NFL

Here's a sight Jets fans are going to love ... Aaron Rodgers walking without crutches -- just three weeks after tearing his Achilles!!!

New York's "All-Access" team captured the images back on Oct. 1 ... when Rodgers was visiting his squad at MetLife Stadium as it prepared to take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football.

The superstar quarterback -- wearing jeans, a T-shirt and athletic shoes -- strolled into the locker room without the aid of crutches ... and when one team official urged him to be careful on his surgically repaired leg, he told the guy to "chill out."

"Let me just do my thing, OK!?" the four-time MVP said while moving with a limp. "Just show 'em I can walk."

Rodgers then posted up near his locker -- joking with others in the area -- before he showed once again he could saunter around without crutches.

It's all a great scene for Gang Green ... as Rodgers has said he's actually hoping to make his return to the gridiron this season.

Of course, it takes most about a year to get officially healthy from Achilles tears ... but the QB told Pat McAfee days after he first injured the leg that he was hoping his doubters would fuel him into a quicker recovery time.

"Give me the timetables," he said to McAfee. "Give me all the things that you think can, should, or will happen because all I need is that one little extra percent of inspiration. That's all I need."

Ex-NFL player Sergio Brown -- who's accused of murdering his mother -- fought Mexican cops in a wild meltdown on a plane over the weekend as they were trying to extradite him to the U.S. ... new video shows.

The footage was filmed by Michelle Williams, a California resident, who told CBS 8 the incident went down on an Aeromexico plane still on the tarmac in the Mexico City airport. Williams said the plane was slated to go to Tijuana.

In the clip, you can see Brown appeared to be extremely agitated as two law enforcement officers were trying to hold him down in his seat so they could start the process of getting him back to the States after a warrant for his arrest was issued in Illinois.

Brown complained repeatedly that he was being kidnapped -- and at one point, he got physical with one of the cops.

Brown can be seen in the video pushing the man ... before the officer's partner restrained the former Buffalo Bills defensive back from behind. Still, 35-year-old Brown screamed and wiggled.

"Let me go!" he yelled. "This is kidnapping! Cameras, please! Kidnapping!"

The struggle lasted several more seconds -- and after Brown appeared to lurch backward and hit his head on the top of the plane ... a woman who said she was a doctor stepped in to try to calm him down.

They shared an exchange of words ... before the video cuts out.

Despite the chaotic scene, Brown was ultimately moved to the U.S. ... and booked into a San Diego jail on Tuesday. On Wednesday, cops revealed he was taken in on a warrant for first-degree murder in the death of his mom, Myrtle Brown, who was found deceased with apparent assault injuries last month.

Brown -- who played in the NFL from 2010 to 2016 -- had been in Mexico in the days following the 73-year-old's death ... partying and drinking with clubgoers in Tulum as if nothing was wrong.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are clearly goin' strong ... we've learned the 2 will be spending the entire weekend together after both scored some massive wins this week.

Multiple sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Taylor and Travis will be together this upcoming weekend -- Travis and the Chiefs played Thursday night, so he's got time off.

It's unclear if they'll stay in Kansas City for their time together, or if they'll jet out of town ... but with Travis now off the clock until early next week and Taylor not taking the stage until November 9 in Argentina, the lovebirds can go just about anywhere they want.

As we reported, Taylor showed up once again at Arrowhead Stadium Thursday night to cheer him on while sitting next to his mom, Donna Kelce -- who was donning a friendship bracelet, made popular at Taylor's concerts!

Don't forget, Taylor was in L.A. the night before for the world premiere of her 'Eras Tour' film, which is now officially in theaters -- hey, maybe Taylor and Travis will go catch the flick during their weekend getaway!

Regardless, they've been seen together quite a bit in the past few weeks -- apart from the viral video of them leaving Travis' game last month, the 2 were also spotted getting close at a local bar, with her arm wrapped around him.

David Njoku's face was badly burned in the fire pit accident, but things could've been way worse ... the Browns star says his eyes were open when the fireball burned his face, and he could've lost his eyesight.

“I give all the glory to God. When it happened my eyes were open, so I saw everything and I really should’ve been blinded,” Njoku told reporters, adding ... "Luckily I'm not, so I give all glory to God."

Of course, the 27-year-old, former first-round draft pick stamped his status as one of the toughest dudes around when he played the week 4 game against the Ravens just days after the incident, somehow wearing a helmet over the burned area.

“All the pain and suffering from training in the offseason is far worse than any of this,” Njoku said.

The Browns lost handily to Baltimore, 28-3, but David was a bright spot, catching 6 passes for 46 yards ... despite the burns.

Initially, Njoku didn't reveal the injury. In fact, he walked in and out of the locker room with a mask that covered his whole face.

