NFL

Pro Football Hall of Fame Finalist LeRoy Butler says there's a very good reason he belongs in Canton ... Deion Sanders and Rod Woodson are enshrined.

Prime, SA, and Woodson are members of the NFL's '90s All-Decade team -- along with Bruce Smith, Reggie White, Cortez Kennedy, John Randle, Junior Seau, Derrick Thomas, and Kevin Greene -- ALL who are members of the Hall.

Butler is the only guy on the All-Decade squad who isn't in Canton ... and he tells TMZ Sports that's a helluva reason to put him in.

"I really would love to be in the Hall of Fame this particular year, 2021. And, plus, it's a little embarrassing to be the only All-Decade member, 1st team, not in the Hall of Fame."

Butler says some of the other players have bigger names ... but when it comes to the football field, he contributed as much as the other HOF'ers.

"It's like 'generic' and 'brand.' You get Woodson, brand, put him in! Manning, brand. Generic, LeRoy Butler. But, I do the same thing as them. I'm just cheaper. I think they should put me in to say we close out the '90s to the 2000s. Done, start the new decade! So, I just pray."

BTW, there's a reason LeRoy made the All-Decade team ... he had a great, 12 season career in Green Bay. He made 1st team All-Pro 4 times, 4 Pro Bowls, and won a Super Bowl with Brett Favre and the Packers in 1997.

Butler also breaks down his foray into the liquor biz ... 'cause he just launched a new vodka, aptly named Leap Spirits.

Remember, Butler was the 1st player to Lambeau Leap back in 1993.

Enormous praise from Bills legend Cornelius Bennett -- the former Buffalo star tells TMZ Sports he believes Lamar Jackson is "the closest thing that I've seen" to Barry Sanders.

Yeah ... heads up, Bills defense!!!

Bennett delivered the massive compliment to Baltimore's QB this week ... just before Buffalo will have to try to stop him in its playoff matchup with the Ravens on Saturday.

But, good news for the Bills ... Bennett says he believes Buffalo CAN slow down Lamar -- if they just use the same tactics he used against Barry in his career.

"I see so many times that guys are taking the big shot at him and missing him," Bennett says of Jackson. "It's all right to arm tackle him and lay him down softly or whatever and not get the kill shot on him."

"Because as soon as you do," Bennett continued, "you're going to be gasping for air. I know that personally trying to tackle Barry Sanders."

As for Bennett's take on the Bills' QB ... the 55-year-old tells us he's been SUPER impressed with Josh Allen's progression this season -- saying the quarterback actually reminds him a bit of Jim Kelly!

"He's grown tremendously," Bennett says.

Sorry, Patriots fans ... Quinnen Williams says Bill Belichick is NOT the greatest football coach ever -- the Jets star tells TMZ Sports that honor now belongs to Nick Saban!!

The NFL defensive lineman made the bold claim shortly after the Alabama head coach won yet ANOTHER National Championship this week ... saying, "I think, in my head, I think he's the greatest coach of all time."

"Just because, man, like, his resume speaks for itself, man," Williams said.

Of course, Williams is biased -- the dude played for Saban for three years with the Tide from 2016-2018 -- but it's getting harder and harder to disagree.

Saban's victory over Ohio State last Monday gave him his SEVENTH college football championship -- the most in the history of the game.

The 69-year-old also has a staggering college coaching career record of 261-65-1 ... and has routinely put players in the NFL year after year after year.

"He has a list of hundreds of NFL players who are either starters or big-time superstars or big-time players under his belt," Williams says. "To do the things that he does, and to have a consistent dynasty and a consistent winning team that he has, it's unheard of."

More trouble for Mario Edwards Jr. ...

The Chicago Bears defensive lineman has been handed a 2-game ban by NFL commish Roger Goodell on Friday ... but we're told it is NOT related to an alleged domestic violence incident in October.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... a woman claims 26-year-old Edwards got violent with her in a North Carolina hotel room on Oct. 17 (the day before playing against the Panthers) ... after she turned down his sexual advances.

The woman claims she was pregnant at the time of the incident ... and required medical attention for injuries sustained during the alleged attack.

Edwards, though, has STRONGLY denied any wrongdoing ... claiming he was the victim and the woman was the aggressor.

While that incident remains under investigation, we're told Edwards' punishment Friday is due to a violation of the league's performance-enhancing substance policy ... resulting in the 2-game ban.

