NFL

It took 3 police officers to detain massive NFL lineman Chad Wheeler during a bloody domestic violence rampage at his GF's apartment ... and cops described the battle like they were trying to subdue a bear.

According to multiple police reports, obtained by TMZ Sports, the Kent P.D. officers got a heads up that the suspect in the Jan. 22 incident was Seattle Seahawks OL Chad Wheeler, who was listed at 6'7", 315 pounds.

When they arrived at the scene and saw Chad's GF was badly injured, they said they raced to subdue the 27-year-old ... despite the fact he fights off bigger and stronger men for a living.

One cop said in the docs, "When I grabbed ahold of Chad, I could tell that he was very solid and muscular as he was not easy to move."

The officer said he began to understand the strength of Wheeler when all three responding cops piled on top of him -- and it barely slowed Wheeler down.

"As the three of us (with a combined weight of about 700 pounds) were on top of Chad, I could feel him lifting his body up like he was pushing up to get away," one officer said.

"Chad, whose massive size took up the whole length and width of the bathroom floor, was able to lift his body about three to six inches temporarily with what appeared to be little effort from him."

According to the police report, cops say Wheeler was not cooperative ... so they used a Taser in an effort to detain him -- but it had "little to no effect."

When officers were finally ready to put him in handcuffs, Wheeler's size and strength continued to be a factor.

"Chad was so strong that even with the combined weight of three officers he was able to move around and prevent us from putting his arms behind his back," one officer said.

Ultimately, cops were able to take Wheeler into custody -- but they said he was so big, they were concerned he wouldn't fit in a standard police cruiser ... so they called for the larger jail van to take him to the station.

Wheeler was later arrested and hit with three criminals charges -- including 1st-degree domestic violence assault -- over the incident.

The NFL player -- who blamed all of his actions on a "manic episode" -- pled not guilty to the charges at a hearing in a Washington courtroom on Monday.

Big news for the Kansas City Chiefs ... two players have been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list over a "close contact" with someone who tested positive.

The players are wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and center Daniel Kilgore, according to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.

Moments ago, Reid told the media he's confident the players will "work through it" -- but obviously could not guarantee they will play in Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Bucs.

Kilgore started 4 games in 2020 and has played in 7 total. Robinson started 9 games in 2020 and played in all 16 regular-season games.

Both guys played in the AFC Championship game on January 24 against the Buffalo Bills -- with Robinson getting the starting nod at WR.

The way the NFL's COVID protocol works ... both players will be forced to quarantine for 5 days, which means no more practice for the rest of the week.

If they continue to test negative, there's a chance they can play in the Super Bowl -- but ESPN's Adam Schefter says at the moment their status is "in question."

Neither player has returned a positive COVID test at this point, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Obviously, the bigger concern is ... were any other players exposed?

We spoke with Chiefs superstar Tyreek Hill just a short while ago who told us the team had been clamping down on COVID protocols to prevent this exact situation.

NFL offensive lineman Chad Wheeler has pleaded not guilty to 3 criminal charges ... this just days after he was accused of violently beating his girlfriend.

The 27-year-old showed up to a courtroom in King County, Wash., on Monday to enter the pleas, according to ESPN.

He was then ordered to stay in the state of Washington and to remain under electronic home detention with a monitoring device strapped around his ankle.

Wheeler -- under the conditions of his pretrial release -- had already been ordered to have zero contact with the alleged victim.

The alleged victim appeared in court for the hearing, and, according to ESPN reporter Brady Henderson, she showed up with a sling around her left arm.

As we previously reported, Wheeler was hit with three criminal charges -- including 1st-degree domestic violence assault -- after his girlfriend told cops he beat the hell out of her on Jan. 22.

According to court documents ... the woman told law enforcement Wheeler choked her unconscious twice, made her bleed from her face and severely mangled her arm in the violent attack.

Prosecutors said after filing the charges against the former Seattle Seahawks player, "The defendant, who is physically conditioned and trained to compete at the highest level of professional sports, strangled, suffocated and beat the victim into unconsciousness -- twice -- both times leaving her for dead as blood poured from her nose and mouth, and into her stomach and lungs."

Wheeler apologized for the incident last week ... blaming the entire thing on a "manic episode."

