NFL

The NFL is NOT dropping the hammer on the Tennessee Titans for alleged COVID-19 protocol violations that may have led to an outbreak ... but they may have to cough up some cash.

24 members of the Titans organization -- including 13 players -- have tested positive for coronavirus since Sept. 24. Tennessee has been hit harder by the pandemic than any other team in the NFL.

During the outbreak, there were reports that several players met at a local school for an unauthorized workout which allegedly violated the NFL's COVID policy.

The NFL investigated those allegations -- along with other allegations -- and have finally wrapped up their probe, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and others.

"NFL informed the Titans that their review now has concluded. Team was fully cooperative. Inspected facility and found it be in compliance," Schefter reported.

"There were incidents of people not wearing masks. There was insufficient communication regarding player workouts outside facility."

Aa for NFL punishment, people have speculated the NFL could go hard at the Titans to send a message to the rest of the league ... but Schefter says that's unlikely at this point.

"Individuals will not be disciplined, there is no discussion of forfeiture of draft picks. Titans’ organization will face a potential fine."

So, that's it -- ownership will likely cut a check ... and the team will continue the season as if nothing happened.

A normally calm Nick Foles was absolutely JACKED UP after the Bears' big win Sunday ... and the quarterback says it's all in part because of Meek Mill!!

Here's the deal ... Foles helped lead Chicago to a 23-16 victory over the Carolina Panthers -- and he says when he got back to the Bears' locker room, the DJ fired up "Dreams and Nightmares."

Of course ... that was Foles' Philadelphia Eagles team's anthem when they won the Super Bowl in 2018 -- so he went CRAZY!!

"It reminded me of Philly a little bit," 31-year-old Foles said. "So that, I'm not going to lie, that got my juices going. So, shout-out to Meek."

Nick continued, "I might've got up and danced a little bit. I'm used to -- I'm more like country, maybe some Christian rap. But, I'll tell you what, if Meek comes on with that song, I get rollin'!"

Nick didn't have his best game ever in the win ... completing just 23 of his 39 passes for 198 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT -- but the dude did ultimately move his squad to 5-1 this season.

Better than 1-4-1 in Philly, right?

By the way, Foles ain't wrong about the Meek track ... it's still FIRE!!

Fly, fists, fly??

Here's video of Eagles fans throwing violent haymakers at each other while breaking every COVID-19 protocol in the book during Philly's loss to Baltimore on Sunday.

Unclear what prompted the massive brawl in the stands at Lincoln Financial Field in Philly ... but the fight was INSANE.

A man in a Carson Wentz jersey climbed down about 10 rows of seats to get to another man ... and he let the punches go as soon as he got in striking range.

The two traded blows for a few seconds ... when suddenly ANOTHER man came into the melee and started throwing bombs of his own!

Other fans were eventually able to break up the scrum ... and, fortunately, despite the violence, nobody appeared to be too injured.

The Eagles had JUST been given the green light to allow a very limited number of people to attend Sunday's game ... and protocols stated fans were supposed to stay in their pods, wear masks and social distance at all times.

But, Philly is gonna Philly ... even in a pandemic. Let's just be happy no police horses were punched in the face this time.

You're looking at a pair of Colin Kaepernick's game-worn, blood-stained, and signed football gloves ... rocked by the star QB during the 49ers 2014 season.

Now, the rare piece of memorabilia can be yours ... 'cause Kap's gloves are up for auction -- and half of the proceeds are going to CK's "Know Your Rights Campaign."

Kaepernick -- who was 27-years-old at the time -- had one of his best seasons as a pro-signal-caller in 2014 ... racking up 3,369 passing yards and throwing 19 TDs.

It's unclear exactly which game Kap wore the gloves ... but the QB signed a letter of authenticity assuring the future buyer that they're 100% legit.

The Nike gloves -- currently on the block at Goldin Auctions -- had a starting bid of $200 ... but with 16 bids, the price has already soared past $650.

The auction doesn't end until early November.