Edwards showed serious promise in 15 games for the Bears this season ... racking up 4 sacks in 15 games.

Denver Broncos star Von Miller -- the MVP of Super Bowl 50 -- is under criminal investigation in Colorado ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Details of the allegations against the future Hall of Famer are unclear ... a spokesperson for the Parker Police Dept. in Parker, Colo. tells us, "The case is currently under investigation so no information can be released at this time."

"If the investigation determines a crime has occurred, charges will be submitted to the DA's office for their review."

The spokesperson added there is no ballpark timeframe for the conclusion of the probe ... explaining the allegations just came in "recently."

Miller -- who sat out this season after suffering a tendon injury in his lower leg in September -- is still considered one of the most feared defenders in the NFL.

The 31-year-old has piled up 106 career sacks in just 135 games ... and has vowed to come back stronger from his injury in 2021.

Miller would be subject to league discipline if he's found to have violated the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy.

We've reached out to Miller for comment ... but so far, no word back yet.

Story developing ...

Hall of Famer Charles Barkley says NBA and NFL athletes deserve preferential treatment with COVID-19 vaccines ... claiming it's only fair considering how much they pay in taxes.

The NBA is currently dealing with a COVID nightmare ... with at least 10 games being postponed due to positive tests or close contacts through less than a month of play.

The "Inside The NBA" analysts were discussing the status of the league following the Golden State Warriors vs. Denver Nuggets game Thursday night ... when Chuck gave his eye-opening take.

"We need 300 million shots, give a thousand to some NBA players ... NFL players, hockey players," Barkley said. "As much taxes as these players pay, they deserve some preferential treatment."

Kenny Smith followed up by questioning if that's fair when it could literally be a "life or death" situation for regular folk who don't have the same resources as pro athletes ... but Barkley doubled down.

"We can't go there," Smith clapped back. "I don't think you can go there."

Barkley noted he personally believes 1,000 vaccines to NBA players would not take away from at-risk or elderly people who could benefit more from the vaccine ... and claims his plan would keep the season alive.

Of course, both NBA and NFL commissioners Adam Silver and Roger Goodell have already shot down the idea of giving their players vaccines while essential workers and others wait in line.

The NBA recently modified its health and safety protocols after 16 players tested positive for the virus ... but Chuck clearly thinks more needs to be done to save the season.

The NY Jets made history with their head coaching hire Thursday night ... they inked a deal with Robert Saleh, reportedly making him the NFL's 1st-ever Muslim head coach.

According to Muslim civil rights advocacy group CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) ... no other Muslim had been given the role in the league's history prior to Saleh's hiring.

"We welcome this development as another sign of the increasing inclusion and recognition of American Muslims in our diverse society," CAIR spokesperson Ibrahim Hooper said.

41-year-old Saleh -- who was born in Michigan but has family roots in Lebanon -- has been a straight-up hell of a coach since he was promoted to defensive coordinator in San Francisco.

In fact, many NFL pundits have already praised the Jets for the hire ... saying what Saleh did with the 49ers the past four seasons makes him a safe bet to succeed in New York.

Saleh's 49ers' defensive groups have been consistently some of the best in the NFL ... and stars like Richard Sherman praised him after the Jets made the hiring official this week.

"The @nyjets got a great one!" Sherman said on Twitter. "Congrats to them!"

The Washington Football Team may have come up short against the Buccaneers, but superstar Chase Young still got a "W" ... courtesy of his brand new diamond chain!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 2020 #2 overall pick loves his new NFL home so much, he decided to pay tribute with his newest piece of jewelry.

We're told Young hit up Gabriel The Jeweler -- go-to guy for huge names like Odell Beckham, Antonio Brown and more -- for the job ... and the finished product is a one-of-a-kind replica of the WFT's "W" logo in diamond form!!

Gabriel tells us the piece is made of 30 carats of emerald-shaped VVS diamonds ... and another 9 carats of round VVS diamonds.

No word on how much dough the rookie dropped on the piece, but we're told it's valued at $85k.

FWIW -- Young's rookie deal is worth $35 million ... so yeah, the dude can definitely treat himself.

Not a bad way to cap off a stellar first season, rook!!

It's official ... Urban Meyer will be back in a headset on a football sideline!!!