Then, earlier this week, David shared a photo from shortly after the incident, in addition to a photo showing the burns healing, albeit slowly.

As for how he's feeling now ... how's this for good news?

Steve Smith Sr. went all the way in on Jerry Jeudy before Thursday Night Football ... calling the Broncos wide receiver average in front of millions of people!

Smith, a retired, 5x Pro Bowler, revealed he was involved in a pregame incident with 24-year-old Jeudy ... as the receivers came face-to-face, and it didn't exactly go smoothly.

“The word that I’ve used to describe him in the past was a J.A.G. -- Just A Guy. When I saw him, he’s playing well. I wanted to say to him face-to-face, ‘Hey, I know I said some things in the past I probably shouldn’t have and 'I’m sorry.’ That’s what I wanted to say to him. His response was, Ninja, I don’t mess with you. And, it was a curse word. So I was like, ‘All right.’ And, then he repeated it,” Smith told the NFL Network audience.

That's when the gloves came off.

"I'm sorry I said you were a JAG, 'Just A Guy' who is an average wide receiver [the Broncos] used a first-round pick on that isn't doing anything. I hope today you actually show up in a way that you haven't shown up in the last couple years since they drafted you."

Steve continued ... "So if you ever got a problem with Agent 89, I'm sorry for saying that you are an average wide receiver that they will eventually move on from. When teams call me to ask if they should trade for you, I will say 'No, don't trade for Jerry Jeudy because he is mentally unable to handle constructive criticism who watch specifically if you can be a wide receiver. He's a tier three."

Remember, this was all before the game even started.

6:08 PM PT -- Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's mom, Donna, look thick as thieves ... because Taylor gave Donna one of her famous friendship bracelets.

Pretty ingenious way to get in tight with the family, right?!?

5:00 PM PT -- Taylor Swift is watching the game from Travis Kelce's suite ... sitting next to his mom, Donna.

It's the same suite Taylor was in the first time she watched Travis and the Chiefs play ... so we'll see if she's a good luck charm again, and it seems she's cool with Travis' mom, which is always important.

Taylor Swift is officially in the building, ready to watch Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs in person for the third time in four weeks.

Swift just walked into Arrowhead Stadium, where Travis and company are set to take on Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos. Taylor walked through security with a giant smile on her face while wearing a red Chiefs jacket.

Taylor's had a wild 24 hours ... shutting down The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles Wednesday for the premiere of her "Eras Tour" movie.

Taylor posed for pics, chatted with fans and even spent some time with Beyoncé at the premiere. She hopped on a jet out of L.A. and arrived in Kansas City just a few hours ago for the big game.

As we reported, Travis' status was previously "questionable" for the game, as he was battling an ankle injury ... but he's officially gotten the green light.

Taylor previously attended Travis' Week 3 matchup against the Chicago Bears, then followed the team to New Jersey to watch them play the Jets in Week 4. She skipped out last weekend when the team was in Minnesota.

While Taylor and Kelce have been relatively quiet on their relationship status, we've heard from sources the two had been hanging out for months before she attended his first game.

We should note ... the Chiefs haven't lost since Taylor was first in attendance, so we'll see how this one plays out.

Rob Gronkowski could be back on a gridiron as soon as 2028 ... telling TMZ Sports he'd unretire from football if it meant he could play the flag version of it for Team USA in the Olympics.

The New England Patriots legend didn't mince words when talking about the sport and its potential inclusion in the '28 Games ... saying point-blank Thursday, "Count me in already!"

"Hopefully there's no tryouts and they just accept me," said the former tight end, who walked away from the NFL for good in 2022. "But I'm in. I'm going for that if there is flag football in the Olympics in 2028. USA going all the way!"

Gronk would be 39 years old when the Olympics officially kick off in Los Angeles ... but he says he's been taking care of his body so well in retirement, he's now back to 100 percent -- and he seems to anticipate things staying that way if and when it comes time to put the flags on.

In fact, he says if the NFL created a league of its own prior to any sort of Olympic action, he'd be down to lace up his cleats ASAP for it.

"I can tell you this." he said, "If there was a flag football league -- an NFL flag football league -- I would be playing in that currently as we speak."

Of course, the sport has not yet officially been added to the Games -- the International Olympic Committee is expected to vote on it and a few others in the coming days.

Although if it does get officially added, Gronk could have some serious firepower running alongside him in four years ... as Tyreek Hill said earlier this week he'd be all-in for it as well.

In the meantime, when Gronk isn't busy staying in shape ... he's dealing with his multitude of business ventures -- including his latest one, Voomerang.

Rob Gronkowski podría estar de vuelta en 2028 y le dice a TMZ Sports que se retiraría del fútbol si eso significaba que podía jugar la versión de la bandera de la misma para el equipo de EE.UU. en los Juegos Olímpicos.

