NFL

"For whatever reason, God looked down on me and gave me a second shot at this thing. And I made a promise, I'm going to make the most of this opportunity."

Atlanta Falcons tight end Hayden Hurst is opening up on his battles with drugs, alcohol and depression ... calling his 2016 attempted suicide "the best and worst thing that's ever happened in my life."

Hurst first started to acknowledge his mental health issues in 2013 when he was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system.

The 27-year-old says he relied on drugs and alcohol to cope with panic attacks ... and after being unable to control his pitching due to his hand constantly shaking, ended up pursuing a football career at the University of South Carolina.

"I can't really explain it," Hurst said in a video posted by the Falcons on Thursday. "It's hard to unless you go through it."

"But depression, you feel like nobody's there, despite my family being so close. They're willing to do whatever, but when you're in that head space and you're in that dark spot, you feel alone."

"You feel like nobody's there, nobody cares. So I guess for me, in those years, that's why I turned to drinking."

In January 2016 -- after a night of heavy drinking -- Hurst attempted to take his own life ... and woke up in a hospital the next day.

"It was the best and worst thing that's ever happened in my life," Hurst says. "Because when I made that decision, when I was in that hospital room, kind of reflecting on everything I had done, I made a promise to myself. I was like, I'm not going to do this again."

Hurst immediately gave up drugs and alcohol and became a star for the Gamecocks ... becoming a first-round pick to the Baltimore Ravens in 2018.

Now, Hurst is using his platform to help those going through similar situations ... creating the Hayden Hurst Family Foundation to raise mental health for young people.

Here they are ... the Arizona 49ers!!

Okay, technically they're still the S.F. 49ers -- but they officially practiced in their new "home" stadium in Arizona on Thursday for the first time since they were forced out of the Bay Area over COVID rules.

Just a few days ago, the 49ers were told they would no longer be allowed to practice or play games at their home facility in Santa Clara after county officials placed restrictions on activities to try to limit the spread of coronavirus.

So, the Niners and NFL reps worked with the Arizona Cardinals to practice and play for the foreseeable future in Glendale at State Farm Stadium ... and so far, it seems the team is OK with the new set up.

The 49ers got in some drills and workouts Thursday ... just a couple days before they'll take on the Buffalo Bills on "Monday Night Football" at the stadium next week.

The Niners will stay in Arizona the following week for their Dec. 13 game against Washington Football Team ... before hitting the road to play the Cowboys in Dallas on Dec. 20.

The team will be back in Arizona for a "road" game against the Cardinals on Dec. 26 -- so, yeah, get ready to call Glendale home for the Niners for quite some time!

The Niners are a longshot to make the postseason -- they're 5-6 -- so a home playoff game in Glendale is unlikely.

Pretty good situation for the 49ers all things considered -- especially with the weather ... it's gonna be 70 and sunny this weekend!

Three-time Pro Bowler, Donald Penn, says he ain't callin' his NFL career quits just yet ... the offensive lineman tells TMZ Sports he's ready to play if a playoff team needs him!!

And, with the Rams recently losing left tackle Andrew Whitworth to a knee injury ... the dude says Sean McVay should hit him up!!!

"Why ain't y'all call me yet, man?!" Penn says. "McVay, come on, baby. You my dog! You know what I mean? Hit me up if you need me!"

Penn last played for the Washington Football Team in 2019 -- starting 15 games and performing well.

But, the 37-year-old didn't get the opportunity to latch on with an NFL team this year ... causing some to believe retirement might be on the horizon.

Penn, though, tells us he's still in game shape and ready to help a team make a run at a Super Bowl.

"I mean, it's crazy," Penn tells us. "Sometimes I watch and I'm like man, I look at some of these young cats out here and I'm like, 'Wow, like what are they doing?' I'm like, 'I can do that easily still in my sleep now.'"

Penn says if the opportunity is right -- like playing for a Super Bowl contender like the L.A. Rams -- he'd be down to sign a contract in a heartbeat.

"I'm still staying in shape, ready to go if somebody needs me," Penn says.

There's more ... we also spoke with Penn about his ex-teammates, Derek Carr and Dwayne Haskins -- and he tells us he's sure the two QBs are going to rebound from up-and-down seasons this year.

Stunning revelation from Tyreek Hill ... the KC Chiefs superstar says he thought Patrick Mahomes was straight-up GARBAGE after the team drafted the QB in 2017.

"I thought he was trash," Hill said of his first impression of Mahomes at their first training camp together in KC. "I ain't gonna cap. I ain't even gonna cap."