The Jacksonville Jaguars just announced the college football coaching legend will be their next head coach -- hiring the 56-year-old on Thursday just two years after he stepped away from his role as Ohio State's head man.

"This is a great day for Jacksonville and Jaguars fans everywhere," team owner Shad Khan said in a statement. "Urban Meyer is who we want and need, a leader, winner and champion who demands excellence and produces results."

"While Urban already enjoys a legacy in the game of football that few will ever match, his passion for the opportunity in front of him here in Jacksonville is powerful and unmistakable."

"I am proud to name Urban Meyer the new head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars."

Of course, this is unchartered territory for Meyer ... the guy has spent every year of his coaching career in the college ranks -- so it'll be a new world for Meyer in the NFL.

But, there's no doubt he's set up to succeed in Jacksonville ... the team has the #1 overall pick, so Meyer is expected to be able to begin his career with Clemson superstar QB Trevor Lawrence under center.

Add that to cornerstone pieces like RB James Robinson and receivers D.J. Chark and Laviska Shenault -- and, suddenly, the Jags look like they've got a real shot to be a contender under Meyer.

Urban has famously won wherever he's been at ... earning National Championships at both Florida and Ohio State -- while also hoisting other big bowl game trophies at his other stops.

Unclear if Meyer will also have general manager duties to go along with his head coaching role in Jacksonville ... but either way, rejoice Jags fans.

Odell Beckham may not be suiting up this weekend, but he's still backing his boys in Orange and Brown ... saying he expects the Cleveland Browns to pull off the HUGE upset and beat the K.C. Chiefs!!

Baker Mayfield and Co. are set to face off against the defending Super Bowl champions in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs on Sunday ... a game that heavily favors the Chiefs.

There's been a LOT of smack talk surrounding the matchup -- from K.C. receiver Sammy Watkins claiming the Browns aren't a real threat to Steelers rookie Chase Claypool saying they'll get "clapped" against Patrick Mahomes' squad.

OBJ -- who's been out since October with a torn ACL -- has entered the chat ... saying folks shouldn't be shocked if the Browns come away with the dub and advance to the AFC title game.

"Don’t be surprised this weekend when they win," Odell tweeted Thursday. "just throwin it out there now."

It may come off as a flaming hot take, but the short-handed (and head coach-less) Browns were able to get their first playoff win since 1994 at Pittsburgh last week ... so really, anything can happen.

Even future Hall of Famer Joe Thomas is expecting big things from his team on Sunday ... saying Cleveland will win and eventually advance to a Super Bowl appearance.

If Urban Meyer lands in the NFL ... Tim Tebow says he will NOT be joining his former head coach there -- the ex-Heisman Trophy winner tells TMZ Sports he's still fully committed to baseball!!

"For me," Tebow says, "I'm super excited about spring training. So, that's where my focus kind of swirls right now."

It wouldn't have been farfetched to see Tim come along with Meyer in some capacity if Urban gets a new gig with The Shield ... the two have an incredible relationship.

They won a TON of games together at the Univ. of Florida -- and Tebow even admits the guy is "like a father figure to me."

Plus, Meyer is rumored to be possibly the next head man in Jacksonville -- which is where Tebow spent most of his childhood days!

But, Tim tells us his dream of joining the New York Mets' big-league roster has ALL of his attention right now ... and he won't pursue being Meyer's next QB or even a coach on Urban's staff.

Tebow, though, says he's sure the 56-year-old will do well regardless if he gets the NFL role ... saying, "I believe he'll do a great job."

As for his Mets career ... Tebow says he's fired up over the Francisco Lindor trade -- and he's hopeful he can be batting in the same lineup as the star shortstop at some point this season.

By the way, Tebow just dropped his new children's book, "Bronco and Friends: A Party to Remember", and he tells us it definitely won't be the last one he writes!!

Law enforcement officials arrested longtime Seattle Seahawks employee Aaron Miyasato on Tuesday after they claim he was found in possession of child pornography.

According to jail records, 41-year-old Miyasato, who had been working as the Hawks' security manager, was booked at 11:07 a.m. Tuesday on three charges of possessing and dealing child porn.

According to legal documents, obtained by KING 5, authorities claim they confiscated around 25,000 images of child porn during a raid at Miyasato's home.

According to the report, they also "confiscated videos of children as young as the age of one being sexually exploited in extremely graphic ways."

