NFL

Forget Ubers and Lyfts ... Gisele Bündchen got a ride home from the airport on Friday morning from her jiu-jitsu instructor, Joaquim Valente -- further fueling rumors the two are, indeed, an item.

Tom Brady's ex rolled into Miami International at around 4:45 AM after a vacation in Brazil ... and Valente was waiting on the curb for her as soon as she touched down.

Gisele chucked her bags into the back of his pickup quickly ... before hoppin' in the front seat. The duo then sped off.

While there was no PDA -- it's hard to ignore the signs that they're definitely a couple. The two have been spotted out on Costa Rican vacations often over the past few months ... ones in which they've been seen riding horses together and playing around on a beach together as well.

The two, though, have yet to publicly admit they're dating ... but an early morning airport pickup seems to say all the words their mouths won't.

Sean Dawkins -- who played nine seasons in the NFL, most notably for the Indianapolis Colts -- died earlier this week. He was 52 years old.

Details surrounding his death have not been announced.

Dawkins -- a first-round pick in 1993 -- tallied 25 touchdowns across his professional career ... setting a career-high of seven in a season with the Seattle Seahawks in 1999.

Colts owner Jim Irsay paid tribute to Dawkins on Thursday, saying ... "Rest in peace, Sean Dawkins. I am shocked and saddened."

"My prayers and condolences to Sean’s family."

Irsay's Colts drafted Dawkins after a standout collegiate career at Cal.

As a Golden Bear, Dawkins was a consensus All-American in 1992 and was subsequently inducted into the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005.

NBA great and current Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd -- who was a freshman on the Cal basketball team when Sean was tearing it up on the gridiron -- shared his grief following his fellow Golden Bear's death ... saying, "Heartbroken over the tragic loss of Sean Dawkins, a true legend of the @Cal Bear community."

"His remarkable talent brought joy to fans and inspired many. Our deepest condolences to his loved ones during this difficult time. Rest in peace, Sean. #ForeverACalBear #RIPSeanDawkins."

Sean was 52.

Ray Rice returned to his old stomping grounds on Thursday ... but he wasn't the only former star running back hanging out on the Baltimore Ravens sidelines -- he was spotted chopping it up with Marshawn Lynch.

The Super Bowl champion -- who has made several appearances at Ravens events after getting kicked off the team in 2014 -- was a popular guest at training camp hours ago ... with kids flocking to him after he arrived.

RR appeared to be in great spirits throughout the visit ... and video shows him laughing with Beast Mode as they checked out the squad.

Of course, Rice transitioned to a public speaking and mentorship role after he was suspended indefinitely following his Atlantic City casino elevator incident ... teaching young players how to prevent similar mistakes.

Rice never played another down of professional football following the controversy ... but he's been no stranger to the sport nonetheless.

Former NFL defensive back Buster Skrine was arrested in Canada on Wednesday ... after authorities say he fraudulently obtained more than $100K from a bunch of banks throughout the country.

The Durham Regional Police Service said Wednesday that Skrine had attended "numerous financial institutions" recently in order to illegally obtain cash. They claimed as part of his scheme, Skrine would identify himself as a retired NFL player, open bank accounts with fraudulent checks, and then obtain a portion of the dough before the check cleared.

They said Skrine did this at multiple locations in the Durham Region ... adding that they had "reason to believe" he had pulled similar scams all across Canada.

Durham Regional Police said following an investigation into the allegations, they arrested Skrine at Pearson International Airport on Wednesday after learning he had made plans to travel back to the United States.

The 34-year-old has since been hit with 14 charges -- including fraud and possession of property obtained by crime.

DeVonta Smith cared so much about supporting Henry Ruggs during his sentencing hearing on Wednesday ... the Eagles star was reportedly excused from practice so he could be there in person.

The former Heisman Trophy winner, according to Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Jeff McLane, left Birds camp in Philly in order to be in Las Vegas for Ruggs' proceedings.

At the hearing, Ruggs was sentenced to three-to-10 years in prison over the 2021 car crash that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog -- though it's unclear if Smith actually made it into the courtroom for the ruling.

Of course, Smith and Ruggs formed a great friendship during their time at Alabama ... the two were roommates, and Smith said back in 2021 before the accident that they had always "dreamed of" playing against one another in the NFL.

