NFL

The NFL's COVID problem is getting worse -- Cam Newton has tested positive for coronavirus and will not play this weekend.

The New England Patriots QB was supposed to lead his team against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, but the positive test obviously will end those plans.

Newton tested positive on Friday night -- and according to the team, he immediately entered self-quarantine. The team says no other players or staffers who came in close contact with Cam have tested positive at this point.

The game was supposed to be one of the marquee matchups for the NFL this weekend -- it's being marketed as Cam Newton vs. Patrick Mahomes, two massive stars.

Now, 31-year-old Newton will likely begin a lengthy quarantine process -- and we assume he'll be tested daily (maybe multiple times a day) for the foreseeable future.

Newton is far and away the biggest NFL star to test positive for COVID since the season began. During the preseason, multiple superstars including Ezekiel Elliott and Von Miller had it.

Just last week, several players and staffers from the Tennessee Titans tested positive for COVID -- forcing the NFL to postpone their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, originally scheduled to go down on Sunday.

As for Sunday's game, the Patriots have issued a statement saying, "We are in close consultation with the NFL, as well as our team independent doctors and specialists, and will follow their guidance regarding our scheduled trip to Kansas City and game against the Chiefs."

"The health and safety of our team, as well as our opponent, are of highest priority."

ESPN's Dianna Russini says the Patriots players were sent home from the team facility Saturday morning -- and told to stay by their phones regarding travel plans to KC.

Russini also claims she spoke with multiple Patriots players who are all "very concerned" about the situation.

Story developing ...

Pittsburgh Steelers star Bud Dupree just copped a ridiculously ICED OUT watch encrusted with 30 carats of diamonds ... and it's worth 80 grand!!

TMZ Sports has learned the Steelers linebacker treated himself with some new bling to celebrate the 2020 NFL season .. hitting up jeweler Moe Diamond in Pittsburgh.

Moe -- whose hooked up NFL beasts like Aaron Donald in the past -- delivered the Audemars Piguet watch ... loaded with approximately 30 carats of VS-VVS diamonds, to Dupree.

You can (literally) see the sparkle in BD's eyes.

The AP -- which we're told was appraised at $80,000 -- also has a custom gold bezel.

It's a crazy expensive watch -- unless you're making $16 million this season -- like Bud ... who's one of the highest-paid defensive players in the league this year.

And, he's definitely earning his money ... 'cause he's already racked up 2.5 sacks for the 3-0 Pittsburgh Steelers.

KC Chiefs cornerback Bashaud Breeland just agreed to plead guilty to 2 charges stemming from his terrifying altercation with a cop back in April ... and TMZ Sports has learned he'll likely receive nothing more than a slap on the wrist as punishment.

Breeland was stopped at around 11 AM on April 28 after an officer said he saw the 28-year-old smoking weed with two other men at a York County, SC gas station.

In police documents, the cop claimed when he tried to detain Breeland ... the NFL player became combative. In video of the incident, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see what happened next was horrifying.

Breeland argued with the officer repeatedly, and at one point, stared down the cop's gun barrel as the officer tried to get the football player to comply.

Fortunately, Breeland ultimately gave up and was arrested without harm. He was eventually hit with several charges, including resisting arrest.

But, prosecutors said Friday they just cut a deal with Breeland ... in which the defensive back agreed to plead guilty to public disorderly conduct and possession of 28g or less of marijuana first offense.

In exchange, prosecutors said they agreed to drop his driving with an open container of alcohol charge, as well as his resisting arrest and driving without a license charges.

As for the punishment part of the deal ... court documents show Breeland agreed to a 30-day suspended jail sentence and $200 in fines.

"This was a relatively minor situation that could have turned into a serious incident," law enforcement officials said in a statement. "Failing to comply with law enforcement’s instructions too often leads to tragic results."

"I appreciate Mr. Breeland’s recognition of this fact and acceptance of responsibility for his actions. Compliance is the best way to avoid a dangerous escalation of routine encounters with the police."

A rep for Breeland added in a statement, "We are pleased to have come to a fair and swift resolution in this case. Mr. Breeland looks forward to putting this entire ordeal behind him."

"We appreciate the York County prosecutor's cooperation and professionalism throughout this process. This case is a prime example of how a person is best served by allowing these matters to be litigated in a court of law, rather than roadside during an arrest."

Breeland -- who recorded an interception in the Chiefs' Super Bowl win last February -- has been serving a four-game suspension to start this season over a failed drug test that happened before his arrest.