Miyasato had reportedly been employed by the Seahawks since 2011 ... and recently took the team's security manager position back in 2018.

Seahawks officials, though, said in a statement Wednesday that Miyasato is no longer an employee with the team after his arrest.

"We are aware of the situation and in accordance with the NFL personal conduct policy, we have notified the league of his arrest," the Seahawks said. "This individual is no longer employed by our organization."

Dick Vermeil says Deshaun Watson is WAY out of line for feuding with the Texans ... the coaching legend tells TMZ Sports he thinks the Houston star is being a big baby for quarreling with the team's brass over hiring decisions.

"I think they change his diapers, OK?" Vermeil says of how the Texans should handle the situation going forward with Watson.

"Nowhere in his contract does it say that he's involved in making the decisions of who coaches or who leads the organization."

The 84-year-old Vermeil continued, "He's a great NFL football player and always has been a great kid, but I think he just shuts his mouth and becomes a better football player and lead the football team and let the leaders of the organization lead him."

You'll recall ... Watson has reportedly had big beef with the Texans for the past few days -- with several outlets claiming the 25-year-old is upset over his lack of input in the hiring of new GM Nick Caserio.

Watson is also reportedly angry that he hasn't had much say in who the team is interviewing for its vacant head coaching role -- and the relationship has gotten so icy, some have predicted a trade could eventually go down.

Vermeil, though, thinks Watson will eventually stand down from strong-arming Texans' execs ... telling us, "I just don't see him playing any place else."

"And, I see him calming down and maturing a little bit and go be a good football player and earn the money they're paying him."

Of course, several prominent former Texans, including Andre Johnson, disagree ... with the ex-wideout saying earlier this week he believes Watson should stand his ground in the clash with the team.

By the way, if you're wondering what Vermeil has been up to since he stepped away from coaching ... the former Super Bowl champ tells us he's got a wine biz that's thriving in the pandemic.

Earl Thomas' wife claims the NFL star went ballistic the day after Christmas ... attacking her and her family and punching through a window in a drunken rage -- and she says it isn't the 1st time he's completely lost it.

But, Earl is denying all of the allegations ... we spoke with a member of his camp who says the claims are false and that the couple is on good terms.

Nina Thomas spelled it all out in court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, saying she's "scared" of the 31-year-old former Baltimore Ravens player following what sounds like a terrifying Dec. 26 incident.

In the docs, Nina -- who filed for divorce from Earl in November -- says she agreed to spend Christmas with Earl at her parents' house in Orange, Texas so he could be with their children.

Nina, though, says Earl "chose to stay out all night drinking" on the holiday ... and came back the next morning and flew off the handle.

Nina says after sending "harassing text messages" to her phone, Earl showed up to the house "visibly intoxicated."

Nina says he told her to "suck my d***" in front of their daughter at the residence ... and then followed Nina outside after she went to get some things for her children in the car.

Nina says Earl screamed at her in the front yard ... so she says she locked him out of the house -- and that's when she claims he snapped.

Nina says Earl "was irate and beating on the windows of the house." She claims she then called Earl's mother to try to get him to calm down, but when she arrived, Earl was "still in front of the house screaming obscenities and clearly enraged."

Nina says Earl then put his fist through one of the house's windows ... causing blood to spill all over the front porch.

Cops were called to the scene in reference to a disturbance, according to police docs obtained by TMZ Sports, and officers say they were able to question Earl a short time later at the hospital over it all.

Officers say Earl told them he admitted to putting his hand through the window ... though they say Earl "reported no crime was committed to cause his injuries." The police docs list the case as "inactive."

But, in the court documents, Nina says Earl's aggression toward her and her family didn't stop there ... she says Earl "threatened to come back to my parents' house, to burn all of my things if I came back to our house in Austin, and to kick my 'ass.'"

Nina says Earl "then sent an intimate video of him and me in a group text to my parents and to our nanny." She added, "To further torment me, Earl sent an intimate video of himself and another woman to my phone."

In the docs, Nina says the whole incident was just one of several times in the past few months where Earl had terrorized her.

The 31-year-old says in June 2020, she and Earl were at the Golden Nugget in Lake Charles, Louisiana when Earl began "acting belligerent" at the casino.

Nina says she was able to convince him to come upstairs with her to avoid any conflict with security ... but she claims once they got back to the room, Earl "decided to direct his anger towards me and started mumbling insults and calling me names."

