NFL

Las Vegas Raiders star Darren Waller says he couldn't be happier for his teammate, Carl Nassib ... telling TMZ Sports the whole team will continue to love and support the guy no matter what.

28-year-old Nassib made the groundbreaking decision to come out as gay earlier this week ... becoming the first active NFL player to do so.

Waller says he was pumped for his teammate when he heard the news ... but hopes these sort of announcements aren't such a big deal in the future.

"My initial reaction was like, ‘oh, that’s dope,'" Waller tells us. "I feel like one day, maybe we’ll get to a point where if somebody says they are gay, like it won’t be this huge thing. It’s just like, hey that’s who he is, and he’s being who he is 100%."

"And so, it’s all respect, all love for Carl, but just because Carl came out and announced that doesn’t mean he’s gonna be a different person. He’s gonna be the same person he’s been all along and we love having him on our team."

Waller added he's "super proud" of Nassib ... calling him a pioneer for speaking his truth and making a real impact in the world.

Nassib has received support from friends, teammates and others throughout sports since coming out on Monday ... and even got a shoutout from President Biden!!

As for the organization, Waller says everyone will continue to love Nassib the way they always have ... and will do whatever they can to show support.

"I feel like the people in the building are good people," he said. "And you know, good people show unconditional love and accept people as they are no matter if it's against what you believe or what you’re used to."

NFL free agent Derrius Guice is officially off the hook in his domestic violence case ... after the running back reached a deal with his ex-GF on Wednesday.

As we previously reported, the 24-year-old former LSU star was arrested in Virginia back in August 2020 ... after he allegedly choked and pushed his ex-GF to the ground on 3 separate occasions between February and April.

He was also accused of destroying her cell phone.

Guice faced 3 counts of assault and battery and 1 count of destruction of property. He also faced 1 count of felony strangulation, but that charge was dropped back in January.

According to reports, Guice and the alleged victim appeared in court to ask the judge to accept an agreement and drop the charges, which the judge apparently did.

Details on the settlement have not been released, but a rep for the prosecutors said this "process permits the parties to control the direction and outcome of such matters."

The Washington Football Team cut Guice following his arrest ... saying it was fully cooperating with the NFL as the league and law enforcement investigated the alleged incidents.

Guice was a 2nd-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft -- but has only played in 5 games in his career due to injury.

President Joe Biden is heaping praise on two high profile athletes who came out this week -- Carl Nassib and Kumi Yokoyama -- hailing them as courageous and inspiring.

Of course, 28-year-old Nassib -- a star defensive end for the Las Vegas Raiders -- became the first active NFL player to come out as gay.

Kumi Yokoyama is a star soccer player for Team Japan and the NWSL's Washington Spirit. The 27-year-old came out as a transgender man on Sunday and uses they/them pronouns.

Both athletes are now getting shout-outs from the White House -- with Biden tweeting late Tuesday evening.

"To Carl Nassib and Kumi Yokoyama -- two prominent, inspiring athletes who came out this week: I’m so proud of your courage," Biden said.

"Because of you, countless kids around the world are seeing themselves in a new light today."

As we previously reported, Nassib's announcement was met with widespread support from top athletes, celebrities and officials. Ditto for Yokoyama.

It's not Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers ... no, the NFL player with the top-selling jersey over the last 24 hours is none other than Carl Nassib!!!

According to the ultra-popular fan gear website Fanatics, Nassib's #94 Las Vegas Raiders jersey has been flying off the shelves ever since the D-lineman announced Monday he's gay.

It's unclear the total number of Nassib jerseys that have sold so far on Monday and Tuesday (we're working on it) ... but as the #1 jersey seller in America's most popular sport, it's safe to say A LOT of Nassib units have been moved in the last 24 hours!!

Of course, the support for Nassib since he made his announcement has been overwhelming ... everybody from Saquon Barkley to Roger Goodell to even O.J. Simpson has praised the 28-year-old for coming forward.

In fact, the NFL was so moved by Nassib's announcement and simultaneous charitable donation to The Trevor Project -- an org. established to help prevent suicides in the LGBTQ community -- it agreed Tuesday to match the pass rusher's $100k.

As for Nassib's head coach, Jon Gruden also threw his support behind his player Monday evening ... telling the Las Vegas Review-Journal, "I learned a long time ago what makes a man different is what makes him great."

The probation period Antonio Brown was sentenced to in his moving truck driver assault case has just been terminated 1 year early ... his attorney, Sean Burstyn, tells TMZ Sports.