A season-ending injury can't stop Von Miller from reppin' his favorite brand ... with the Denver Broncos LB getting a sick custom Carhartt walking boot!!

The NFL superstar went down with a devastating ankle tendon injury in the season opener against the Tennessee Titans ... requiring surgery to get back to 100%.

The 31-year-old showed how he's dealing with the bad news on Friday ... revealing a personalized Carhartt boot to help him through the tough time.

Now, Miller's love for the company is the worst kept secret -- the guy LOVES to rep the brand while farming his chickens ... and now he can keep it going during recovery.

It's been pretty positive for the Broncos lately -- Denver just beat the NY Jets on Thursday Night Football to get win #1 on the season.

Seeing Miller have some fun with his injury has to boost the spirits a bit, too.

"Knowing him, he'll be able to go right on through this and hopefully not miss a beat."

Jerry Jones doesn't seem worried about Donald Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis ... he said Friday he's "very confident" POTUS will get through it all just fine.

In fact, the Dallas Cowboys owner says he's pretty sure #45 will still be able to do his job effectively over the coming days.

"No one in the world has the ability to handle this COVID any better than the office of the President of the United States," Jerry told 105.3 The Fan.

"I'm very confident that he'll be able to continue governing. I'm sure that he has anticipated this. Knowing him, he's the hardest worker you've ever seen."

Donald announced Thursday night he and Melania tested positive for the coronavirus and have already begun quarantining.

Trump is said to be only experiencing "mild" symptoms ... and he, too, seemed confident he'd beat the virus, adding in his official announcement, "We will get through this TOGETHER!"

Jerry and Trump have been friendly for years ... so Jones' support for the president comes as no surprise.

Tennessee and Pittsburgh will NOT be playing in Week 4 ... after one additional player and team staffer in the Titans organization tested positive for COVID-19.

The matchup -- originally scheduled to take place in Tennessee on Sunday at 1 PM PT -- becomes the first game to be pushed back due to the coronavirus this season.

The league released a statement Thursday, saying, "The decision to postpone the game was made to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel."

"The Titans facility will remain closed and the team will continue to have no in-person activities until further notice."

As we previously reported ... the Titans shut down their team facility after 3 players and 5 staffers tested positive earlier this week ... and announced it would not reopen until Saturday at the earliest.

There were hopes of pushing the game back until Monday or Tuesday ... but after the news of another player and staffer testing positive, the league had no choice but to push it past Week 4.

The league says the makeup date will be announced shortly.

Adjust your fantasy lineups accordingly ... and get better, Tennessee.

The next Manning has officially arrived ... and he's VERY real!!!

Peyton and Eli Manning's star QB nephew, Arch Manning, kicked off his sophomore season in spectacular fashion Thursday night -- scoring SIX total touchdowns in a 41-0 rout!!

The young quarterback -- whose dad is Cooper Manning -- showed off a ridiculous skill set in Isidore Newman's win down in Louisiana ... tossing dimes AND running over players with his legs.

Check out the highlights from the night ... Arch threw touch passes, he threw bullets -- and he even stiff-armed THE HELL out of some dude on a long run!!

Also, shout out to his WRs -- THOSE GUYS ARE BEASTS!!!!

The 6'3", 195-lb QB totaled up 260 passing yards and 5 passing TDs on just 13 completions ... and also added a rushing touchdown.

Of course, the night should surprise absolutely nobody ... Arch has already been dubbed the best QB in America in the 2023 class -- and was a STAR as a freshman last season.

Former NFL star Steve Smith UNLOADED on Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams after NY's loss to Denver on Thursday ... accusing the coach of being dirty as hell.

"If it smells like a pig, it looks like a pig and it's oinkin'," Smith said, "then guess what my friend, it's a pig."

Broncos players were irate at the end of "Thursday Night Football" ... after Jets players hit Denver QB Brett Rypien late AND hard, despite the game essentially being over at 37-28.

Things got so heated ... Broncos head coach Vic Fangio told his players to ignore postgame handshakes and go "straight to the f*cking locker room!"

And, afterward, on the NFL Network, Smith said the whole scene went down because he believes Williams is a dirty coach who instructs his players to be dirty.

"Gregg Williams is a guy who has had bounties on guys and made sure, 'Hit him when he goes out of bounds,'" Smith said ... "Wherever he goes, the nonsense follows. That's how he runs his defense and that's how he does it. Straight up."