Nina says it all escalated very quickly ... claiming, "At one point Earl threw me into the bath tub and turned the hot water on me." She says she suffered "bruising to my torso and back that required medical attention to ease the pain caused to my back."

On Oct. 9, 2020, Nina says she and Earl were celebrating her birthday when he "flew into a fit of anger and called me a 'bitch'" after she had left him to go to brunch with some of her girlfriends.

In the docs, Nina says Earl grabbed her by the back of her neck and threw food and drinks at her "while hurling insults and telling me that I am worthless." Nina says all of it caused her to have bruising on her body, which she claims to have photographed.

What's interesting is Earl had penned a love note to Nina and posted it on social media that same day.

On Oct. 22, Nina says she and Earl were at a hotel in Dallas when Earl "started mumbling rude and obscene things to me" after a night of drinking.

Nina says she went to get up to pack her things and leave, fearing escalation ... and that's when she says Earl "grabbed me by the pony tail, threw me onto the bed, and he pinned my body down."

Nina says she was eventually able to escape ... and filed for divorce just days later.

In her court docs, Nina wrote of it all, "I am scared of Earl and believe that there is a clear and present danger." She requested a restraining order, writing in the docs that she feared "both me and the children will be harmed."

According to court records, a judge granted Nina's request last week ... and ordered Earl to stay at least 400 feet away from Nina's Austin, Texas home and the children's schools.

Earl has been ordered to appear before the judge via videoconference later this month for a hearing on the matter.

Houston, the Texans have a SERIOUS problem ... team legend Andre Johnson is now ripping the org. -- calling the franchise "pathetic" amid all of the drama with star QB Deshaun Watson.

The retired Houston wideout -- who's the only member of the organization's Ring of Honor -- sounded off on the Texans in a tweet Tuesday ... telling Watson to not back down from his demands from ownership.

"If I’m @deshaunwatson I will stand my ground," Johnson said. "The Texans organization is known for wasting players careers."

Johnson then went on to slam Jack Easterby, the team's executive vice president of football operations who's been with the Texans since 2019.

"Since Jack Easterby has walk into the building nothing good has happened in/for the organization and for some reason someone can’t seem to see what’s going on. Pathetic!!!"

If you missed it, Watson is reportedly VERY upset with the Texans' brass over his lack of say in the team's hiring process of its new GM and head coach this offseason.

In fact, the relationship has reportedly gotten so icy ... some have wondered if it could lead to a trade demand from Houston's brightest star.

Seems Johnson would be OK with it all if it got to that point ... clearly siding with Watson in the dispute.

And, that ain't all of the issues for Houston, 'cause former Texans superstar Deandre Hopkins also weighed in on the saga on social media Tuesday -- saying people should take Johnson seriously!!

"When Dre speak listen," Hopkins said.

Unclear exactly what Watson and co. truly need to see from Texans ownership to smooth things out ... but what is very apparent is something needs fixing in Houston ASAP.

Several NFL stars had big bones to pick with Nick Saban on Monday night ... with Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Ramsey and others blasting the coach and the Tide for playing injured star Jaylen Waddle.

The future NFL wideout broke his ankle against Tennessee back on Oct. 24 ... and had to have major surgery to repair the damage.

But, Waddle still suited up for the Tide's championship game with Ohio State ... and it became clear right away, the dude was nowhere close to 100 percent.

After catching a pass on the first drive of the game, he had a noticeable limp ... and seconds later, stars throughout the NFL wondered out loud why the hell he was playing.

"Who advised 17 for Bama to play?" Ramsey said in a tweet. "Whoever it is definitely doesn’t have his best interest at heart. As a competitor, I understand why he would want to play, but no way he should be out there with the future he has ahead. I hope he can stay safe."

Added Mahomes, "Respect the heart! But you can’t let that man be out there!"

Even Tennessee Titans star A.J. Brown chimed in, writing on his social media page, "Waddle please sit down."

Waddle is expected to be a possible top-15 pick in April's NFL draft -- which caused star Colts linebacker Darius Leonard to also fire away at 'Bama, writing, "Cmon nick don’t let Waddle do this, he’s hurt and shouldn’t be out there! Cmon bro! Sometimes you gotta protect players from themselves!"

For Waddle and 'Bama's part, the school said the wideout was cleared by doctors to return to football activities with the team last week.