Brown received the good news at a court hearing Tuesday, according to Burstyn ... with the attorney saying a judge agreed to end the probation 12 months early, recognizing AB's done a good job of staying out of trouble over the past year.

As we previously reported, Brown was hit with 3 criminal charges after allegedly roughing up a moving company driver outside of his Florida mansion back in February 2020.

But, Brown cut a plea deal with prosecutors four months later in June ... agreeing to serve two years of probation, complete 100 hours of community service and finish a 13-week anger management program in order to close out the case.

And, in court documents filed last week, Brown's attorneys argued that because the Tampa Bay receiver has already finished one year of probation and completed the rest of the conditions ... the final year of his probation should be terminated.

And, Burstyn says that's exactly what went down in the Broward County courtroom Tuesday.

"In further demonstration of Antonio Brown’s hard work and great progress since his NFL suspension, we are very pleased to advise that his withheld adjuration is now final and he has completed his probation a full year ahead of schedule,” Burstyn said in a statement.

"We see nothing but blue sky for AB."

Michael Sam -- the first openly gay football player to be drafted by an NFL team -- is supporting Carl Nassib, saying he can't wait to finally see an openly gay NFL player compete in a regular-season game.

Remember, Sam was selected in the 7th round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams after being named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2013.

Despite his talent and potential, Sam didn't make the Rams' regular-season roster -- and was later cut by the Dallas Cowboys. He never played in a regular-season NFL game.

Many have wondered if the roster decisions were more about Sam's sexual orientation than his skill on the football field.

In fact, in 2014 Sam told us straight up he believed he wasn't in the league because he's gay.

"I think I was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year last year," Sam said at the time ... "So, I don't think it had to do with talent."

Now, Sam -- who retired from football in 2015 -- is praising Nassib for coming out publicly and also for his $100,000 donation to The Trevor Project.

FYI, The Trevor Project focuses on suicide prevention in the LGBTQ+ community.

"Carl Nassib thank you for owning your truth and especially your donation to the @TrevorProject," Sam said early Tuesday morning.

"LBGTQ people are more likely to commit suicide than heterosexuals."

Sam continued, "I hope and pray people will take note to this. Thank you again Carl and look forward to seeing you play on the field."

Minnesota Vikings rookie Jaylen Twyman -- a 6th-round pick in the '21 NFL Draft -- was shot FOUR times in a terrifying incident Monday ... but he's miraculously expected to make a full recovery.

Twyman's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, explained the situation to ESPN ... saying the defensive lineman was in a vehicle visiting his aunt in D.C. when suddenly someone opened fire.

Rosenhaus says Twyman was struck in the leg, buttocks, arm and shoulder ..., though, fortunately, the bullets managed to miss all important arteries and organs.

"There doesn't appear to be any long-term injuries that would prohibit him from playing this season," Rosenhaus said, adding, "We're thankful he's okay. He will make a full recovery."

As for the incident, Rosenhaus says it does NOT appear Twyman was the target of any sort of attack ... explaining, "Wrong place, wrong time."

The Vikings added in a statement Monday night, "We have been in direct contact with Jaylen and his family, and we are extremely thankful Jaylen is expected to make a full recovery."

Jaylen -- a 21-year-old rookie -- opted out of the 2020 NCAA season but was a star for Univ. of Pitt in 2019, logging 10.5 sacks and 41 total tackles.

Carl Nassib ain't the first gay man to play in the NFL -- so says Warren Moon who claims he had "several" gay teammates who just never felt comfortable coming out publicly.

"Really proud of Carl Nassib," Moon tweeted late Monday ... "The first active football player to ever do so."

"I played with several guys who never were comfortable enough to go public. They were great teammates, & obviously very talented."

"As long as they helped us win and were great teammates- their sexual preference was never a issue."

64-year-old Moon played 17 seasons in the NFL (plus 6 in the CFL) before retiring in 2001 ... so, he had hundreds of teammates over the years.

"We live in a different time now where diversity is much more accepted. Cheers Carl, and I hope this lets other athletes know, its OK to say who you are."

The reaction to Nassib coming out as gay has been extremely positive from NFL players and league officials ... including NFL commish Roger Goodell, who issued a statement praising the Las Vegas Raiders defensive end.

"I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I'm gay."

That's Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib opening up about his personal life ... explaining how he finally feels comfortable letting the world know he's an openly gay man in the NFL.

"I've been meaning to do this for a while now," Nassib said in a social media post Monday, "but I finally feel comfortable getting it off my chest."

