NFL

Chicago Bears legend Dick Butkus died after suffering a stroke last month, according to the death certificate obtained by TMZ Sports.

We broke the story ... the Hall of Fame middle linebacker passed away on October 5 in his Malibu, CA home, and now we know what happened to the beloved football star.

The certificate, issued by Los Angeles Department of Health, shows "cerebrovascular accident" -- known more commonly as a stroke -- as the immediate cause of death.

There were secondary causes listed as well ... including atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat) weeks prior to his death, and dealing with high cholesterol and atherosclerosis (thick/hardened arteries) for years.

The document also points out Butkus underwent coronary bypass surgery in 2001.

Fittingly, Butkus' occupation is listed as "linebacker" ... considering he was one of the best to ever play the position. His business, no surprise, is the National Football League, where he dominated for nine seasons.

As we previously reported ... paramedics responded to a call for a patient in cardiac arrest at Butkus' residence in Malibu at 12:51 PM. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

El ex jugador de la NFL Matt Ulrich —ganador del Super Bowl con los Indianapolis Colts en 2006— ha muerto, anunció Jim Irsay el miércoles. Tenía 41 años.

Los detalles que rodean su muerte no han sido revelados por el momento.

Irsay compartió sus condolencias en X hace unos minuto, diciendo que a pesar de que el guardia ofensivo estuvo con el equipo por un corto tiempo, su presencia se sintió en toda la organización.

"Estoy desconsolado al enterarme del fallecimiento de Matt Ulrich", dijo Irsay en un sentido post. "Matt estuvo con nosotros solo dos temporadas, pero dejó su huella en muchos".

"Fue un gran tipo y he oído que era un gran padre... fue campeón del Super Bowl.  Mis oraciones para su familia. 🙏"

Ulrich fue un atleta estrella en Streamwood High School en Illinois. Recibió altos honores en fútbol y lanzamiento de peso antes de asistir a Northwestern.

Ulrich se unió a Indy en 2005, apareciendo en diez juegos en su carrera, ganándolo todo junto a Peyton Manning en el Super Bowl XLI.

Cuando se jubiló, fundó una empresa de fitness y también se aventuró al mundo de los negocios.

Former NFL player Matt Ulrich -- who won a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts in 2006 -- has died, Jim Irsay announced Wednesday. He was 41 years old.

Details surrounding his death have not been revealed at this time.

Irsay shared his condolences on X just minutes ago ... saying even though the offensive guard was with the team for a short time, his presence was felt throughout the organization.

"I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of Matt Ulrich," Irsay said in a heartfelt post. "Matt was with us only two seasons, but left his mark on many."

"Great guy, I hear he was a great dad---and he was a Super Bowl champ.  My prayers to his family. 🙏"

Ulrich was a star athlete at Streamwood High School in Illinois ... receiving high honors in football and shot put before attending Northwestern.

Ulrich -- who went undrafted -- joined Indy in 2005 ... appearing in 10 games in his career, winning it all alongside Peyton Manning and Co. at Super Bowl XLI.

He started a fitness company in retirement ... and also ventured into business.

A fundraiser was set up to support Ulrich's family following the athlete's sudden death ... with nearly $30,000 being raised over the past 18 hours.

Tom McMakin -- the CEO of Profitable Ideas Exchange, where Ulrich worked -- donated $20k for the cause. TMZ Sports spoke with McMakin ... and he said Ulrich had the biggest heart in Montana.

"Matt had love and energy for everyone he met," McMakin said ... adding Ulrich was heavily involved in the community by coaching his kids' football teams and providing speed and strength training for young athletes.

McMakin also praised Ulrich's brain and leadership -- assisting on multiple boards for causes throughout the area and raved about his success in the office.

"An NFL lineman is usually scary ... but Matt immediately put you at ease," McMakin said. "He was a gentle giant."

Tom also commended Ulrich for continuing to focus on his health following his playing days ... pointing out the athlete had lost 40 pounds in recent years and was in "peak condition."

As for why he decided to make the substantial donation, McMakin said, "He helped build our company and he was the heart and soul to the business. It's the least we could do."

How do you make 6'4" Tom Brady look short? Stand him next to rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama ... who happens to be a full foot taller than the football G.O.A.T.!

The 7x Super Bowl champ shared photos of his meeting with the San Antonio Spurs rookie on Tuesday, alongside billionaire friend Michael Rubin.

Even though Wemby's height is no secret (he's around 7'4"), it's still mind-boggling to see him towering over someone as tall as Brady ... and fans got a kick out of the pics!

Brady had some fun with the caption, and even worked in a shot at former teammate Julian Edelman.