Hill appeared to remember the moment vividly when talking about it all with the guys on Showtime's "Inside the NFL" this week ... saying he wondered out loud what his team's personnel department was doing after seeing Mahomes live for the first time.

"I was like, 'This who y'all drafted right here?'" Hill said with a smile. "'This who y'all drafted?!'"

Of course, Mahomes ended up turning things around -- he's now widely considered the best quarterback of this generation -- and Hill says it's all 'cause the dude put in hard work.

"He proved me into a whole, complete -- I don't know," Hill said. "Like, it's just that second year, like, his quarterback mechanics were different. It was like he was spending more time with his quarterback coach. Spending more time with coach [Andy] Reid. Like learning the offense."

"It was like, dude is like different!"

Mahomes appears to be on his way to winning his second league MVP award in just his third season as a starter ... he's thrown for 3,497 yards already this year with 30 passing TDs and just 2 interceptions.

And, Hill's on his way to a career year because of it all as well -- already scoring 14 total TDs in just 11 games!!

Indianapolis Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez says he will undergo surgery Tuesday to remove a cancerous tumor -- but he's grateful doctors caught it before it spread to the rest of his body.

The 26-year-old says the procedure will force him to step away from the Colts -- but he's adamant he'll heal up and return to the team.

Sanchez announced the diagnosis on social media Monday -- praising his medical team and his family.

"So grateful to be surrounded by doctors that helped me catch the cancerous tumor before it spread all over my body," Sanchez said.

"I will be getting surgery on Tuesday and I know that it will not be an easy bump on the road, but I know I have my amazing wife supporting me along with family, coaches, and friends reaching out."

Sanchez admits he was not mentally prepared for the diagnosis -- who could be? -- but vows to "come back stronger than ever."

Unclear where the tumor is located and how long Sanchez is expected to be away from the Colts -- but the punter says he'll be following the team closely.

"Makes me sick that I’ll have to miss some time playing beside my brothers, but I know they will hold it down."

Sanchez signed with the Colts in 2017 as an undrafted free agent out of Hawaii. But, he's been so good, the team signed him to a 4-year $11.6 million contract in 2019.

Get well soon, Rigo.

Kendall Hinton's run as starting QB for the Denver Broncos is over ... probably.

The team's top 3 QBs -- including starter Drew Lock -- have been cleared to return Wednesday after testing negative for COVID on Tuesday, according to ESPN.

Remember, Lock -- along with backups Brett Rypien, Blake Bortles -- were all placed on the team's COVID list over the weekend after being deemed "close contacts" with QB Jeff Driskel, who had tested positive for the virus on Thursday.

The QBs reportedly did not wear masks around Driskel during an informal film session on their day off -- which led to all FOUR players being blocked from playing on Sunday against the Saints.

The team was so desperate for a QB, they turned to Hinton -- a practice squad WR who hasn't played a snap at QB since his college days at Wake Forest.

He tried his best ... but the Broncos got smashed in a 31 to 3 blowout.

Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said the team is still mulling a possible punishment for his top 3 QB, including a fine.

Broncos president and CEO Joe Ellis -- who also tested positive for COVID this season -- issued a statement Tuesday saying, "We share in the disappointment of our fans for the challenging and unique situation our team faced at the last minute this weekend."

"While it's easy to point fingers, all of us must take responsibility and work together to prevent it from happening again.''

Finally, a possible light at the end of the pandemic tunnel for sports fans ... Dr. Fauci says according to his calculations, NFL stadiums could safely be at full capacity by next September.

"Oh, that's possible," the coronavirus expert told Yahoo Sports this week. "I think that's possible.”

Fauci says with COVID-19 vaccines on the way from Pfizer and Moderna ... the timeline for allowing NFL teams to hold games with 60,000-plus fans in every seat could line up with the league's opening day in Sept. 2021.

The bad news? The doc says there doesn't appear to be much hope for full, 20,000-plus seat arenas in the 2020-21 NBA season.

"We're gonna be vaccinating the highest-priority people [from] the end of December through January, February, March," Fauci said. “By the time you get to the general public, the people who'll be going to the basketball games, who don't have any underlying conditions, that's gonna be starting the end of April, May, June."

"So, it probably will be well into the end of the summer before you can really feel comfortable [with full sports stadiums] -- if a lot of people get vaccinated."

Of course, some teams -- like the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns -- have allowed fans in their stadiums this NFL season, although none has been anywhere remotely close to full capacity.

WHOOPS!!!!

Detroit Lions interim head coach Darrell Bevell REALLY screwed up on his first day on the job ... he spoiled his daughters' wedding proposals in an epic slip-up with reporters!!