"I apologize profusely for the turmoil that I have caused to my family, teammates, fans and those closest to me," Wheeler said. "The most important thing right now is that [the alleged victim] gets the care she needs and I get help. Both are happening."

Wheeler added he's stepping away from football and seeking treatment.

The Kansas City Chiefs ain't messing around with COVID -- tightening up the safety protocol to make sure there are NO possible exposures before the Super Bowl.

... so says star wide receiver Tyreek Hill -- who tells TMZ Sports the team is even bringing in its own COVID-tested barbers to make sure no one catches the virus while getting cleaned up for Sunday.

And, if you're a Chiefs fan, you're loving every bit of this story.

"Yesterday my son had a basketball game and I usually go to his basketball game but since it's Super Bowl week, I didn't even go. We can't even do nothing!"

Hill added, "The Chiefs are bringing in barbers to the facility and getting 'em tested so like they are REALLY following protocol."

Yeah, it might suck to be on lockdown -- but it would suck WAY MORE if someone like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce or Tyreek had to sit out the big game because of COVID. So, props to the Chiefs.

Hill also says that without the usual media insanity of Super Bowl week, the team has been focused on football ... and practices have been intense!

"I just feel like our practice intensity is definitely harder because I don't remember practicing this hard during this time last year!"

"But, this whole process has been fun for me and just being on this team with the brothers and just the coaches, the owner, the GM. It's been amazing! I wouldn't trade it for anything."

In addition to being one of the best WRs in the NFL, Hill is also a fashion designer  -- who just dropped a new high-end backpack with Prime Society.

"Trust me, it's a very luxurious bag," Hill says ... noting he'll be rockin' one on his way to the Super Bowl on Sunday.

The Weeknd's gearing up for his Super Bowl Halftime Show performance, but for now he's shining the spotlight on other stars -- frontline healthcare workers.

The singer's kicking off Super Bowl week and Black History Month by teaming up with Postmates in a campaign that highlights Black-owned restaurants ... and delivers meals to healthcare heroes.

The Weeknd's first stop is the AdventHealth Carrollwood medical facility in Tampa -- not far from Raymond James Stadium, where SB 55 will be played. He donated 150 meals from Mama's Southern Soul Food.

The local, independent, Black-owned restaurant is a staple in Tampa ... and it will be one of many featured at the top of the Postmates app in February.

Could Tom Brady REALLY play into the second half of his 40s?!

HELL YEAH -- so says the 43-year-old NFL superstar himself ... who just revealed he's "definitely" open to playing for several years to come, as long as he stays healthy.

Of course, TB12 has publicly shared his intentions of playing until age 45 ... which would make him the 3rd oldest QB in NFL history.

Now that he's playing in his 10th Super Bowl and hoping to win his 7th ring, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signal-caller was asked if he'd consider pushing back his retirement ... and his answer is wild.

"Yeah, definitely," Brady told reporters Monday. "I would definitely consider that."

However, there are a few factors -- Brady says considering the nature of the sport, he'll have to re-evaluate how his body feels at the time ... and there "has to be 100% commitment from myself to keep doing it."

But, Brady says this is exactly what he's been working on with his personal trainer, Alex Guerrero, in order to stay competitive in his 40s. Ya know, pliability and stuff like that.

"(I've) been very fortunate over the years. Alex and I work really hard at making sure physically I can perform at my best, because you take different hits ... over the course of the year deal with different bumps and bruises, different injuries and so forth."

Brady is backing up Guerrero's talk from November 2019 ... when he claimed the QB was eying playing until 46 or 47.

"It's just gonna be me continuing to make that commitment to making it part of my year-round process to play football and continue my career so definitely."

BTW -- the Pro Football Hall of Fame says George Blanda was the oldest QB in NFL history at age 48.

Call him Coach Witten now ... Jason Witten has accepted a job offer to be a head coach for a high school football team in Texas -- just a few days after he officially retired from the NFL.

Liberty Christian School in Argyle announced Monday the 38-year-old ex-Dallas Cowboys superstar has been tapped to run the team's football program for the foreseeable future.

"For the Liberty family, we know him as the dedicated husband and father, a man of Godly character, and a servant leader," school president Blair McCullough said in a statement.