Smith says he's seen it firsthand when he was playing in the league ... claiming players on Williams' teams would hit him late based on the instructions of the coach.

"I'm not saying you have to believe me," Smith said. "I'm saying I'm willing to put myself out there and call a spade a spade."

For the Jets' part, head coach Adam Gase told media members he basically understood why Fangio rushed his players off the field without shaking hands ... saying, "I think he was just making sure we didn’t have any kind of melee."

Ravens corner Marlon Humphrey gave a raw and emotional shoutout to his father after earning a MASSIVE new extension Thursday ... thanking pops for always wanting the best out of him.

The 24-year-old ex-Alabama star just inked a 5-year extension worth $98.75 MILLION ... and choked back tears while praising those who helped make the life-changing deal possible.

Humphrey started off by thanking those within the organization -- from coaching staff to front office and ownership -- but the waterworks started to come when bringing up his father, former NFLer Bobby Humphrey.

"My dad kept me in line," Marlon said. "Since I was young, I told my dad I wanted to play in the NFL and he never really let me slip."

He continued ... "My dad has been so much more than just a father. He coached me as a kid. He's actually been my everything for me, along with my mom."

"I really thank him a lot for what he's done and I know he'll continue to be a great father to me and hopefully, one day, I get a family I can treat my sons and my daughters the way my dad has treated me and my brothers and sisters"

Humphrey has emerged as one of the top defensive backs in the game through 3 full seasons with the Ravens ... racking up 8 interceptions and 150 tackles.

Maybe buy dad somethin' nice with that new money??

A trial date has finally been set in the Dallas Goedert bar fight case ... months after the Philadelphia Eagles tight end was knocked out in an incident caught on video.

Goedert was socked in the face during a June 20 altercation at a South Dakota bar ... after getting into it with another group.

The man who was arrested and charged for punching Goedert, 30-year-old Kyle Hadala, got hit with a simple assault charge ... and faces jail time if convicted.

Goedert -- who was hospitalized for injuries sustained during the incident -- was neither arrested nor charged with a crime.

In fact, he healed up in time for the NFL season ... only to suffer a broken ankle in Week 3 and hit injured reserve. Tough year.

So here's what's next ... a pre-trial hearing for Hadala is set for Nov. 2 -- where prosecutors will likely try to hammer out a plea deal.

If no deal is made, a trial date has been set for Nov. 18.

As we previously reported, Hadala says he was protecting his friends -- and plans to fight the charge.

The NFL is so pissed off over coaches continuing to flout its COVID mask rules ... it's now threatening to pull draft picks from teams if the violations continue.

It's all in a new league memo officials sent to the 32 clubs on Wednesday, which spells out the possible heavy punishments.

In the memo, obtained by multiple media outlets, the league says a forfeiture of picks as well as suspensions are on the table if coaches keep pulling down their masks during games.

Of course, the problem was a HUGE issue for teams in the first two weeks of the season ... and the league handed down some big fines over it all.

Head coaches like Jon Gruden, Sean Payton, Vic Fangio, Pete Carroll and Kyle Shanahan were all docked $100,000 ... while their respective teams were hit with $250k fines as well.

Coaches seemed to clean up their act in Week 3 ... with most of the previous offenders abiding by the rules.

But, cameras still caught Arizona Cardinals head man Kliff Kingsbury, Fangio and a few others once again ditching their masks ... and it's clear the league is tired of seeing it.

The Tennessee Titans have shut down ALL in-person activities immediately ... after 3 players and 5 additional staffers have tested positive for COVID-19.

The Minnesota Vikings -- who lost to the Titans on Sunday -- will also shut down their facilities as a safety precaution ... but have NOT reported any positive tests.

The Titans will reportedly not be allowed back at the team facility until Saturday -- which begs the question ... will they play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday without practicing????

The NFL and Players' Association released a statement on the matter, saying, "Both clubs are working closely with the NFL and the NFLPA, including our infectious disease experts, to evaluate close contacts, perform additional testing and monitor developments."

"All decisions will be made with health and safety as our primary consideration. We will continue to share updates as more information becomes available."

Tennessee also released a statement ... claiming the decision to work remotely was "out of the abundance of caution."

It's bad news for the NFL, which has been able to play 3 regular season weeks without any major outbreaks.

NFL lineman D.J. Fluker has brought in extra security to keep both himself and his daughter safe from the child's mother after she was arrested for kidnapping, TMZ Sports has learned.

