NFL

Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was CRUSHED to hear he'd been benched in favor of Tua Tagovailoa ... telling reporters Wednesday, "My heart just hurt all day."

Fitzmagic had the 'Fins rolling the past few weeks ... dude was 3-1 in his last 4 starts with 10 total TDs -- but the team decided to hand the keys over to Tua this week regardless.

And, when 37-year-old Fitzpatrick was asked how he felt about the decision ... he couldn't hide his pain.

"It was heartbreaking for me," Ryan said, before admitting he knew this day was coming eventually after the team had drafted Tagovailoa in the 1st-round last April.

"It still, just, it broke my heart yesterday," Fitzpatrick said, "and it's a tough thing for me to hear and to now have to deal with but I'm going to do my best with it."

Ryan learned of the decision Tuesday ... and he said having to head into meetings Wednesday was tough as hell for him.

In fact, Fitzpatrick straight-up said it felt like he had been fired by head coach Brian Flores.

"I basically got fired yesterday and today my day consisted of zoom meetings with the guy that fired me and sitting in a room with the guy who replaced me for four hours."

Fitzpatrick added, "I felt like it was my team."

The Dolphins are on a bye this week ... and have said Tua will take over the starting QB reins in Week 8 against the Rams.

Odell Beckham has quite the unique perspective on the COVID-19 pandemic ... saying he's developed a "mutual respect" with the virus ... which essentially makes him feel immune.

Really.

Remember, the Cleveland Browns superstar came down with a bug days before Sunday's game against the Steelers ... and many feared it was the 'rona taking over another NFL organization.

Despite testing negative for the virus, OBJ was asked Wednesday if he was scared his illness was COVID-19 at the time ... and the dude made a gem of a statement.

"No, not in an arrogant way," OBJ told reporters. "I don't think COVID can get to me. I don't think it's going to enter this body."

He continued ... "I don't want no parts of it, it don't want no parts of me. I think it's a mutual respect."

Overreaction much?!

Here's a frustrated Dallas Cowboys fan shooting his 55-inch TV to death after the Cowboys lost to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday ... and it's pretty crazy.

The fan lost his mind once he realized the Cowboys were moving to 2-4 after a pretty awful performance against AZ.

So, he threw his beer at the TV, threw a couple of punches ... and then whipped out a .380 handgun and opened fire.

After the murder, the fan took a breath -- and poured out some beer to mourn the loss of his TV.

The Cowboys, however, are still very much alive in the playoff race -- they're in 1st place in the NFC East, the worst division in football.

Next up for Dallas ... they take on the Washington Football Team on Sunday. Washington also has a terrible record -- 1-5.

Troy Aikman is speaking out about his "hot mic" comments about a military flyover at an NFL game over the weekend ... saying he was NOT trying to disparage the armed forces.

Aikman and his broadcasting partner, Joe Buck, were critical of the flyover before the Bucs vs. Packers game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bat on Sunday ... and the audio later was posted by Defector.com.

"That’s a lot of jet fuel just to do a little flyover,” Aikman said.

“That’s your hard-earned money and your tax dollars at work!” Buck added.

Aikman followed up -- "That stuff ain’t happening with [a] Kamala-Biden ticket. I’ll tell you that right now, partner."

Aikman and Buck took some heat on social media for the comments -- but Troy broke his silence Tuesday afternoon.

"I love a flyover but It was odd to see one over a mostly empty stadium," Aikman said.

"But I am an unwavering patriot that loves this country, has always respected our flag, supported the men and women in the armed forces as well as those in uniform who serve & protect and for anyone to suggest otherwise doesn’t know me, my beliefs or what I have stood for my entire life."

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?