"Jason, Michelle, and their four children have been a part of our Liberty Christian family for more than 8 years, so when the Liberty community thinks about Jason Witten, we think of a Warrior. I am thrilled for our football team, coaches, student body, school community, and of course the Witten family.”

Jason, of course, knows the game like the back of his hand ... he put together a Hall of Fame career before officially calling it quits last Wednesday.

The tight end logged 1,228 receptions and 13,046 receiving yards in his 17 years in the NFL ... and he also famously had a 1-year stint broadcasting games on ESPN's "Monday Night Football."

Witten now follows Philip Rivers from NFL retirement to the high school sidelines ... you'll recall, the Colts QB is now taking over an HS football program in Alabama after hanging up his spikes last month.

You do right by Bills Mafia, they do right by you ... just ask left tackle Dion Dawkins, whose charity has been flooded with donations after coming to his QB Josh Allen's defense in the AFC Championship Game!!

You know the play -- K.C. Chiefs defensive end Alex Okafor sacked Allen late in the conference title game last month ... which led to the QB throwing the ball in his face out of frustration.

Okafor then taunted Allen by standing over his body after the play. That clearly didn't sit well with the Bills, 'cause Dawkins and teammate Jon Feliciano rushed over to kickstart a shoving match.

Dawkins and Feliciano were both hit with $10k fines for the pushing attack ... while Allen was hit with a $15k penalty for the throw.

Naturally, Bills Mafia -- which will stop at nothing to find a reason to pull out their wallets for good causes -- decided to band together to thank Dawkins for having their QB's back ... with donations piling into the O-lineman's Dion's Dreamers charity.

So far, WVIB reports the crazed fanatics have donated $3k to the charity, which mentors young men and women in underserved communities.

But, it's not the dollar amount that matters, it's the fact these fans are ALWAYS looking to make an impact -- after all, Bills fans donated over $1 million to John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo after Allen's grandmother passed away.

Lamar Jackson's charity also received over $360k from the Mafia after he suffered a concussion in their playoff game on Jan. 16.

Seems Danny Amendola still ain't too fond of his former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick ... 'cause the WR just threw more shade at BB while praising Tom Brady.

Amendola -- who won 2 Super Bowls during his run with the Pats from 2013 through 2017 -- appeared on FS1's "First Things First" on Monday and explained why TB12 should get all of the credit for the famous "Patriot Way" mentality, instead of Belichick.

"When you see the ‘Patriot Way’ in the dictionary, it’s gonna have Tom Brady’s name next to it," Amendola said.

"None of those coaches threw any passes, none of those coaches caught any passes, none of those coaches made any tackles … they got guys in the right position 'cause they watch a lot of film and they spend all their time at the facility."

Amendola concluded, "But Tom Brady is the Patriot Way. And that’s the reason Tom Brady's in the Super Bowl right now and the Patriots aren’t."

It's not the first time Amendola has taken a shot at Belichick -- he compared the coach to an unlikeable high school principal during a Barstool Sports podcast in 2018.

Rob Gronkowski channeled his inner-Oprah to surprise 4 healthcare heroes -- YOU'RE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL, YOU'RE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL ... EVERYBODY'S GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL!!

The Tampa Bay Bucs superstar dropped in on 4 local healthcare heroes (via video chat) to deliver the good news ... that they've been hand selected by the team to attend the big game at Raymond James Stadium in person on Sunday.

The heroes include Mandy Mueske, Belinda Spahn, Woody Nixon, nurses who have been caring for COVID patients.

Heather Stegmeier is an infection control manager at AdventHealth -- who "educates and assists team members in obtaining and properly using personal protective equipment (PPE)."

And yeah, they're all STOKED about going to the game!!

"The first time the home team is the actual home team and I'm going to be there. I can't believe that," Woody Nixon said.

Mandy is pumped too -- especially since she's never been to a Bucs game before!

"I'm so excited! I watch games every Sunday. Go Bucs!"

The NFL says all 4 heroes will have completed their COVID vaccinations before being allowed into the stadium to watch Tom Brady and the Bucs take on Patrick Mahomes and the KC Chiefs.