In fact, Smith added at the time that he considered Ruggs "my brother from another mother."

Following the crash, Smith said he was heartbroken over the tragedy ... explaining he had to lean on his teammates to help him get through the shock of it.

Ruggs, meanwhile, apologized to Tintor's family at the hearing ... saying in a statement to the courtroom that he knows he "hurt so many" with his actions.

O.J. Simpson doesn't understand how Henry Ruggs drove over 155 MPH, intoxicated, killing a 23-year-old and her dog, but could be out in a few years ... while he received a 9 to 33-year sentence in the same courthouse for an armed robbery where no one was hurt.

"The math just does not add up."

76-year-old Simpson shared his thoughts on X ... talking to his nearly 900k followers only hours after the 24-year-old former Raiders star got 3 to 10 years in the death of Tina Tintor.

"I know I went to college on a football scholarship but somehow this math is not adding up to me. You're driving a car at roughly 160 miles per hour on a public street and end up killing a girl and her dog and you get three to ten years?", O.J. asked.

The NFL legend continued ... "You go to a hotel room that you're invited to to retrieve your own personal stolen property, property I now have because it was ruled to be mine by the state of California, and you get nine to 33 years?"

Of course, in 2008 O.J. was sentenced to 33 years in connection to an armed robbery in Las Vegas, with the possibility of parole after 9 years.

Although Simpson was hit with the sentence because he entered a Palace Station hotel room with a gun in 2007, looking to retrieve memorabilia ... many believe Juice got the book thrown at him as a way to punish him for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, more than a decade after he was acquitted of their murders.

O.J. was ultimately paroled after 9 years in 2017 ... and is now a free man.

If Ruggs -- who stood up and apologized in court -- is released the year he's eligible for parole, like Simpson, he'll get out when he's just 27 years old.

A notion Simpson clearly believes doesn't make any sense.

Former NFL cornerback Bashaud Breeland -- a one-time Super Bowl champion -- was arrested this week ... after cops say he was in possession of drugs, a slew of guns and a stolen car.

According to police documents, Breeland was found with the vehicle, the firearms and the contraband at around 3:05 p.m. on Monday after he was pulled over in Charlotte, N.C.

Cops say during the traffic stop, they found the 2020 Mercedes-Benz he was driving had been reported stolen from Florida. They added that during an ensuing search of the car, they found a bevvy of weapons -- including two AR-15s and two AK-47s.

Police also said in the docs they discovered 5.45 pounds of suspected marijuana and 62 grams of suspected mushrooms in the ride ... plus a bunch of cash and drug paraphernalia.

They estimated the suspected drugs to be worth $7,000.

Records show the ex-cornerback was booked into Mecklenburg County Jail at 2:12 a.m. on Tuesday ... on eight total charges -- including possession of a stolen motor vehicle. The records show he was released from custody less than three hours later.

This is not the first time Breeland has been arrested in the past few years ... he was also jailed in South Carolina in 2020 following a scary encounter with cops at a gas station.

Breeland -- who played his college ball at Clemson -- has not logged a snap in the NFL since the 2021 season ... but he had been considered one of the league's better DBs throughout his career.

Former NFL star Henry Ruggs has been sentenced to 3-to-10 years in prison over the 2021 car crash that resulted in the death of 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog.

The ex-Raiders wide receiver learned his fate just minutes ago inside a packed Las Vegas courtroom.

Ruggs, 24, showed up to the Wednesday morning proceedings in a navy suit and tie ... and issued an apology to Tintor's family right at the outset of the hearing.

"To the parents and family of Ms. Tintor, I sincerely apologize for the pain and suffering my actions the morning of Nov. 2, 2021 have caused you, your family and those who knew Ms. Tina and Max," he said.

"I let my family, my teammates and those who believed in me down with my actions and hurt so many."

He added that there was "no excuse" for his actions.

A statement from Tintor's family was also read inside the courtroom ... before the judge made her ruling. Ruggs was then immediately remanded into custody.

Ruggs was initially facing more than 50 years behind bars in the case after authorities accused him of drunkenly slamming his Corvette into the back of Tintor's Rav-4 in Vegas ... killing her and her golden retriever.

