NFL

Pro Football Hall of Famer Kevin Greene -- one of the most feared pass rushers EVER -- has died, the HOF confirmed Monday afternoon.

He was only 58-years-old.

"The entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Kevin Greene," HOF President and CEO David Baker said. "I regarded him as a personal friend and a true Hall of Famer in every sense. He possessed the most incredible can-do attitude of anyone I ever met."

"He was a great player, but more than that, he was a great man. Our thoughts and prayers are with Kevin's wife, Tara, and their entire family. We will forever keep his legacy alive to serve as inspiration for future generations. The Hall of Fame flag will be flown at half-staff in Kevin's memory."

No cause of death was given.

Greene was a monster in the NFL for 14 years from 1985 to 1999 ... piling up 160 total sacks for the Rams, Steelers, Panthers and 49ers.

The Auburn legend -- who was picked in the 5th round by the Rams in the '85 NFL Draft -- earned 5 Pro Bowl honors, 2 All-Pro nods and 1 NFL Defensive MVP award in his career.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside legends like Brett Favre, Orlando Pace and Marvin Harrison in 2016.

KG also gained fame in the wrestling world ... making some notable appearances in the WCW in the late 1990s.

"F*ck, Kirk! Come on! Throw the ball!"

Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson UNLOADED on his quarterback, Kirk Cousins, after an errant throw during Sunday's game ... and the wideout's mini-rant was all caught on a hot mic.

Here's the deal ... in the 2nd quarter of Minnesota's 33-27 loss to Chicago -- Jefferson was open in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.

The problem? Cousins was scrambling to his left and couldn't make an accurate throw -- leading to an incompletion.

Justin -- who's absolutely BALLIN' OUT in his first year in the league -- was NOT happy about it ... and screamed at the QB.

The clip went viral ... and after the game, Jefferson wrote on social media the outburst should not cause people to label him a "diva."

"y’all love blowing stuff out off proportion," the 21-year-old said. "And I ain’t no diva don’t get it twisted."

Willie Roaf says he ain't surprised Drew Brees is returning so soon from a punctured lung and broken ribs ... telling TMZ Sports the QB is one of the baddest dudes to ever suit up in the NFL!!

"Drew Brees is probably one of the toughest guys mentally you're going to meet to ever play," Roaf says. "He's focused, he's ultra-competitive and it just motivates him."

Brees busted up his core in back-to-back games just a couple weeks ago ... cracking some ribs against the Bucs on Nov. 8 and doing even more damage a week later.

41-year-old Drew took a big hit early in the Saints' win over the 49ers ... and it was later revealed the shot punctured his lung and fractured even MORE ribs.

Most thought the dude would miss around two months ... but Saints coach Sean Payton confirmed Friday that Brees would be under center for the huge New Orleans-Kansas City tilt on Sunday.

And, when we spoke to Roaf about it all ... the legendary offensive lineman told us if the team cleared the QB to play, then people shouldn't worry too much about him.

"If he can deal with the pain and it's not gonna get worse -- he's not going to get injured -- I guess they're saying he's OK to play," Roaf said.

By the way, Roaf played for both the Chiefs and the Saints in his Hall of Fame career ... so, who's he got on Sunday?

Kansas City Chiefs receiver Tajae Sharpe is paying tribute to King Von with his newest cleats ... repping the late rapper with an incredible custom paint job.

As we previously reported, the 26-year-old rising rap star was shot and killed last month outside an Atlanta nightclub ... a tragedy that shook sports stars from LeBron James to Montrezl Harrell, Stephen Jackson and more.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Sharpe wanted to pay homage to one of his favorite rappers  .. and hit up artist Joe Castro from California to bless him with a pair dedicated to Von.

Castro -- who's worked with huge names like Chase Young and DeSean Jackson -- got to work on the special project ... and delivered an awesome product.

Each cleat has an image of Von on each side ... and features phrases that honor the rapper's background -- from the famous Chicago "O Block," which he repped, and his nickname "Grandson," which is also the name of his first mixtape in 2019.

Castro tells us Sharpe picked the perfect portrait of King Von for the cleats ... and the whole project took him 6 hours to complete.

Sharpe just signed with the Chiefs this week ... and you gotta assume he'll be hoping to wear them on the field in Von's honor.

Jerry Rice ain't going to like this ...

Randy Moss says HE -- not the San Francisco 49ers legend -- is the greatest wide receiver that's ever lived ... and the ex-Patriot explained Rice isn't even #2 on his list!!!