Hilarious story from Torrey Smith ... the ex-NFL receiver says his mom accidentally smashed his college MVP awards -- this after she kept them safe for a DECADE!!!

The two-time Super Bowl champ said after he won the prized trophies during his career at the Univ. of Maryland ... his mom agreed to hang on to them until he got a nice place to display them.

And, Smith said he finally accomplished that goal recently ... so his mom went on her way to bring them to his pad on Friday.

The problem? Smith says she tripped going down the stairs with the trophies ... and they smashed into pieces!!!

Check out the photos Torrey posted ... the heads fell off the awards AND parts of the legs shattered!

To his credit, Torrey was all smiles about the incident afterward, despite losing the coveted awards ... saying, "They made it 10 years and 10 yards away from where they were going to be placed 😂😂😂😂."

Drake's legal team is calling BS on injuries a man claims he suffered in a beatdown, because as they put it ... the guy wasn't too depressed or injured to appear on a reality TV show.

As you might recall, Bennett Sipes claimed he suffered a concussion, back injury, physical injury and depression after a March 2018 fight at Delilah nightclub with Drake, Odell Beckham and others. Sipes filed a lawsuit over the fight, but Drake's attorneys filed docs pointing out Sipes not only appeared on "Love Island" recently ... they also claim he attended music festivals and did backflips off rope swings while on vacay in Mexico.

As they say in the docs, obtained by TMZ, Sipes "appeared anything but depressed."

The legal docs include a declaration from Sipes' ex-GF, Sommer Ray Beaty, saying he started working with her after the brawl. She claims he carried her camera equipment without difficulty. She also claims Sipes seemed fine after his visible injuries healed -- and they traveled together to Mexico, Maryland, Colorado, England, France, Italy and Japan. She claims they also attended Coachella, Stagecoach and Rolling Loud Festival.

Drake's team also says Sipes deleted a bunch of text messages with Beaty ... which they say is a big no-no while the lawsuit was pending. They suspect the messages could have shed some light on Sipes' alleged injuries or the incident itself.

TMZ broke the story ... Sipes sued Drake, OBJ and Kourtney Kardashian's ex, Younes Bendjima, back in January 2019 claiming Younes attacked him along with members of Drake and OBJ's entourage. Sipes' ex said in her declaration both Drake and OBJ were standing at the back of the group and "appeared to simply be observing what was happening and following the group out of curiosity. Neither of them seemed to be instructing others or encouraging others to do anything at all."

Sipes had alleged Drake made a "throat slash" gesture and that's what triggered his crew to beat Sipes to a pulp. But, Sipes' ex contradicts that ... claiming she did not see any "throat slash" gesture "nor did I observe Drake encourage anything at all."

Saints owner Gayle Benson thwarted an attempted vehicle theft last weekend -- screaming at the perp until he fled -- and the team says she's "very shaken" over the incident.

It all went down in New Orleans while 73-year-old Benson was seated inside her car.

Cops say someone in a white Nissan Titan pulled up next to her around 2:15 p.m. on Oct. 10 ... and tried to get into her car.

Cops have NOT said what kind of car Benson was in at the time of the incident -- but she's a billionaire, so we imagine it was nice.

Officials are convinced the man intended to steal Benson's car.

But, when the man entered Benson's vehicle, according to NOLA.com, Gayle screamed at him -- and ordered him to exit immediately, which he did.

Cops say the man got back into his Nissan Titan and fled the scene.

Cops were called ... and while an investigation has been launched, no arrests have been made at this point.

Benson's rep issued a statement confirming the incident -- adding, "while she was very shaken at the time, she was unharmed and is doing fine."

"She wanted to send her sincere gratitude to the men and women of the New Orleans Police Department that responded so quickly and professionally."

Cops are asking anyone with information to come forward or hit up the Crimestoppers hotline at 504-822-1111.

Conor McGregor's wish is evidently Jerry Jones' command ... the Cowboys owner says he's now "very open" to hosting the Notorious' next fight at his palace in Dallas!