But, the former football player reached a deal with prosecutors back in May, agreeing to plead guilty to one felony count of DUI resulting in death and one misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter in exchange for a prison sentence that would not exceed 3-to-10 years.

Ruggs, who will now be eligible for parole following his third year in prison, was picked by the Raiders in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft ... and had started 19 games in his two seasons with the team. The org. released him following the accident.

Even one of the most famous athletes on the planet can geek out over celebrities -- 'cause Aaron Rodgers was giddy as hell after meeting Liev Schreiber at New York Jets camp ... calling him the "f***ing voice of God!!"

The "Ray Donovan" actor/"Hard Knocks" narrator made a rare appearance on the HBO series Tuesday night ... dropping in via helicopter to hang out with the team during practice.

The most excited player was easily Rodgers ... who told Liev he's a huge fan of his filmography.

The quarterback lost his mind to his teammates after greeting the movie star ... telling them to go say 'sup.

"He's the guy who narrates 'Hard Knocks,'" Rodgers told everyone who was willing to listen.

Rodgers even begged his offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, to go introduce himself ... saying Schreiber was "nervous" and wanted to hang out with the players.

"Just say 'hi,'" Rodgers told coach. "Just be nice. Look at him, he got all dressed up for it. He looks great."

"Don't be an ass****," he added.

Schreiber's spot on the show was pretty hilarious ... as he narrated the whole thing, explaining he wanted to drive to practice, but producers thought the helicopter would be more dramatic.

Gisele Bündchen says her divorce from Tom Brady has been no cakewalk ... admitting the recent split has been hard on her, but she's getting through the rough patch by shifting her focus elsewhere.

The supermodel went into detail about ending her 13-year marriage with the seven-time Super Bowl champion in an interview with Vogue Brazil this week ... where she opened up about finding the silver lining, despite how much of a toll it has taken on her.

"I've always believed that every situation, no matter how challenging, teaches us something and helps us grow," Gisele said.

"Breakups are never easy, especially when the media is speculating every step of the way."

Of course, there was a lot of speculation at the time about why Gisele and Tom were calling it quits -- many believed it was about Brady's return to football, but as we previously reported, that was simply not the case.

Gisele added she is keeping her kids, health, career, and aspirations the priority after the divorce ... as she now has a better understanding and acceptance of herself.

Dillon Danis first ... Le'Veon Bell next?!

If Bell had things his way, that's exactly how Logan Paul's upcoming fight schedule would work out ... 'cause the former NFL star-turned-boxer says he wants all the smoke with The Maverick in the ring soon.

Bell made his intentions known with a fiery tweet on Tuesday afternoon -- just hours after Paul revealed he's going to fight Danis on Oct. 14.

"lol you really can’t duck me forever @LoganPaul," Bell wrote. ".. at some point you're gonna have to see me in that boxing ring."

Bell -- who first stepped into the celebrity fighting world following the 2021 NFL season -- has previously had his sights set on Logan's little brother, Jake ... calling out the 26-year-old multiple times over the past couple years.

But, seems he's now turned his attention squarely toward Paul -- adding in a separate tweet that he'd "be ready" if the Danis fight falls through.

Of course, Bell's going to have to get in a long line to be Paul's next opponent ... a bunch of fighters have already requested a taste of the WWE Superstar, including Tyron Woodley, who told TMZ Sports last week he's ready for the older Paul brother after two fights with Jake.

The Wilson family is getting bigger -- Russell and Ciara just announced they have another baby on the way ... courtesy of a sexy silhouette video of the singer showing off her bump!!

The Denver Broncos quarterback and R&B star broke the news on Tuesday with footage Russ took during their anniversary trip in Japan a few weeks ago ... showing Ciara several months along in her pregnancy.

In the clip, Ciara danced to her new single with Chris Brown, "How We Roll" ... and used lyrics from the song to bring the message home.

"You look at me like that again, we make another kid ... You my heart I’m your rib" 🥰😘❤️" Ciara says in the tune.

This will be the third kid for the lovely couple ... and Ciara's fourth. She also has a son, Future Zahir, with rapper Future.

Wilson definitely spoke this bundle of joy into existence --  remember, the 34-year-old begged his wife of seven years for another kid when Ciara was hosting "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" last year.