Move over, Joe Exotic ... Roger Goodell is now Carole Baskin's biggest enemy -- 'cause the "Tiger King" star is absolutely appalled the NFL commish is allowing fans at Super Bowl LV.

"We are right now dealing with life or death on this planet," Baskin told USA Today, "and I think every one of us should be doing our part to stay home."

The NFL has given the green light for Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay to host 22,500 fans this Sunday when the Chiefs take on the Buccaneers.

And, the league says it's doing a very cool thing by honoring frontline healthcare workers with 7,500 of those tickets.

But, clearly, Baskin -- whose famous Big Cat Rescue facility is located just 12 miles from the NFL stadium -- thinks it's all VERY unnecessary regardless, given the pandemic is still forging on.

"I just think it’s irresponsible for people to be gathering in large groups, even though I understand they’re saying this is a much smaller group than they’ve ever had," Baskin said.

"But it doesn’t matter that it’s a smaller group. It’s way more people than should be exposed to each other for the purpose of watching a game."

Baskin added she's concerned having that many people in the Tampa area all at once for the Big Game will lead to a huge spike in positive COVID-19 cases.

"There’s no way if you bring 22,000 people to Tampa, from all over the place, that you’re not going to see that same kind of huge uptick in cases here," Baskin said.

"There’s nothing that would justify that sort of risk-taking."

Is there anything a Mai Tai can't fix?!

J.J. Watt says he initially dealt with rumors he could be traded out of Houston this offseason by heading to Hawaii and getting drunk. Pretty good plan!!

There are rumblings the Houston Texans could ship the 31-year-old NFL superstar to another squad while they try to rebuild their broken franchise.

Watt is set to make $17.5 mil in base salary in 2021 — and unloading that salary could be enticing to Houston.

Watt appeared on 'The Tonight Show' with Jimmy Fallon — and was asked how he handles the trade rumors considering he's played every down of his career with Houston since they drafted him in 2011???

“I process it by going to Hawaii for a week,” Watt said with a smile … “And I probably should have stayed there.”

“It was great! I had some Lava Flows with some rum floating on top!”

Watt explained he chose to relax and booze with his wife in paradise -- sipping Mai Tais by the pool -- instead of freaking out over his NFL future.

"So, that was a good way to cope with it. And I might just head back there!"

As for talk he could head to Pittsburgh and play on the same team as his 2 younger brothers T.J. and Derek ... J.J. says don't hold your breath!

"Deontay Wilder, I’m gonna outbox him, I'm gonna outclass him, if I ever get that opportunity."

That's former NFL great WR Brandon Marshall talking about beating up arguably the greatest heavyweight knockout artist of all-time.

TMZ Sports talked to the 36-year-old, 6'5", 230 lb., 6x Pro Bowler turned boxing enthusiast about his desire to step in the ring ... and his friend Evander Holyfield comparing BM to the 42-1-1 (41 KO's) Bronze Bomber.

"You can't compare me to Deontay Wilder, I'm not Deontay Wilder. Deontay Wilder, obviously, we know him for his power. he's a freak athlete," Marshall tells us.

"But what I'd say, I would challenge Deontay Wilder to dive a little deeper into the sweet science, and that's where I think I separate myself from a lot of these heavyweights."

Brandon is serious ... and says just because he doesn't have a bunch of pro fights under his belt, you shouldn't sleep on his skills in the squared circle -- 'cause he's been boxing for over 30 years.

"You haven't seen me on Pay-Per-View. No, I don't have a win under my belt, or a loss, or a knockout. But at the end of the day, I know how to fight, I know how to box, I know the sweet science."

Marshall -- who says he likes Wilder and has learned from watching him box -- needs to fight this fall ... or he won't fight at all.

"If it doesn't happen before September, I'm gonna retire. I'm retiring from boxing. I'm retiring before I even step foot in the ring."

"If it doesn't happen, I'm just gonna move on to other things because I'm tired of chasing these guys."

Of course, Wilder hasn't fought since losing to Tyson Fury in February 2020 ... and has a list of potential big-time opponents he could face in his return.

Shaquille O'Neal thinks the Patriots did Tom Brady dirty at the end of his run in New England -- and he LOVES that TB12 stuck it to his old squad by taking his new team to the Super Bowl!