Moss made the stunning announcement on Terrell Owens' "Getcha Popcorn Ready" podcast this week ... saying his Mt. Rushmore of NFL wideouts begins with himself and then T.O.

"I'll put myself first," Moss said. "I'll put T.O. second, and I would put -- I think Jerry is probably third or fourth."

Moss insisted the list wasn't meant as shade toward Rice ... the former Minnesota Vikings superstar simply believes he and T.O. changed the game more.

"I’m talking about dominating the game and changing the game of football," Moss said. "I don’t live on statistics because if you live on statistics and live on championships, that’s all political."

Moss added, "You’ve got to throw politics out of the game of football, and look at the impact of what each individual was able to make in the game of football."

For his part, Owens didn't have many problems at all with Moss' list ... saying Rice had amazing QBs for his whole career to help him with his numbers.

"He never had a drop-off in quarterback," Owens said of Rice, who played with Joe Montana and then Steve Young. "He went from one Hall of Fame quarterback to another."

Of course, most still believe Rice is #1 regardless of Owens' and Moss' opinions ... the guy has the most receiving yards EVER with 22,895 -- and he's a full 5,000-plus yards ahead of second-place Larry Fitzgerald!!!

But still, kind of hard to argue with Moss when he has games like this on his resume ...

Here's Nelson Agholor proving NFL players are still REALLY, REALLY freakin' tough ...

The Las Vegas Raiders receiver gruesomely dislocated his finger mid-game against the Chargers on Thursday ... but the dude barely missed any time over the gnarly injury!!

It all went down in the 3rd quarter of Las Vegas' loss to Los Angeles ... when Agholor dropped a pass and his hands came crashing down to the grass.

You can see in video of the incident, his whole body weight landed on his pinky ... and it looked like the digit snapped in half!!!

Agholor immediately knew something was wrong ... he waved his jacked-up finger to his sideline -- and trainers tended to him right away.

The craziest part about it all, though? HE RETURNED AFTER JUST ONE PLAY!!!

In fact, Agholor went on to record a couple more catches after trainers popped his finger back in place ... and the dude finished the night with a total of 49 receiving yards!

Touching tribute from Darren Waller on Thursday night ... the superstar tight end honored his former teammate, Lorenzo Taliaferro, with a TD celebration after the 28-year-old's shocking death.

Waller -- who played with Taliaferro in Baltimore to begin his career -- scored on a beautiful 35-yard, go route early in the 2nd quarter of the Raiders' loss to the Chargers ... and he immediately got up and looked for cameras in the end zone.

DW then threw up a 3 and a 4 -- Taliaferro's old jersey number -- and then he gave a bow.

In the pregame, Waller also wrote a note to Taliaferro on his cleats ... putting in pen, "R.I.P. Zobot #34."

"To be real, I didn't even feel like playing tonight honestly," Waller said after the game. "I had no juice today. I thank God and the people that support me for speaking life into me today, and telling me to go out and play and represent him and to have him on my mind while I was playing."

"I feel like him and his presence and what his time on the earth meant to me is what motivating me to play football with a sense of urgency."

Taliaferro tragically died in Virginia on Wednesday ... a family member told Fox45 in Baltimore the former running back had suffered a heart attack.

Waller -- who finished Thursday night with a staggering 150 yards on 9 catches -- was teammates with the ex-Raven from 2015 to 2017.

Jon Gruden's hat debacle on "Thursday Night Football" was the result of a practical joke played on him in the locker room -- so says the Raiders head coach.

Gruden caught hell on social media once fans realized he was wearing an "Oakland Raiders" hat on the sideline -- epic fail considering the Raiders just moved to Las Vegas!!

Social media clowned the 57-year-old for the error ... and the roar clearly grew so loud -- JG became aware of the cap problem in the 1st quarter and switched hats soon after.

"I apologize for not having the right hat on," Gruden told reporters. "Somebody played a pretty good trick on me."

So, who is this mysterious trickster? Gruden didn't name names -- but someone's ass is in the hot seat.

The thing is ... Gruden's headgear ended up being the LEAST of his worries against the Chargers -- 'cause the Raiders took an L they desperately couldn't afford to take.

Las Vegas' playoff hopes essentially rode on the game against LA ... but its defense struggled all night and the team lost in overtime, 30-27, to Justin Herbert's crew.

Gruden apologized for THAT as well ... telling reporters, "It's on me."

Ravens star Marcus Peters appeared to hock a massive loogie and spit it at Jarvis Landry during "Monday Night Football" this week ... and it's got everyone wondering, was it intentional???