The 28-year-old -- who's in the middle of a 3-year, $25 MILLION contract with the Raiders -- noted he's "agonized" over this announcement for 15 years ... but said the support of his friends, family, teammates and coaches made his Monday announcement much easier.

"I really have the best life," Nassib said. "I got the best family, friends and job a guy can ask for."

"I'm a pretty private person so I hope you guys know that I'm really not doing this for attention. I just think that representation and visibility are so important."

Nassib continued, "I actually hope that like one day, videos like this and the whole coming out process are just not necessary, but until then I'm gonna do my best and do my part to cultivate a culture that’s accepting, that's compassionate."

Nassib said in order to ensure he takes the proper steps to making that goal a reality ... he's donating $100,000 to The Trevor Project -- an org. created to help prevent suicides in the LGBTQ+ community.

"For someone like me, who has been so lucky and cherishes every day, it brings me incredible sadness to think that our LGBTQ youth are at such an elevated risk for suicide," Nassib said.

"I feel an immense responsibility to help in any way I can -- and you can too."

Nassib was a star at Penn State -- and was selected in the 3rd round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.

During his college career, Nassib was a consensus All-American in 2015, the same year he won Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year. He also won the Ted Hendricks Award for the best defensive end in the country.

Nassib also stood out on the HBO docuseries 'Hard Knocks' for giving financial advice to other players.

He later played for the Tampa Bay Bucs and later signed his big contract with the Raiders in 2020.

So far, Nassib has logged 143 tackles, 20.5 sacks and 1 INT in his pro career.

NFL star Saquon Barkley is throwing his support behind Nassib after his announcement, saying on Twitter, "Much respect brudda."

NFL commish Roger Goodell also released a statement Monday ... saying, "The NFL family is proud of Carl for courageously sharing his truth today."

"Representation matters. We share his hope that someday soon statements like his will no longer be newsworthy as we march toward full equality for the LGBTQ+ community."

NFL star pass rusher Frank Clark -- one of the best defensive players in the league -- was arrested Sunday after cops say he had an uzi in his Lambo SUV ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Clark was pulled over for a routine traffic stop Sunday evening in Los Angeles ... when cops say they noticed an open duffle bag in his ride.

Our sources say officers saw the gun inside the bag ... and arrested the 28-year-old for felony illegal possession of a firearm.

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar is still behind bars in the Los Angeles area, jail records show.

According to the records, Clark -- listed at 6'3", 255 pounds -- was arrested at 9:20 p.m. ... and was booked into jail hours later at 9:28 a.m. Monday.

We've reached out to Clark and the Chiefs for comment ... but so far, no word back yet.

Clark was a key piece in the Chiefs' runs to the Super Bowls the last two years ... after being traded from Seattle to Kansas City before the 2019 season, Clark logged 14 sacks in 26 starts and was great in postseason play too.

In fact, Clark was so good for the Chiefs since joining the team ... he was selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his 2 seasons on the squad.

Of course, this is not Clark's first brush with legal trouble ... you'll recall, he was arrested in 2014 after being accused of domestic violence -- and was kicked off the Univ. of Michigan football team over it all.

Clark eventually struck a deal with prosecutors in that case, agreeing to plead guilty to a lesser charge of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

Clark is currently in the middle of a 5-year, $104 MILLION contract with the Chiefs.

Arizona Cardinals linebacker Zaven Collins -- a 1st-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft -- was arrested Sunday night after cops say he was driving recklessly, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The 22-year-old -- who was taken by the Cards with the #16 overall pick -- was stopped by officers in AZ after cops say he was speeding and driving dangerously.

We're working on further details regarding the incident ... but a jail official tells us Collins was booked Sunday night and released a short time later.

We've reached out to Collins' reps, the Cardinals and the NFL for comment ... but so far, no word back yet.

Collins was such a superstar at Tulsa -- logging 4 sacks and 4 interceptions in his junior season in 2020 -- he's already been penciled in as a Cardinals' starting linebacker this year.

The rookie just signed his first contract with the Cards earlier this month -- a 4-year deal that's expected to pay him $14.7 million.

Story developing ...

No one in NY Giants history will EVER wear the #10 again ... the team just announced it's honoring Eli Manning by officially retiring his old jersey number in September.

The Giants say the ceremony will go down on Sept. 26 ... and the team says it'll also put the former star quarterback in its Ring of Honor as part of recognition that day as well.