"I'm a real admirer of his," Jerry said of McGregor on 105.3 "The Fan" on Friday. "He's one of the neatest individuals I think I've met. Period."

Conor said Wednesday he's accepted a UFC fight with Dustin Poirier for Jan. 23 ... and in his announcement, McGregor said he wanted the scrap to take place at AT&T Stadium.

And, when Jerry was asked about the possibility of making that happen ... the 78-year-old said he was more than down to try to make it work.

"[Conor] is special," Jerry said. "It would be quite a day for AT&T Stadium to have him."

Of course, the UFC has yet to officially cross the T's and dot the I's on the fight ... so selecting a location for the possible tilt is still a ways away.

But, if a deal is eventually made ... it could pave the way for thousands of fans to watch the fight in person.

Jerry's been operating Cowboys home games with roughly 25,000 people in attendance all season.

As for how Jones knows Conor so well ... you'll recall, he played host to the fighter at a Dallas game back in 2018 -- and everyone LOVED the guy there!!

So, do we officially have a fight AND a location now???

More COVID problems in the NFL -- the Indianapolis Colts say "several" members of the organization tested positive Friday ... so they're shutting down the team facility.

"This morning, we were informed that several individuals within our organization have tested positive for COVID-19," the team said in a statement.

"The team is currently in the process of confirming those tests. In the meantime, the practice facility will be closed and the team will work remotely while following NFL protocols."

"We are in communication with the NFL and will have more information when available."

The team has not identified the people who tested positive -- unclear if it's players, coaches, execs, etc.

The Colts -- led by QB Philip Rivers -- are scheduled to host the Cincinnati Bengals in Indy on Sunday. But, now it seems that game could be postponed or canceled if the COVID tests are confirmed.

The Colts news comes one day after the Atlanta Falcons closed their facility following positive COVID tests.

Several teams have been affected by COVID so far this season -- from the Tennessee Titans to the New England Patriots, Raiders, Chiefs and more.

Story developing ...

Le'Veon Bell is a Chief.

The ex-NY Jets running back signed a 1-year deal with the defending Super Bowl champs, after being cut by Gang Green earlier this week.

You know the backstory ... the Jets suck. Bell was unhappy. The Jets decided to get him outta there before he became a bigger problem.

Bell was reportedly deciding between 3 teams -- the Chiefs, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills ... and ultimately decided the best fit was in K.C.

The best part ... the Chiefs play the Jets in Week 8 -- so, that should be fun!

Bell tweeted about the move Thursday afternoon -- saying, "Kansas City, #ChiefsKingdom thank you for the opportunity. Let’s go!"

Bell should have an immediate impact on the Chiefs running game -- currently ranked 19th in the league with an average of 108 rushing yards per game.

The starting back is rookie sensation Clyde Edwards-Helaire -- who can ball -- but let's face it, he could probably use the help.

Question is ... can Bell reclaim his place as one of the top backs in the NFL? Or are his best days behind him?

Just one month after the K.C. Chiefs players received their Super Bowl rings ... one of them is already up for auction, TMZ Sports has learned.

The ring was made for Mike Weber -- who was on the K.C. practice squad during the 2019 season when Patrick Mahomes led the team to a win over the 49ers in SB LIV.

The players received their rings in a special ceremony at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 1.

But now, the 23-year-old's ring has made its way over to Goldin Auctions, where it's up for grabs and the starting bid was $35,000. The current bid is already at $55,000 with 17 days to go!

Goldin tells us the ring is attracting a ton of interest and could easily hit the 6-figure mark.

As for the piece itself, it's a 10 karat gold ring featuring the Chiefs logo made with 60 diamonds ... and 2 Lombardi Trophies made with marquee-cut diamonds.

It includes 16 rubies to signify 10 AFC West division titles and 6 playoff appearances under head coach Andy Reid.

The perimeter of the ring top has 122 diamonds which represents 100 NFL seasons and the 22 playoff appearances in Chiefs’ franchise history.