La leyenda de los New England Patriots no se anduvo con rodeos a la hora de hablar de este deporte y su posible inclusión en los Juegos del 28, diciendo: "¡Cuenten conmigo ya!".

"Ojalá no haya pruebas y simplemente me acepten", dijo el ex tight end, que se alejó definitivamente de la NFL en 2022. "Pero estoy dentro. Voy a por ello si hay espacio para el football de banderas en los Juegos Olímpicos de 2028. Estados Unidos va a por todas".

Gronk tendría 39 años cuando los Juegos Olímpicos comiencen oficialmente en Los Ángeles, pero dice que ha estado cuidando de su cuerpo durante este tiempo y que ahora está de vuelta al 100 por ciento y parece anticipar que las cosas seguirán así.

De hecho, dice que si la NFL creara un espacio para las Olimpiadas, él estaría ahí.

"Te puedo decir esto", dijo, "Si hubiera una liga de fútbol bandera de la NFL, yo estaría jugando en estos momentos".

Por supuesto, este deporte aún no se ha añadido oficialmente a los Juegos. Se espera que el Comité Olímpico Internacional vote sobre él y algunos otros en los próximos días.

Aunque si se añade oficialmente, Gronk podría tener a un gran compañero corriendo junto a él en cuatro años más. Tyreek Hill dijo a principios de esta semana que también estaría feliz de participar.

Mientras tanto, cuando Gronk no está ocupado en mantenerse en forma, está tratando con su multitud de empresas de negocios, incluyendo su última idea, Voomerang.

Taylor Swift's helping out Erin Andrews while supporting Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs ... wearing a jacket from the sportscaster's clothing line to the NFL game.

Sources close to Erin tell TMZ … the NFL broadcaster sent Taylor some items from her WEAR by Erin Andrews clothing line in the hopes Taylor would wear something in the future, and Taylor came through.

We're told Taylor's windbreaker jacket retails for $112 ... and as you can see, it's got the KC Chiefs logos and patches all over the place ... so Taylor fits right in at Arrowhead Stadium.

Taylor's at her third Chiefs game in the last four weeks ... and she's once again cheering on Travis from his suite ... and hanging out with his mom, Donna.

The Thursday Night Football game is part of a whirlwind 24 hours for Taylor ... last night she was in Los Angeles for the premiere of her 'Eras Tour' concert movie, which shut down the world-famous outdoor shopping mall, The Grove.

While Erin's not besties with Taylor or Travis, she does have a connection to the couple ... back in August, Erin played matchmaker on her podcast and suggested the two hook up.

Post Malone has found a way to combine two things he holds near and dear -- the Dallas Cowboys and chicken fingers -- while also giving some of his fans the surprise of a lifetime.

Posty made a surprise visit at the grand opening of the Post Malone-and-Cowboys-themed location of Raising Cane's in Dallas Thursday. The rocker sported a custom Dallas jersey while posing for pics with fans, and of course, eating some of those tasty chicken fingers.

The location, which just opened today, comes complete with the blue and white Cowboys color scheme -- and a giant Cowboys star as you enter the Drive-Thru that stands 32 feet tall.

Post played a big role in getting the location together, and there are even some silhouettes of his most famous stage poses around the restaurant's exterior.

A Dolphins fan who got into an embarrassing mixup with Tyreek Hill's mom at a game over the weekend was just rewarded for his troubles with a bunch of gifts ... courtesy of the Miami star himself!!

Hill's mom initially had big beef with the man on Sunday during the Dolphins' blowout win over the Giants at Hard Rock Stadium ... when her son tried to give her a ball after scoring a touchdown.

As the wideout passed it into the stands, a man just in front of Momma Hill intercepted it ... before he appeared to begrudgingly hand it over to her.

Initially, it seemed the guy was just being a jerk ... but Hill later learned the man had no idea his mom was the intended target for the ball -- so he found him and showered him with presents this week.

In a video Hill posted to his social media pages Thursday, you can see Tyreek surprise the guy at a restaurant with a ball of his own ... and more.

The fan was floored by Hill's generous act -- and quickly gave the football player a big hug.

If you're tuning into the Chiefs game tonight for Taylor Swift, you might come away a bit disappointed ... 'cause Al Michaels says he's planning to keep the coverage of the pop star to a minimum.

The man who will be broadcasting the Kansas City vs. Denver game at Arrowhead Stadium revealed the plans during a chat with Sports Illustrated's Jimmy Traina earlier Thursday morning.

He said while he and his Amazon Prime Video team clearly want to show that Swift is in attendance watching Travis Kelce and his Kansas City squad play for the third time in the last four weeks ... he vowed to not "make a sideshow the show."