Shaq, who's hosting "The Shaq Bowl" next weekend, was raving about the 43-year-old QB's incredible career when he brought up Tom's exit from NE ... and he didn't exactly mince his words.

"The way he came in ... this is his 10th Super Bowl and [to] play with a franchise and then the franchise kinda [says], 'Oh, you're old, bye!' and he said 'Okay, you don't wanna take care of me, after all, I did for this city? Watch this!'

"[Then he] goes to another a city, promises them a Super Bowl and delivers??? Wooo!!!"

Tom's not the only Bucs star who left his team in messy fashion -- Shaq says he personally counseled Leonard Fournette after the Jacksonville Jaguars waived the running back in August.

"They did him kinda dirty in Jacksonville," Shaq says ... "I had a conversation with him. I told him to keep his head up. So, when he was going to Tampa I said, 'Hey, man, this is your chance to let everybody know they were wrong about you.'"

"He's been playing fabulous."

The Bucs have their work cut out for them -- with young superstar Patrick Mahomes leading the K.C. Chiefs ... and Shaq can't wait for the matchup!

"This is what I like to see in championship games -- the old versus the new. Is it gonna be the old guy to continue to dominate? Or will the young guy finally come in to say, 'Hey, I know you're Tom Brady but this is my time to shine?!'"

"I used to watch these type of karate movies growing up because at some point, the student must kill the master to become the master."

In the meantime, Shaq's keeping busy -- running his own Super Bowl pre-game show called, "The Shaq Bowl" ... featuring stars like Tim Tebow, Ezekiel Elliott, Diplo, The Miz, Anthony Anderson, Nelly, Offset and more competing in various crazy events at a custom-built Shaq Bowl stadium in Tampa on Feb. 7.

San Francisco, New York and Indianapolis get excited ... Warren Moon tells TMZ Sports he believes the 49ers, Jets and Colts are the frontrunners to land Deshaun Watson!!!

The Texans QB officially wants out of Houston ... according to multiple reports, the 25-year-old is done with the team after feuding with execs, and has demanded a trade.

It's unclear if the Texans will give into the request -- considering, you know, the QB is awesome -- but if they do, Moon says he believes the Jets, Colts and 49ers are the most likely trade partners.

As for why, Moon says with the Niners, Watson could be a big upgrade if the team moves on from Jimmy Garoppolo.

With the Colts -- Moon says replacing Philip Rivers with Watson is a no-brainer ... though he wonders if the Texans would be open to an inter-division trade.

As for the Jets, Moon tells us Watson would fit in great there ... given the New York media market and the promise of new head coach Robert Saleh.

(We know Brandon Marshall certainly agrees with that one!!!)

Moon says he's hopeful that once a trade is completed, Houston will learn from this and realize if it gets another star QB, it needs to build around him and make him the team's centerpiece right away.

"Hopefully the organization will get a hint from this that we've got to do a better job going forward," Moon says. "We've got to go out and look for another top-flight quarterback and we've got to build a team around that guy so we don't end up losing him the next time."

Tom Brady is getting a pat on the back from one of the Buccaneers' greatest ever ... with Derrick Brooks praising the hell out of the QB for helping Tampa Bay on its Super Bowl run!

TMZ Sports spoke with the legendary Bucs linebacker this week ... and the guy told us straight-up he's been in awe of what Brady's been able to do for TB this season.

"You're talking about a man that's going to his 10th Super Bowl but still treating it as his first in terms of the words he's used, the preparation that he's using going into it and leading this team," Brooks said.

"It's something that I, honestly, you learn to appreciate as a fan of the game and even as someone who's played the game at a high level, I still say that I can appreciate that."

Derrick says Tom's ability to stay calm and poised when the Bucs struggled at times this year really helped elevate the squad ... telling us, "Tom's presence and his experience has definitely meant a difference."

Don't get it twisted, though ... Derrick says for as good as Tom's been this season -- he's still jacked that EVERYONE on the team played their role well enough to advance this far in the postseason.

By the way, Derrick has been a key piece in preparing Tampa Bay for its role as Super Bowl host city this year ... and he tells us it's been a hell of an experience trying to plan the event in the middle of a pandemic.