Weber's name is on the side of the ring next to his jersey number, 45 -- and his signature is etched on the inside band.

Goldin says the ring comes with a custom Josten's ring box and a letter of authenticity from Mike Weber.

Weber was a Dallas Cowboys 7th-round draft pick in 2019 ... and spent most of the season on the practice squad there -- but joined the Chiefs' practice squad in January after the Cowboys' year ended.

Weber had re-signed with the Chiefs after the Super Bowl victory ... but was cut in the offseason after K.C. selected Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the 1st round of the 2020 draft. He's currently trying to get back into the league.

Here's a pretty solid reason to root for the 49ers -- kicker Robbie Gould has pledged to donate $500 to charity for each field goal he makes this season!

And, not just any charity, Gould says the money will go toward Cal's Angels ... which "has a mission of granting wishes, raising awareness, and funding research to help kids fighting cancer."

The organization was founded by the family of Cal Sutter, who was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia when he was only 12.

Cal passed away in 2006, but the foundation (started in 2007) has raised more than $13 MILLION ever since!

Gould (who played for the Chicago Bears for years) says he's excited to help out -- explaining, "In the past 13 years, they have granted over 2,000 wishes to kids fighting cancer in the Chicagoland area so all the money donated during September will go to their wish-granting program."

"These kids are faced with a challenge they shouldn't have - to live!"

"I am challenging you all to help me in supporting Cal's Angels. Join team GOULD and help me kick cancer with a one-time donation."

Pro Football Hall of Famer Fred Dean -- a 2-time Super Bowl champ with the SF 49ers and a 4-time Pro Bowler -- has died after a lengthy battle with coronavirus.

He was 68 years old.

Dean's good friend and former teammate, Dwight Hicks, reportedly made the announcement on social media Thursday ... writing in a statement, "I'm sorry to say that he succumbed to complications of Covid-19."

"May peace be with his wife Pam and their families."

Dean -- 6'3", 230 lbs -- is considered one of the best defensive ends of all-time ... and was known as one of the coolest dudes to ever play the game as well.

"James Dean wasn’t cooler than Fred Dean," 49ers Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott famously said of his ex-teammate.

Sacks weren't logged as an official stat until late in Dean's career ... but in the 1983 season (the year after the NFL started keeping track), Dean recorded an epic 17.5 QB takedowns.

Arguably the greatest offensive lineman of all-time, Anthony Munoz, once called Dean "the strongest opponent I ever faced."

Hall of Fame president and CEO David Baker added in a statement Thursday, "[Dean] exemplified many of the values learned from this great game -- commitment, integrity, courage -- over the course of his life."

Dean was selected in the 2nd-round of the 1975 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers after a Hall of Fame career at Louisiana Tech. He was traded to the 49ers in 1981 and played there until he retired in 1985.

The L.A. Lakers victory celebration has moved to Malibu -- with LeBron James and his teammates turning up at Nobu!

Seems it was a couple's dinner -- because everyone from Bron to Danny Green, Kyle Kuzma, Dwight Howard and more showed up to the restaurant Wednesday night with their significant others. The fashion game was strong!!!

Just because they're out of the bubble, doesn't mean they're blowing off COVID safety measures -- everyone masked up on the way into the sushi joint.

Rajón Rondo, Markieff Morris, Jared Dudley, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and others also showed up ... though we haven't seen pics of Anthony Davis yet!

Earlier this week, Davis appeared on the 'Jimmy Kimmel' show and joked about how he wouldn't go back to Disney World for years after spending months in the bubble. He also mentioned how most of his teammates just relaxed in their own beds once they arrived home. Maybe he's just not ready to party yet!

Speaking of parties ... as we previously reported, the Lakers and L.A. City and County officials are working together to figure out a safe way to have a massive victory parade in L.A. -- but it won't happen until the pandemic is over, which could take a while.

In the meantime, hopefully the players enjoyed their expensive victory dinner at the hottest restaurant in town ... they earned it!!