"What we’re gonna do tonight, everything in moderation," the 78-year-old play-by-play man said. "The vast majority of the audience are tuning in to watch a football game. There are people, I don’t know how many, it could be a sizable number, but it’s certainly not a majority, that if you trained the camera on her all night long, they’d be satisfied with that."

"This is not what we’re going to do."

Michaels' words will likely be music to a large portion of NFL fans' ears ... as there was a ton of backlash from football supporters following NBC's coverage of Swift's attendance at the Chiefs vs. Jets game last month.

In fact, it actually led to Kelce himself bashing the NFL for "overdoing it" all.

Michaels, though, did at least leave the door somewhat open for lengthy camera time for Swift ... saying, "If Kelce scores six touchdowns, who the hell knows what we’re going to do."

Police are looking to charge three men who they say played a role in an altercation at a Patriots game last month that ended in the death of one fan.

The Foxborough Police Department tells TMZ Sports ... it has submitted criminal complaints to prosecutors seeking assault and battery and disorderly conduct charges against a trio of Rhode Island men.

While cops did not reveal the names of the men nor any further details of the evidence ... they did say they believe the men were somehow involved in the altercation that resulted in Dale Mooney's death at the Pats vs. Dolphins game at Gillette Stadium.

According to the FPD, officers came to the conclusion after interviewing witnesses at the game as well as reviewing videos of the incident.

As we reported, Mooney was involved in the scuffle at some point during the Sept. 16 contest ... and he collapsed and later died. Officials did say, however, that they believe a medical issue -- not a traumatic injury -- led to the death.

A medical examiner's investigation into the final cause and manner of death remains ongoing.

La policía está buscando acusar a tres hombres, que según ellos, jugaron un papel en el partido de los Patriotas el mes pasado que terminó con la muerte de un fan.

El Departamento de Policía de Foxborough le dice a TMZ Sports que ha presentado denuncias penales a los fiscales por asalto y agresión y cargos de conducta desordenada contra un trío de hombres de Rhode Island.

Aunque no revelaron los nombres ni mayores detalles de las pruebas, dijeron que piensan que estos estuvieron involucrados en el altercado que resultó en la muerte de Dale Mooney en el partido contra los Dolphins en el Gillette Stadium.

Los oficiales llegaron a esa conclusión luego de entrevistar a diversos asistentes al juego y de revisar videos del incidente, según cuenta el departamento de Policía.

Como informamos, Mooney estuvo involucrado en la pelea en algún momento durante el encuentro del 16 de septiembre, y se derrumbó y falleció minutos más tarde. Las autoridades dijeron, sin embargo, que creían que su muerte se había debido a un problema médico y no a una lesión traumática.

La investigación del médico forense sobre la causa final sigue en curso.

Dick Butkus' loved ones are speaking out following his tragic death ... thanking his supporters for reaching out and sharing their fondest memories of the Chicago Bears legend over the past week.

"Dick lived an extraordinary life representing the heart and soul of Chicago, both on and off the field," Butkus' son, Matt, and his family members said in a statement.

"We want to thank you all for the outpouring of support. All the messages, notes and memories you shared during this difficult time. Each has meant the world to us."

One of the greatest to ever step foot on the gridiron, Dick was honored with a moment of silence prior to the Bears' Thursday Night Football matchup against the Washington Commanders last week ... and received tributes from notable figures throughout the country -- including President Barack Obama.

"In Chicago, Dick Butkus was football," Obama said following the Hall of Famer's death. "Thinking of his family today, and all the Bears fans who loved watching one of the best to ever play the game."

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick also shared kind words ... saying Butkus was "the prototype middle linebacker."

"From his playing style, to the look, to his ads. He was a Chicago Bear if there ever was one."

Taylor Swift is gearing up to go back into cheerleader mode for Travis Kelce, with plans to attend Thursday night's game in K.C. ... though Kelce's status for the matchup still remains questionable.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Taylor plans to travel to Missouri to watch Travis and the Kansas City Chiefs take on Russell Wilson and The Denver Broncos.

If she makes it, the game will mark Taylor's third appearance at one of Travis' games in the last 4 weeks ... the team has gone undefeated ever since Taylor first popped up at a game next to Travis' mom, Donna, back on September 24.

As we reported, Taylor hit the Chiefs vs. Jets game the following week, but was MIA when Travis and crew took on the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis last Sunday.

One major factor in Taylor's appearance Thursday though ... Travis is battling through an ankle injury, and the team announced Wednesday his status was "questionable" to play.

If she does make it as planned, the timing is interesting. The Chiefs will have a couple days off -- because they won't play the usual Sunday game -- so it's possible she spends additional time with him at home.

To say she's having a busy week would be an understatement ... shutting down The Grove in Los Angeles Wednesday for the premiere of her "Eras Tour" movie and making a surprise appearance.