"Usually I’d make some joke here about how I think I could get 10 and 10 against you, but let’s be real… you’d send my jumper into the club level 😂😂😂," Brady wrote on IG.

"PS: @edelman11 This is how you felt all those years???"

Of course, Edelman is 5'10" ... so he's giving up about 6 inches to his quarterback.

Brady's son also got to meet the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft ... and Tom challenged anyone to see the trio in a pickup game.

"3 on 3, who's got next?!" Brady said in his IG story.

9:39 AM PT -- A source close to Kim Zolciak says the police never spoke to Kim and Kroy Biermann after the report was made, and the reporting person allegedly doesn't even live in the neighborhood.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann are in the doghouse with law enforcement yet again ... after some pissed-off neighbors called the cops after one of the estranged couple's dogs nearly attacked a kid.

Alpharetta, GA cops got a call last week about the Biermann dog from a woman who said it was off its leash ... the woman claimed this wasn't the first problem with the dog.

The caller told dispatch the dog "almost attacked her kids" last month, telling officers the pooch chased them -- but thankfully, no one was injured.

Given what allegedly went down, the caller said seeing the dog roaming without a leash was concerning, telling dispatch the dog is "super aggressive and never confined."

Kim and Kroy's dogs -- Stone and Sinn -- were apparently the topic of discussion in a Facebook group as well -- with a conversation posted on IG account @Thegoodthebadandthefake6 concerned parent saying a dog had tried to "tackle and attack" their kid, who was riding a scooter.

Folks chimed in, pointing the finger at the estranged couple and saying -- "It may be [Kim and Kroy's] dog. He is usually behind the gate in the front yard, but sometimes their driveway gate is open."

BTW, Sinn bit their son, Kash, back in 2017 ... nearly blinding him.

But the dogs are obviously not Kim and Kroy's only problems ... as we reported, local cops have been called a couple of times to their home, and body cam footage from August showed how unpleasant things have gotten in their house recently.

Move over Patrick Mahomes -- Joe Burrow is actually the best quarterback in the NFL ... so says Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson, who tells TMZ Sports the Cincinnati Bengals superstar deserves the title when he's 100% healthy.

Joey B has had his fair share of injuries in his short career -- he tore his ACL and MCL in his rookie season, forcing him to miss the final six games ... and, more recently, suffered a calf strain in July that continued to give him trouble early on in his 2023 campaign.

He's now proving he's back to his usual self after leading the Bengals to four straight wins ... and Ochocinco says this version of Burrow is all the evidence he needs to put him at the top of his QB list.

"A healthy Joe Burrow is the best quarterback in the NFL," 45-year-old Johnson -- who played for the Bengals from 2001 to 2010 -- said this week.

"You can argue Patrick Mahomes, you can argue what other quarterbacks, but he just is."

Burrow has been balling out lately ... with big wins over San Francisco and Buffalo over the past two weeks as the Bengals find themselves in the contender conversation once again.

Since Burrow was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in 2020, he has led the Bengals to five postseason wins and a Super Bowl appearance ... something Johnson said shouldn't be ignored.

"What he's done for that franchise in such a short amount of time, I mean, how can he not be [the best]?"

Speaking of Burrow, he appeared on this week's edition of "Inside the NFL" -- which airs Tuesdays on the CW -- and Johnson said he had a blast interviewing the Ohio product.

"It was a joy for me," Johnson said. "It was really, really dope."

¡La amistad de Taylor Swift y Brittany Mahomes es oficial en Instagram! La esposa del QB superestrella de los Chiefs finalmente compartió una foto personal de su fin de semana en Nueva York, donde la cantante lo pasó muy bien con algunas amigas de los Kansas City.

Por supuesto, la pareja de Patrick estuvo en la Gran Manzana con Swift y sus amigas VIP, Selena Gomez, Sophie Turner y Gigi Hadid hace unos días, tomada del brazo con la nueva novia de Travis Kelce fuera del restaurante Bond Street.

A juzgar por los nuevos mensajes de Brittany en las redes sociales, parece que Taylor se hizo un tiempo para sus nuevas amigas el sábado, incluyendo a la esposa del quarterback de los Chiefs Shane Buechele, Paige, y la pareja del tight end Blake Bell, Lyndsay.

Como informamos anteriormente, Paige y Lyndsay fueron vistas saliendo del apartamento de Taylor en TriBeCa después del partido de los Chiefs contra los Miami Dolphins (que fue en Alemania), con las chicas emperifolladas con ropa de juego.

El cuarteto posó para las fotos mientras disfrutaban de un poco de champán (sabemos que Brittany ama a las burbujas) y está claro que congenian muy bien.

