

As a result, the rep said, a re-arrest for D.J. was ordered.

We reached out to D.J. for comment on the situation ... but so far, we haven't heard back yet.

D.J. is currently facing one misdemeanor charge of breach of peace in the case ... after authorities accused him of throwing a brick at ESPN's headquarters back on March 23.

During the alleged incident in Bristol ... cops say D.J. -- Aaron's older brother and a former Division 1 football player -- attached a note to the object which read, in part, "It's about time you all realeyes the affect media has on all family members."

"Since you're a world wide leader maybe you could lead how media and messages are delivered brick by brick. Clean it up!"

D.J. was also hit with criminal charges in a separate incident that authorities said happened just days prior to the one in Bristol. In that case, D.J. was arrested after being accused of leading cops on a wild car chase after they attempted to pull him over for a routine traffic stop.

D.J., though, reached a deal with officials in April to close out that case ... pleading guilty to one count of failure to drive in a proper lane and one count of failure to use traffic control signals. In exchange, prosecutors dropped the other charges against him -- which included reckless driving and engaging police in pursuit.