At the end of the 1st quarter of Baltimore's tilt with the Browns on Monday in Cleveland ... cameras caught Peters seemingly spitting in the direction of Landry as the wide receiver walked back toward his huddle.

Unclear if the Browns star even noticed -- but we've reached out to the Ravens and the NFL to see if they're looking into it.

Peters seemed to be pissed at Landry throughout the night ... and even appeared to call both Jarvis AND Odell Beckham "homegirls" and "she" after the win.

As Ravens star Marlon Humphrey was filming for social media postgame on the team jet ... Peters appeared to say of Jarvis and the injured Odell, "So, we only had one homegirl this time."

"And, you know, she was upset 'cause she ... she was upset because the other homegirl couldn't really end up making it. Because my dawg hurt. Well, she hurt right now. And, we understand that and I respect that."

"But, the one homegirl who was out there," Peters continued, "just needs to shut the f*ck up until she gets back."

FYI -- the Ravens and Browns have played twice already this season, with Baltimore winning both contests. There is a chance the two could possibly meet up in the playoffs next month.

For their part, neither Landry nor Peters has commented so far this week on any potential beef between the two stars.

Tragic news ... former Baltimore Ravens running back Lorenzo Taliaferro died on Wednesday, cops in Virginia confirmed.

He was just 28 years old.

The York-Poquoson Sheriff's Office in Yorktown, Va. announced it received a call of someone needing medical attention at around 3:07 PM on Wednesday.

Cops say when officers arrived, they found Taliaferro and immediately helped emergency personnel transfer him to a local hospital.

Sadly, police say he died at the facility a short time later.

Cops did not release a cause of death ... but a family member told Fox45 in Baltimore that Taliaferro had suffered a heart attack.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Lorenzo Taliaferro," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said in a statement Thursday.

"Lorenzo was a kind, smart, respectful and determined young man -- someone always committed to his teammates and well-liked by everyone in our organization. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Lorenzo's family. May he rest in peace."

Taliaferro was picked by the Ravens in the 4th round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Coastal Carolina -- and was immediately put on people's fantasy football radars in his rookie year after some HUGE games.

Taliaferro, though, was forced to go on injured reserve late in his rookie year ... and was eventually moved to fullback.

He left the NFL after being cut by Baltimore prior to the 2017 season and eventually latched on in the CFL for 2018.

In his 3 years with the Ravens, Taliaferro rushed for 339 yards and 5 TDs. He also caught 16 passes for 153 yards.

NY Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has tested positive for coronavirus -- forcing the team to cancel Thursday practice.

54-year-old Garrett -- former head coach of the Dallas Cowboys -- will not call plays for the Giants when they take on the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, so he can focus on his recovery, the team announced.

Instead, Giants tight ends coach Freddie Kitchens -- the former Cleveland Browns head coach -- will take over the playcalling duties this weekend against his former team.

The Giants say they do NOT believe there are other high-risk contacts who may have contracted the virus from Garrett because the team did not meet on either Monday or Tuesday due to "the league's most updated protocols."

"At this point, there appear to be no high risk close contacts. We are awaiting confirmation from the league."

Indianapolis Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez says he couldn't be happier to return to practice on Wednesday ... describing the "crazy roller coaster" he's experienced since his recent cancer diagnosis.

As we previously reported, 26-year-old Sanchez underwent surgery for a cancerous tumor earlier this month ... days after feeling "kinda weird" during practice on Nov. 25.

Sanchez says he notified team staffers about feeling off ... and they instructed him to get checked out with an MRI and ultrasound.

That's when Sanchez got the news -- he has cancer.

"It's one of those things that you just never think is gonna happen to you. I never thought it was gonna happen to me either," Sanchez told reporters ... "Because I'm young, and when you're young you think you can do anything and you're going to be fine for a long time."

The crazy part?? Sanchez still got out on the field for Indy's next game against the Tennessee Titans on Nov. 29 ... saying his situation couldn't get any worse and he didn't want to put his team in a bad situation.

"I wasn't about to do that to my team. It's all about the team, you know?" Sanchez said.

Sanchez made his return to the team this week ... and he said he's thankful for the team's support throughout his journey.

"I'm just so grateful to be here with you guys and it's amazing to be back."

Sanchez says he's heard from all his idols -- including leukemia survivor Chuck Pagano -- throughout his recovery ... and he's hoping for the best.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says the NFL is exploring ways to have fans at the Super Bowl -- specifically health care workers.