Estamos adivinando que no todo el mundo va a amar la sesión de fotos. Probablemente, este es el motivo por el que la ex de Travis, Kayla Nicole, decidió dejar de seguir a su amiga, Brittany, explicando que era necesario para ella proteger su salud mental.

Al parecer, este será el último hurra para el grupo, al menos en el futuro previsible. La gira internacional de Swift comienza el jueves en Argentina.

Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes' friendship is Instagram official ... 'cause the wife of the Chiefs superstar QB finally shared a personal pic from their weekend in NYC where the singer spent some quality time with a few fellow K.C. WAGS!

Of course, Patrick's partner hit the Big Apple with Swift and her VIP gal pals Selena Gomez, Sophie Turner and Gigi Hadid a few days back ... locking arms with Travis Kelce's new boo outside the Bond Street restaurant.

Judging by Brittany's new social media posts, it looks like Taylor made some time for her new friends on Saturday, too -- Chiefs backup quarterback Shane Buechele's wife, Paige, and tight end Blake Bell's partner, Lyndsay.

As we previously reported, Paige and Lyndsay were spotted leaving Taylor's TriBeCa apartment following the Chiefs' matchup with the Miami Dolphins (which was in Germany) ... with the ladies decked out in gameday gear.

The foursome posed for photos as they enjoyed some champagne (we know Brittany loves her bubbly) ... and it's clear they've already hit it off.

We're guessing not everyone's going to love the photo sesh ... this is presumably why Travis' ex, Kayla Nicole, unfollowed her once-bestie, Brittany, explaining it was necessary in order to protect her mental health.

It was seemingly the last hurrah for the group ... at least for the foreseeable future. Swift's international tour kicks off on Thursday in Argentina.

Kroy Biermann's failure to respond to a repo case filed against him has finally reached its breaking point -- 'cause a judge just ruled he's gotta fork over his Rolls-Royce.

According to new court docs, obtained by TMZ, the former NFLer had a default judgment entered against him over the luxury car ... which he'd been leasing since 2020. BMW alleged he'd recently ghosted them on payments ... and filed a lawsuit so it could repossess the sweet ride.

Now, after months of no reply from Kroy ... a judge has signed off in favor of BMW, ordering Kroy to surrender possession of the Rolls stat.

In the judge's order, KB is instructed to hand over the vehicle to law enforcement in Fulton County where he lives so BMW can reclaim it.

It's unclear what Kroy's gonna do ... considering he hasn't uttered a peep in his defense in this case -- something tells us a tow truck might be pulling up to his crib in the near future ... and haul the car away.

Remember, BMW claimed Kroy had agreed to a 3-year lease with them -- from 2020 to 2023 -- and would pay $5,297.64/month ... for a total of $190k. However, the company alleged he'd stopped paying altogether -- with them saying the last sign of dough arrived in Sept. 2022.

Kroy's attorney spoke to us when this suit was first filed ... and the response was very much, it is what it is. Kroy acknowledges he's in dire financial straits right now amid his ongoing divorce with Kim Zolciak -- and it sounds like he's got bigger fish to fry besides a Rolls.

Their fancy house, for example, comes to mind ... with the bank moving towards foreclosure and Kim/Kroy trying to sell it off first in hopes of recouping some cash to handle the rest of their affairs.

With everything else going on in Kroy's life at the moment, he can afford to lose the Rolls.

Aaron Rodgers' ruptured Achilles is healing at a pace never before seen in an NFL player ... and there's a real chance the future Hall of Famer returns to the field this season ... sources connected to the QB tell TMZ Sports.

We're told 39-year-old Rodgers is in "no man's land" -- uncharted territory -- when it comes to the speed at which he's healing from the serious injury to his left leg. No player previously has come this far, this fast.

Typically, a ruptured Achilles takes 9+ months to recover. Aaron's injury happened on September 11, just 57 days ago. Using that timeline, Rodgers wouldn't be ready to return until training camp next year.

But, Aaron isn't conventional, and the 4x NFL MVP made up his mind shortly after the injury, he was going to do all he could to return this season.

Doctors, however, need to balance Rodger's eagerness with the danger of reinjuring his leg. They'll only allow him to play if they're confident he isn't at high risk of reinjuring the ligament, according to our sources.

What's interesting ... we're told one of the balancing factors is how much the Jets need Rodgers. If he's game critical, it would offset some of the risk. In other words, the more he's needed, the more risk can be tolerated.

As for why a 39-year-old is healing faster than any football player known to medicine, we're told it's a combination of the top doctors using cutting-edge procedures combined with Aaron's unrelenting approach to physical therapy.