We're told the Baltimore Ravens lineman has been working with the team to coordinate security in the wake of the arrest -- though it's unclear if the Ravens are footing the bill or just providing guidance.

We're told the team is being very understanding about the situation.

As we previously reported, Fluker's ex, Kimberly Davis, was arrested on Sept. 22 after allegedly kidnapping their daughter during a supervised visit while Fluker was out of town to play the Houston Texans.

TMZ Sports has obtained a photo of the moment Davis was taken into custody.

In his police report, Fluker says he has primary physical custody of the child -- and did not give permission for Davis to take her.

Fluker has also said he fears for his daughter's safety -- and his own safety. He has previously accused Davis of physically assaulting him, claiming she punched him in the nose back in July.

Sources close to the situation tell us Fluker has tried to work with Davis -- but feels she just won't cooperate to amicably co-parent their child.

In other words, he WANTS to have a good relationship and make peace with Davis -- but she's making it very difficult.

In the meantime, we're told Fluker has added extra security to be in place for future visitation with Davis and their daughter because he doesn't want to cut her out of their lives completely.

2020 just keeps getting better for Patrick Mahomes and his fiancee, Brittany Matthews -- the couple just announced they're having a baby!!

THERE'S JUST NO STOPPING THIS GUY FROM SCORING!!!

The 25-year-old Super Bowl MVP and his high school sweetheart shared the huge news on Tuesday ... posting an announcement pic with a sonogram around Brittany's tummy.

No, we don't know if it's a boy or a girl -- but we do know he or she will be insanely athletic!!!

After all, Mahomes is one of the top QBs in the league and Brittany is a fitness enthusiast who basically lives in the gym.

Brittany posted about the pregnancy on IG -- saying, "Mom & Dad, taking a small detour to the wedding."

Unclear how far along Brittany is -- but usually couples don't go public until around 12 weeks ... which means the baby is likely due around April 2021.

If that's the case, perfect for Patrick since it'll be the offseason and he won't have to worry about missing a game.

As we previously reported ... it's been one helluva year for Mahomes and Matthews -- the QB popped the question earlier this month after his Super Bowl ring ceremony at Arrowhead Stadium.

And, back in July, Patrick signed that historic $503 MILLION contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Which brings up another point ... did you see the ring on her finger?? It's as big as the pic of the fetus she's holding!!

Patrick's brother Jackson Mahomes has already chimed in on the pregnancy -- saying, "You guys will be the best parents!! CANT WAIT TO BE uncle Jack!!!"

The woman accused of breaking into Joe Montana's home and snatching one of his grandkids just got slapped with 2 charges that could land her in prison for a long time.

The L.A. County D.A. just charged Sodsai Dalzell with two felonies -- one count of attempted kidnapping of a victim under 14, and one count of first-degree burglary.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Dalzell faces up to 6 years in state prison if convicted of burglary, and up to 11 years on the attempted kidnapping charge.

TMZ broke the story ... cops say Dalzell broke into Joe's Malibu home over the weekend, and took his grandchild out of a playpen where they were sleeping. After being confronted by Joe and his wife, Jennifer, the couple was able to pry the kid away from her ... without any harm.

Dalzell was picked up by cops shortly afterward as she tried to flee the premises.

Prosecutors recommend Dalzell's bail be set at $200,000.

Ex-NFL star Albert Haynesworth was arrested for domestic violence and disorderly conduct Monday ... after an alleged shouting match with his ex-GF, Brittany Jackson.

Cops were called to the home of Brittany Jackson's current boyfriend in Cleveland, TN around 4:30 PM ... after Haynesworth allegedly showed up unexpectedly and began yelling at both of them.

Jackson claims Haynesworth drove 2-and-a-half hours from his home in Franklin to confront them in person after making violent threats over the phone.

Once police arrived, Brittany and her boyfriend told Haynesworth to stop yelling and cussing ... but the 39-year-old ex-NFL star allegedly continued to cause a scene.

Officials say the former All-Pro defensive lineman did NOT put his hands on either Jackson or her BF ... but broke the law by posing a serious threat of causing bodily harm.

Online records show Haynesworth bonded out of Bradley County Justice Center on Tuesday and is no longer in custody.

It's not Haynesworth's first legal incident with Jackson -- they had a domestic violence incident in 2017 when the 6'6", 350-pounder claimed she "kicked (him) in the nuts."

At the time, Haynesworth also claimed he had called police on Jackson for alleged violent incidents more than 10 times during their 17-month relationship.