"We definitely can, but we've got a little time before we get there," Ciara said on the show. "But, I'm down to do it again with you!"

Aqib Talib's brother, Yaqub Talib, has been sentenced to 37 years behind bars for his role in the shooting of a youth football coach last summer.

Yaqub learned his fate inside a Dallas County courtroom on Monday morning. Aqib was in attendance for the proceedings. The older Talib was remanded into custody immediately following the sentencing.

Neither brother spoke to reporters as they made their way inside of the courthouse ... and prosecutors say Yaqub did not speak during the sentencing hearing either.

Yaqub was accused of shooting Michael Hickmon during a heated dispute at an Aug. 13, 2022 youth football game involving a team that the Talib brothers were helping coach.

According to a lawsuit against the Talibs filed by Hickmon's family, the Talib brothers were upset with Hickmon -- who was helping coach the opposing team -- over a call on the field ... and confronted him over it after abruptly ending the game.

During the altercation, Hickmon's family claimed Yaqub pulled out a handgun and fired five shots at Hickmon, striking him multiple times ... leading to his death.

40-year-old Yaqub was charged with murder shortly after the incident ... and he eventually pleaded guilty last month.

Aqib's attorney said in a statement at the time of Hickmon's death that the ex-NFL star was "very distraught and devastated over this terrible loss of life" ... though the former Super Bowl champion has not spoken out over it all since.

It ain't Ja'Marr Chase, Tyreek Hill or Cooper Kupp ... no, Randy Moss tells TMZ Sports the NFL's best wide receiver is none other than Justin Jefferson!!

The NFL legend heaped the praise on the Minnesota Vikings star this week ... calling him straight up, "the No. 1 wide receiver in the National Football League."

Of course, there aren't too many who'd disagree ... Jefferson, after all, has piled up a staggering 4,825 receiving yards and 25 receiving TDs in just 50 career games.

Then again, Chase, Hill, Kupp, Davante Adams and even guys CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown have been pretty good themselves.

Still, Moss made it clear Jefferson's his guy ... though he is at least somewhat concerned about what the loss of Dalvin Cook could do to the receiver's production this year.

"If there's anything that I have in question for the Minnesota Vikings and Justin Jefferson moving forward," Moss said, "It's what Dalvin Cook meant to that running game and the play-action passing game for Kirk Cousins and that offense."

"So," he continued, "I think that if they can move past Dalvin Cook still bringing that safety down in that box, it's still going to be just big numbers being put up by Jefferson."

Sorry, Jets fans ... Randy Moss says despite New York's huge offseason, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are still the team to beat in the AFC.

But, the NFL legend tells TMZ Sports he's stoked for the year NY is about to have regardless ... saying he can feel a completely different energy emanating from the Big Apple after the arrival of Aaron Rodgers.

"I felt the buzz when the Jets were down," said Moss, who works in New York for his role as an ESPN analyst, "and now I'm feeling the buzz when they're ready to look forward to some big things from this organization."

Moss says he's totally impressed with the way Rodgers has integrated himself into his new team and community ... noting he's seen a far different body language from the QB from what he's witnessed in the past.

Now, he thinks it'll all spell out "an MVP-type-caliber season" for the 39-year-old signal-caller

"I just think the sky's the limit for the New York Jets," he said.

The 46-year-old Hall of Famer, though, would apparently still put his money on Mahomes to take the AFC title this year ... telling us the favorite in the conference "is still Kansas City."

Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Josh Sills was found not guilty on rape and kidnapping charges on Friday ... and he is now expected to rejoin his team.

As we previously reported, the 25-year-old was indicted less than two weeks before Super Bowl LVII last year ... following a three-year investigation into the allegations made by a former high school classmate.

Sills, who was in Ohio at the time, was accused of forcing the woman to perform oral sex on him for approximately 20 minutes while he drove her home in his truck, according to the police report obtained by TMZ Sports.

Following four days of testimony and three hours of deliberation in an Ohio court ... Sills was acquitted of both charges.

"I'd like to thank you for everything you’ve done," Sills said after the acquittal, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"I'd like to thank my family for supporting me from day one. I've done nothing wrong, and am glad that was proven today."

As a rookie, Sills appeared in just one game for the Eagles last season.