All the talk of a comeback could be moot if the 4-4 Jets aren't in playoff contention. There's no point in rushing a return if Gang Green's playing in meaningless games.

Following the Jets Monday Night Football loss to the Chargers, Derwin James asked Rodgers when he was going to return.

El tendón de Aquiles de Aaron Rodgers se está curando a un ritmo nunca antes visto en un jugador de la NFL y hay una posibilidad real de que el futuro Salón de la Fama vuelva al campo esta temporada. Fuentes relacionadas a la estrella le comentaron a TMZ Sports.

Nos dicen que la recuperación de Rodgers —39 años— de la grave lesión en su pierna izquierda, ha sido más rápida que la de cualquier otro jugador en la historia del deporte.

Normalmente, una rotura del tendón de Aquiles tarda más de nueve meses en recuperarse. La lesión de Aaron ocurrió el 11 de septiembre, hace solo 57 días. Según ese calendario, Rodgers no estaría listo para volver hasta al campo de entrenamiento hasta el año que viene.

Pero Aaron no es convencional y decidió que iba a hacer todo lo posible para volver esta temporada.

Los médicos, sin embargo, tienen que equilibrar el afán de Rodger con el peligro de volver a lesionarse la pierna. Según nuestras fuentes, solo le permitirán jugar si están seguros de que no corre un alto riesgo de volver a lesionarse el ligamento.

Nos comentan que uno de los factores a considerar es lo mucho que los Jets necesitan a Rodgers. Si es crítico para el juego, compensaría parte del riesgo. En otras palabras, cuanto más se necesita, más riesgo se puede tolerar.

En cuanto a por qué un jugador de 39 años se está curando más rápido que cualquier jugador de fútbol conocido por la medicina, se nos dice que es una combinación de los mejores médicos que utilizan procedimientos de vanguardia combinados con el enfoque implacable de Aaron a la terapia física.

Toda la charla sobre un regreso podría ser discutible si los 4-4 Jets no están en la lucha por los playoffs. No tiene sentido apresurar un regreso si Gang Green está jugando en partidos sin sentido.

Tras la derrota de los Jets en el Monday Night Football ante los Chargers, Derwin James le preguntó a Rodgers cuándo iba a volver.

12:22 PM PT -- Aaron Rodgers is clarifying his comment about being back to action in "a few weeks" ... saying the whole conversation was just silly banter with a friend.

The quarterback discussed the popular sound bite on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday ... claiming he didn't expect mics to pick up what he was discussing with James -- and he wasn't stating fact.

Rodgers went on to say the previously stated timeline is pretty unrealistic ... and he is more like "a few fortnights" from suiting up again.

FYI -- a fortnight is 14 days ... so, see you in six weeks, Aaron??

Aaron Rodgers is telling people they won't have to wait long to see him get back on the field -- the New York Jets quarterback was caught on a hot mic saying he's only "a few weeks" from returning from his Achilles injury.

AR8 met up with Los Angeles Chargers star Derwin James on the 50-yard line following his team's 27-6 loss during Monday Night Football ... and when the two embraced, the All-Pro safety asked what everyone wants to know -- "When you coming back, man??"

Rodgers' response will have Jets fans salivating.

"Give me a few weeks," he answered.

Of course, the four-time MVP has been showing strong signs of improvement over the past few weeks -- he has been walking without crutches and throwing the football before games ... claiming he's well ahead of schedule with rehab since suffering the injury on September 11.

Worth noting -- it's entirely possible Rodgers might not have been too serious with his answer ... as he could have been playing it up for the cameras or wanting to keep the real timeline a secret.

Rodgers has made it clear he wants to return this season -- but the quickest Achilles recovery in NFL history belongs to Cam Akers, who returned after 5 1/2 months. If Rodgers takes the same amount of time, it'll be right around the Super Bowl.

Aaron Rodgers le está diciendo a la gente que no tendrá que esperar mucho tiempo para verlo jugar nuevamente. El mariscal de campo de los Jets de Nueva York fue capturado diciendo que está a solo "unas semanas" de regresar de su lesión de Aquiles.

AR8 se encontró con la estrella de Los Ángeles Chargers, Derwin James, después de la derrota de su equipo 27-6 durante el Monday Night Football, y cuando los dos se abrazaron, el jugador le preguntó a Rodgers lo que todo el mundo quiere saber, "¿cuándo vuelves, hombre?".

La respuesta de Rodgers tendrá a los fans de los Jets salivando.

"Dame unas semanas", respondió.