Bevell was explaining to media members on a Zoom call Monday why he had such a good weekend ... when he revealed that, in addition to being named Matt Patricia's replacement, two of his daughters' boyfriends asked for his permission to move forward with marriage proposals.

One of the soon-to-be son-in-laws actually did it in hilarious fashion ... Bevell -- whose daughter plays softball for BYU -- says they were getting in some batting practice when the BF took a ball right off his eye.

Bevell says when the dude was getting stitched up in the emergency room ... he actually asked if it'd be OK to marry the coach's daughter.

Cool story, right? But the problem ... by telling reporters all of that on a live-streamed call -- HE RUINED THE SURPRISE FOR HIS DAUGHTERS!!!

Bevell seemed to realize his screw-up toward the end of his newser, telling media members, "The two guys who asked me for my permission, they haven't officially asked them yet. So, that's where that was. That was just permission."

"So, I don't know when that's coming. Just to be clear."

SHEEESH!!!

It'll be "Wednesday Night Football" for the NFL this week ... the league has officially found a new date for the Steelers vs. Ravens game, this after Baltimore players reportedly scoffed at a Tuesday matchup.

As we previously reported, the game was all set to go down on Thanksgiving night ... but it got pushed to Monday due to positive COVID tests.

The coronavirus cases, though, didn't slow down over the weekend ... with Baltimore being forced to place over 15 players -- including reigning MVP Lamar Jackson -- on the COVID/reserve list.

So, the NFL tried to reschedule the game for Tuesday night to allow the Ravens' cases to subside ... but Baltimore players were reportedly PISSED over that idea.

Seems several Ravens players felt Tuesday was still too soon because they would be playing a key division game without their best players.

According to Pro Football Talk, the Ravens were so upset the game wasn't pushed even further, they were considering a "wildcat strike" ... which is when people in a union strike without the support of the union. In this case, the union would be the NFL Players Association.

In the end, the NFL -- pending no more positive cases between the two teams -- decided to move the game to Wednesday night.

Unclear if the unhappy Ravens players are satisfied with the new date or if a possible strike is still on the table.

The San Francisco 49ers have found a new home for the next few weeks ... with the team forced to host its Week 13 and 14 matchups in Arizona due to COVID-19 restrictions in Santa Clara.

The move comes days after the county released new protocols to fight the coronavirus pandemic ... which placed a ban on contact sports in the area for the next 3 weeks.

The restrictions also require anyone traveling from more than 150 miles away to quarantine for up to 14 days.

The solution?? The Niners will now play their games against the Buffalo Bills on December 7 and Washington Football Team on December 13 at State Farm Stadium, home of the Cards.

The Niners praised the NFL and Cardinals for coming through in the clutch in a statement on Monday, saying, "The Cardinals organization, State Farm Stadium and League officials have been supportive and accommodating as we work through the many logistical issues involved in relocating NFL games."

While the team has solved its game day issues, there's still some more planning to do about how they will practice.

One option -- moving the team into an AZ hotel for the next few weeks.

Imagine going 1-for-9 for 13 yards and two interceptions ... and receiving PRAISE???

That's exactly what happened this week ... 'cause after Denver Broncos QB Kendall Hinton laid down a historically awful performance against the Saints on Sunday, some of New Orleans' stars raced to his defense to salute him for the effort.

Here's the deal if you missed it ... Denver's entire quarterback room was forced out of Sunday's tilt at Mile High due to coronavirus protocols -- which lurched Hinton into emergency QB duties.

Hinton -- who had played QB most of his college career at Wake Forest -- clearly wasn't ready for the role, especially considering he'd been nothing but a wideout since making the NFL.

The undrafted rookie amassed just 20 total yards of offense despite being under center the entire game ... and his lone completion in the 31-3 blowout only traveled a few yards in the air.

But, instead of clowning the dude for one of the worst QB performances in the history of the league ... Cameron Jordan and Demario Davis respected the hell out of him for the game.

"He handled this situation like a real pro," Davis said. "I can only imagine the range of emotions and mental download he went through in 24 hrs. #Salute"

Added Jordan, "Helluva situation to be in... No shade at all... RESPECT breh"

For their part, the Broncos were complimentary of Hinton's game as well ... writing on their team Twitter page, "Undrafted rookie WIDE RECEIVER @Kendall_Hinton2 came off the practice squad, had zero practice reps and competed in his first NFL game as the Broncos’ QUARTERBACK—an unprecedented situation. He deserves all the respect."

Forget Skittles, Marshawn Lynch says he would shoot Hennessy in the locker room before NFL games ... claiming he would use his backpack to sneak the booze in.