"It's a great honor and just an unbelievable feeling," Manning said after the Giants broke the news Monday. "I don't know what the emotions will be that day. I know they'll be high, though."

"To have that feeling and that final goodbye, a true goodbye to the fans, and to thank them for supporting me during my 16 seasons here, it's going to be special."

Eli played his entire career for the Giants from 2004 through 2019 ... famously winning two Super Bowls with the team while also earning four Pro Bowl selections.

Manning threw for 57,023 yards and 366 TDs ... and is widely considered one of the franchise's greatest players ever.

The team also announced Monday it's hired Manning into a front office role ... explaining the ex-QB will now have special assignments involving business ops and fan engagement.

"For 16 seasons, Eli represented and defined what it meant to be a Giant and we are excited for him to join the business side of our front office," team honcho John Mara said.

"Eli is one of the most beloved players in Giants history. We had a mutual interest in him returning to the organization and we're thrilled to welcome him back."

You didn't think Robert Kraft was gonna let that thing sit in the garage, did you?!

Check out the New England Patriots owner rolling through The Hamptons with his girlfriend Dana Blumberg in his brand new drop-top Bentley ... his birthday gift from Jay-Z, Meek Mill and Michael Rubin!

Remember, Kraft lost his mind when Rubin presented the ride to him earlier this month -- with Robert wondering how the hell the guys managed to get it!

"How the fudge did you get it?" Kraft said at the time.

Kraft apparently had been eyeing the Bentley -- but despite his immense power and fortune, the billionaire couldn't get it on his own.

But Jay, Meek and Michael -- who founded the REFORM Alliance with Kraft in 2019 -- clearly have some pull in the rare car world and made it happen!

Fast forward a few weeks ... and Kraft was seen driving it around his exclusive neighborhood with a big 'ol smile on his face!

Haven't seen Kraft this happy since he won the Super Bowl ... for the 6th time!

Fantasy football nerds, listen up ... Mo Alie-Cox is predicting a BIG season with Carson Wentz now on board -- telling TMZ Sports his 2021 season is going to dwarf his 2020 campaign!

Which, of course, is saying a lot ... considering Alie-Cox had a pretty good breakout season with Philip Rivers last year!!!

"I think I'll have a better season," Alie-Cox told us outside of JLT gym in L.A. this week. "Just another year under my belt, more experience, more confidence and just probably more opportunities."

Alie-Cox caught 31 passes for 394 yards and scored 2 TDs last year ... and there were some games where he looked flat-out dominant.

And, with Wentz known to love his tight ends -- Alie-Cox is clearly seeing dollar signs in his future.

As for his relationship with Wentz so far, the tight end says he's loving his new teammate ... telling us Wentz's "arm is great."

"Strong-arm," the 27-year-old added. "He's accurate. It's gonna be fun playing with him."

If Chris Johnson weren't CJ2K, he could have been CJ100Meter ... 'cause the Titans legend tells TMZ Sports he would have been an elite track runner if he hadn't focused on football.

The former running back broke it all down for us after praising DK Metcalf's impressive May track run ... saying there's no telling where his speed would have ended up if not for the NFL.

"I would've been very competitive," said Johnson, who added he ran a 10.3 100-meter as a high schooler.

"If I would have kept with that, ain't no telling how fast I would have got."

Johnson says he spent his whole college career trying to bulk up for football ... but he explained to us if he had stayed lean and just run track, he could have been Usain Bolt-like!

"I can just only imagine if I would have stayed 160 pounds and just continue to run track, ain't no telling how fast I would've been."

Of course, Johnson ain't blowing smoke here ... the dude was SERIOUSLY speedy -- remember when he ran that 4.24 40-yard dash at the 2008 NFL Combine?

Colts star tight end Mo Alie-Cox says the blueprint for Tim Tebow's success at his new position is simple ... telling TMZ Sports all the new Jaguar has to do is just be open to learning.

"The tight end position, you have to learn how to block," Alie-Cox said.

"You have to catch passes. The protection -- the little things like that. So, it's a lot that goes into it. It's a lot of mental."

Alie-Cox, though, says he's pretty sure Tim's going to be just fine ... despite never playing the position and despite being out of the NFL for nearly a decade.

"He hasn't played the position but I mean, he's a hard worker," Alie-Cox said. "You can't put anything past Tim Tebow."

Alie-Cox added, "I think he's got it."

Reports out of Jaguars practices so far seem to indicate Tim's doing well in the transition ... but when we asked Alie-Cox if there was any shot Tebow ends the season with more catches than him, Mo said no way.