Por supuesto, el cuatro veces MVP (most valuable player) ha estado mostrando fuertes señales de mejoría en las últimas semanas. Ha estado caminando sin muletas y lanzando el balón antes de los partidos, afirmando que está muy por delante de lo previsto en su rehabilitación desde que sufrió la lesión el 11 de septiembre.

Vale la pena señalar que es totalmente posible que Rodgers no se haya tomado totalmente en serio su respuesta, podría haber estado jugando con las cámaras o queriendo mantener la línea de tiempo real de su recuperación en secreto.

Peyton Manning debe haberse perdido la reunión de pauta, porque el miembro del Salón de la Fama parecía absolutamente sorprendido cuando Arnold Schwarzenegger alimentó a su burro mascota, Lulu, frente a millones de personas durante la transmisión, ¡y la reacción en el panel no tiene precio!

El incómodo momento tuvo lugar durante el programa "Manningcast" de Peyton y su hermano Eli Manning en ESPN durante el partido de los NY Jets contra los L.A. Chargers el lunes por la noche.

Como siempre, los famosos hermanos del fútbol americano trajeron invitados de gran calibre al programa, esta vez Arnold fue quien se presentó. Sin embargo, la legendaria estrella del cine de acción no estaba sola.

Fue el invitado especial de Schwarzenegger el que sorprendió a Peyton.

"Oh, sí", le dijo Schwarzenegger tranquilamente a Lulu mientras le daba de comer. La cara de Peyton fue divertidísima.

Eli trató de aliviar algo la incomodidad ... tomando un tiro en su hermano mayor.

"¡¿Qué es eso?!", preguntó Eli. "Ese burro se parece a ti comiéndote a Peyton".

Por supuesto, actor y fisicoculturista de 76 años ha profesado su amor hacia los animales ampliamente, y fuera de su burro, Arnold tiene un pony mascota, un cerdo y algunos perros.

Schwarzenegger explicó recientemente cómo consiguió el burro; él y su novia sentían que su pony Whiskey necesitaba un amigo, por lo que consiguió Lulu.

"Pasaban el rato juntos, se querían", dijo Schwarzenegger a ¡HOLA! "Ella necesitaba una compañera. Míralos, ¡se llevan bien!".

Peyton Manning must've missed a production meeting ... 'cause the Hall of Famer looked absolutely shocked beyond belief when Arnold Schwarzenegger fed his pet donkey, Lulu, in front of millions during MNF, and the legendary signal caller's reaction was priceless!

The awkward moment went down during Peyton and brother Eli Manning's 'Manningcast' show on ESPN during the NY Jets vs. L.A. Chargers game Monday night.

As always, the famous football bros brought A-list guests to the show ... this time bringing on the one and only Arnold. But, the legendary action movie star wasn't alone.

And, it was Schwarzenegger's special guest that threw Peyton for a loop.

"Oh yes," Schwarzenegger calmly told Lulu as he fed her. The look on Peyton's face was hilarious!

Eli tried to alleviate some of the awkwardness ... by taking a shot at his older brother.

"What is that?!" Eli asked. "That donkey looks like you eating Peyton."

Of course, the 76-year-old actor, bodybuilder, and politician's love for animals is widely known .. and outside of his donkey, Arnold has a pet pony, pig, and some dogs.

Schwarzenegger recently explained how he got the donkey ... he and his GF felt their pony Whiskey needed a bestie, so he got Lulu.

"They were hanging out together, loving each other," Schwarzenegger told HOLA!. "She needed a companion. Look at them, they’re getting along!"

Kim Kardashian had a busy trip to NYC, also stopping in at Odell Beckham Jr.'s 31st birthday bash ...  after TMZ confirmed they had started "hanging out" thanks to mutual friends.

Making her way to the party following the 2023 CFDA Awards, busy bee Kim stole the spotlight in her black, figure-hugging lace-up gown.

Kim was in good company, with other attendees such as Lil Baby, Saquon Barkley, Saweetie, Stefon Diggs, James Harden, Ashley Graham, Justine Skye and more.

We were previously told Kim and Odell have run in the same circle for years ... but it's only recently that the SKIMS queen fueled romance speculation with the NFL athlete.

It's not clear who KK and OBJ's mutual friends are ... but this isn't the first time she has shown up for Odell's personal extravaganzas. Last November, she rocked up to his milestone 30th at Mother Wolf in L.A., and both attended Michael Rubin's July 4th White Party earlier this year.

Kim has been single since she split from former 'SNL' star Pete Davidson in August 2022 following a whirlwind 9-month romance. Meanwhile, OBJ and his longtime GF, Lauren Wood, split early this year.