Beast Mode revealed his secret pre-game ritual during an interview with Peyton Manning ... playing off his pre-game drinking routine as no big deal.

"My superstition was that I needed to have maybe a shot … a shot and half ... before every game," Lynch said on ESPN's "Peyton's Places."

Peyton asked Marshawn to clarify -- saying, "[A shot] of ... ???"

"Hennessy," Lynch replied ... "Whatchu mean 'of?'"

Manning asked where Lynch where he would get the booze -- maybe from a bar in the stadium during his run with the Seahawks?

"Nah, the bar's in my backpack," Lynch said.

The NFL has long banned alcohol from locker rooms -- so, if Marshawn is telling the truth (and there's no reason to suggest he's lying), it seems the boozy ritual would violate the NFL's policy.

But, as Marshawn also pointed out during the show, he got fined so much during his playing days, the NFL would send him a weekly invoice!

Lynch wasn't the only NFL player drinking Hennessy before games -- Clinton Portis has said he would share the H with Santana Moss and Sean Taylor during their time with Washington back in the day.

Very cool gesture from Adrian Peterson ... the NFL superstar says he's helping injured guys like Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley with their rehabs -- and he's got plans to assist Joe Burrow soon too.

The future Hall of Famer tells TMZ Sports ... after he went through a devastating knee injury in 2011 and recovered spectacularly, he's doing all he can to impart wisdom on others so they can follow down the same path.

The 35-year-old says he's already been in touch with Saquon and Odell after they suffered their respective knee tears ... and he's reaching out to Burrow soon too after the Bengals QB ripped up his knee Sunday.

And, Peterson says he's hoping his words and his story really make an impact on the guys.

"To be that poster child for [ACL recovery] is what I envisioned," Peterson said. "Because now people, they look at it, and they say, 'You know what? I can do that. I'll be able to come back.'" Adrian had an MVP season when he came back.

Peterson says part of his advice to the guys includes handing over some of his old rehab routines, workouts and milestones so they can follow along during their journeys.

The rest, Peterson tells us, is all about convincing the guys to have a positive mindset amid the adversity.

How's Justin Jefferson rewarding himself for ballin' the hell out during his rookie season?!

BLING, BABY!!!

TMZ Sports has learned the Minnesota Vikings star receiver just copped a new diamond chain featuring a jet pendant ... and it's AWESOME!!!

We're told the wideout hit up Leo Frost in Houston a few weeks ago to get the ice made ... and the famed jeweler sure as hell delivered.

The jet -- an obvious nod to Justin's "Jet" nickname -- is iced out ... while the chain features stars on the links.

All told, the piece is 14k gold with 37 carats of VVS diamonds!!

No word on what JJ paid for the drip ... but don't worry -- dude can afford it, he signed a 4-year, $13 MILLION deal this year!!

Don't get too comfy, Justin Herbert, Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb ...

New Jaguars star James Robinson tells TMZ Sports he has just as much claim to the Rookie of the Year honors as anybody in the NFL ... saying, "I mean, I know that I am having a pretty good year."

JR came out of nowhere to dominate the touches in Jacksonville's backfield ... and he's been THRIVING since head coach Doug Marrone handed him the keys to the starting RB role.

The undrafted tailback out of Illinois State is 3rd in the league with 762 rushing yards ... and he's also got 5 rushing TDs and 249 receiving yards.

And, 22-year-old Robinson says he feels that should be plenty to get him some consideration for the NFL's most coveted award for rookies.

"I mean, I hope I am in that conversation," Robinson says.

Don't get it twisted ... Robinson has bigger goals than just the individual award -- telling us, "I try not to really pay attention to any of that."

As for Robinson's improbable road to success ... he credits the chip on his shoulder for motivating him to go from an unheralded, undrafted free agent back to one of the league's brightest young stars.

Lamar Jackson -- the face of the Baltimore Ravens and its star quarterback -- has now tested positive for coronavirus.

The reigning NFL MVP is now among the slew of players from the Charm City to have contracted the virus ... this according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport who first reported the news on Thursday.

As you might have heard by now ... the Ravens are struggling to control the spread of the dangerous virus. ESPN previously reported Wednesday that 3 members of the organization contracted the virus. NFL Network later reported running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins had also tested positive.

At this moment, it's unclear if Lamar's experiencing any symptoms. The news comes after the team reportedly disciplined strength and conditioning coach Steve Saunders for failing to report COVID symptoms. He also caught flak for not wearing his mask or his tracking device while inside the team's facility.

Then, on Thursday, the team learned about additional positive tests on the same day they were supposed to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in a highly-anticipated matchup. The game was postponed to Sunday and it'll air at 1:15 PM ET on NBC.