Goodell fired off a letter to Rob Higgins -- President of the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee -- informing him of the league's plans to reward the front line workers who have busted their asses during the COVID pandemic.

"We are currently discussing with public health officials our desire to invite vaccinated health care workers to the Super Bowl as our guests," Goodell says in a letter obtained by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

"Subject to their approval and in consultation with your team, we aim to do this in a safe and responsible way."

Goodell says putting vaccinated health care workers in the stands for the biggest game of the year would "help promote the importance of vaccination and appropriate health practices including wearing masks in public settings."

The plans aren't set in stone yet -- but it seems Goodell is optimistic.

He concluded his letter by heaping more praise on health care workers.

"We hope that in some small way, this initiative will inspire our country and recognize these true American heroes as we look forward to a better and healthier year."

Jerome Bettis is putting on his Superman cape this Christmas ... 'cause the NFL legend is rushing to the rescue after someone allegedly stole a bunch of goods intended for kids in need from a charity.

A rep from Family Resources -- an org. Bettis is helping fundraise for this year -- tells TMZ Sports that at around 9:30 AM Tuesday morning, they realized a TON of gifts had been taken from their headquarters in Pittsburgh.

The rep says everything, from toys to coats to clothes, intended for around 400 victims of child abuse were all gone when officials checked in a conference room.

In total, the rep claims around $1,900 worth of items were taken in the heist.

But, after Bettis learned of the problem Tuesday ... he raced in to help -- offering up some cool gifts to fans on social media in exchange for donations to the charity.

"We can't let the Grinch steal Christmas," Bettis tweeted out on Tuesday -- adding he's now giving away some signed Steelers jerseys to help raise funds for the kids.

A rep for Family Resources says Bettis' shoutout has already yielded tremendous results ... with $2,000 worth of contributions already pouring in Tuesday.

The rep also says Pittsburgh Steelers star Stephon Tuitt is expected to hand over a large check to the org. soon as well.

Tom Brady license plates are about to be a real thing in Florida -- and it's all for a great cause!!!

Florida officials have confirmed ... a license plate featuring Tom's image will go into production in the next few days/weeks as soon as 3,000 people commit to driving with it on their rides.

So, why??

State officials say it's part of an awesome idea by Tom's favorite charity organization, Best Buddies -- a nonprofit that helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Best Buddies reps say purchases of the specialty plate will lead to cash for the org ... explaining out of the $35 that it costs drivers to buy the plate ... $25 will go straight to the foundation.

And, because Tom has had such lengthy ties to the cause ... they say it's all the perfect win-win-win for all parties now that he's Tampa Bay's starting QB!

"With his recent move to Florida, we are incredibly excited to team up with long-time Global Ambassador Tom Brady for the new Best Buddies specialty license plate," the founder and CEO of Best Buddies International, Anthony K. Shriver, said.

"Since 2003, Tom has proven himself to be a committed advocate for individuals with disabilities, and we’re grateful that his commitment to our mission-driven initiatives will continue to create friendships, jobs, leadership development training, and inclusive living opportunities for people with special abilities here in the sunshine state."

Lamar Jackson insists he was CRAMPING -- not CRAPPING -- and that's why he raced to the locker room in the middle of "Monday Night Football."

In other words, Lamar says he didn't "pull a Paul Pierce" and fake an injury so he could take a dump!

Here's the deal ... Lamar was leading his Baltimore Ravens in a close and heated game against the Cleveland Browns (ha) when something went wrong with the QB in the 3rd quarter.

ESPN showed footage of Lamar scrambling to get to the locker room -- and to be honest, it looked like a guy trying to keep the turtle's head from poking out ... if you catch our drift.

When Jackson returned to the field, he looked relieved -- and balled the hell out for the rest of the game!

So, everyone thought the poop theory was confirmed -- he left, he crapped, he came back feeling better and dominated ... right?

Lamar was asked about the toilet conspiracy after the game -- but adamantly DENIED the locker room trip was bowel-related!!

"No, I was cramping," Jackson said ... "I didn’t pull no Paul Pierce! I didn’t pull a Paul Pierce!"

Remember, Pierce left Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals in a wheelchair due to an apparent injury -- only to return to the court minutes later and led the Celtics to victory.

Years later, Pierce admitted he needed the wheelchair to keep from pooping himself on live TV.

But, Lamar insists he's no Paul Pierce -- and followed up with a tweet to reinforce his point.

As for the Ravens, they beat the Browns thanks to some excellent 4th quarter play by Lamar Jackson.