NFL

Henry Ruggs opened up publicly on Tuesday for the first time since he was thrown behind bars for killing a woman and her dog in a horrific 2021 car crash ... and he admitted he would still "love to" play football again once he's out of custody.

The former NFL star got candid with questioners for roughly an hour at a Hope for Prisoners event in Las Vegas ... in an effort to inspire current and former inmates during their journeys to successfully one day reenter society.

Ruggs touched on a bunch of topics in the chat -- including what led up to the November 2021 accident that changed his and so many other lives forever.

Tyreek Hill wasn't going to let Noah Lyles cancel their highly anticipated race without some jokes at the Olympic gold medalist's expense ... calling out the track star on social media for scrapping their competition.

The Dolphins' wide receiver went after the sprinter on Tuesday ... just a day after Lyles, 27, backed out of their NYC foot race due to "complications" and "personal reasons."

Hill's first jab was a classic 'Simpsons' meme on his Instagram Story, with Lyles' face photoshopped onto Homer's body ... implying he's hiding from him after he just ran a 10.15-second 100-meter dash at the Last Chance Sprint Series.

An attorney representing Jimmie Ward in his domestic violence case tells TMZ Sports he believes the NFL player is innocent.

Steve Jackson -- the lawyer who Ward hired after the Texans defensive back was hit with an assault charge for allegedly roughing up his fiancée earlier this month -- said in a statement to us on Tuesday he feels his client will ultimately "be vindicated."

"We just ask that the public reserve judgment," Jackson said, "so that we can show everyone that the Jimmie Ward that they all have come to know is the same person and did not do this."

Nicki Minaj's stinging lyrics for Jay-Z's NFL decisions are running up the wrong side of the field, so says Memphis Bleek.

According to Jay's first musical protégé, Nicki and Lil Wayne should embrace the positioning Roc Nation has with the league -- and maybe good things will happen!!!

TMZ Hip Hop recently linked with Bleek in the NYC streets and the Brooklyn rapper rattled off plenty of soundbites, including Damon Dash's latest jab at his artistry.

A former NFL star is blaming Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for allowing chaos to reign in his state ... just after two local lawmakers were shot.

Jack Brewer -- a four-year player in the league who played two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings -- spoke to Fox News Digital about the current state of Minnesota ... and, he called it the "Capital of Chaos in America."

Brewer says it breaks his heart to see the demise of one of the nation's great states, adding he lived there a long time between going to school at the University of Minnesota and playing for the Vikings ... and, he says it wasn't always this dangerous.

Sorry, Rough N' Rowdy fans -- Dave Portnoy says there's no chance Pat Mahomes Sr. vs. John Rocker ever gets resurrected ... telling TMZ Sports the fight getting killed the first time around was a permanent thing.

TMZ Sports caught up with El Presidente this week ... and asked if he'd ever try booking the scrapped April bout between former MLBers-turned-enemies again for his Barstool Sports amateur boxing promotion.

Long story short ... it would be a waste of time.

What's the meaning of life? Are we alone out there? Why did someone get a nude Jason Kelce tattooed on 'em? We finally have an answer to at least one of the universe's biggest mysteries.

TMZ Sports chopped it up with Lauren Philpott -- a New York Giants fan (!!!) -- in an effort to get to the bottom of the viral tattoo ... which stems from a bet she lost with her husband dating back to the 2022-23 NFL season.

Lauren says despite not being a fan of the reigning Super Bowl champions, she is a big supporter of Jason and wifey, Kylie. For that reason alone, she has no regrets about the tat.

The man who Antonio Brown allegedly tried to kill in a shooting last month says the dispute that led to the gunfire was sparked by a remark about money.

Zül-Qarnain Nantambu joined Charles and Elex on "TMZ Live" on Friday and explained he and Brown had big beef long before their differences turned physical outside of a celebrity boxing event back on May 16.

Nantambu alleged that a few years ago, when they were both in Dubai for a Floyd Mayweather fight, Brown stole some jewelry from him. Nantambu said the incident actually resulted in a lawsuit, which he claims ended in a judgment against the former NFL star.

Antonio Brown doesn't seem to be sweating his arrest warrant ... the former NFL superstar just posted a video of him grinning ear to ear while on a bike ride.

The ex-Steelers wideout shared the footage on his Instagram page Friday afternoon ... appearing to show he's not worried about the felony charge he's now facing in Florida.

Brown can be seen in the clip pedaling a two-wheeler, all with a huge smile on his face.

Authorities putting out a warrant for Antonio Brown's arrest caught Adin Ross off guard ... with the streamer giving a live reaction to the news right on camera.

The folks watching Ross on Kick were flooding his chat with the AB news on Thursday ... and it got to the point where he had to start asking questions about its legitimacy.

N3on -- the other guy he was streaming with -- confirmed it was the real deal and assured him he had nothing to worry about ... but Ross still wanted his phone so he could contact his legal counsel.

Antonio Brown is wanted in Florida, after cops say he stole a security guard's gun and tried to kill a man outside of a celebrity boxing match last month.

TMZ Sports has obtained the arrest warrant that was issued this week for Brown ... and in it, there all kinds of troubling allegations against the former NFL superstar.

According to the document, Brown and Zül-Qarnaįn Nantambu were seen on surveillance video getting into an argument near Adin Ross' May 16 Brand Risk event in Miami, before Brown could be seen hitting Nantambu with "a closed fist."

While Aaron Rodgers' forever partner still remains a mystery, one thing about his relationship is clear ... he loves showing off his wedding ring.

The new Steelers quarterback returned to California on Thursday from his Pittsburgh workouts ... and he wasn't shy about flashing his shiny, new, black band.

As photogs snapped pics of him leaving LAX in Los Angeles, he kept his left hand in clear view of the camera lenses.

Antonio Brown is wanted for attempted murder, TMZ can confirm.

Law enforcement sources tell us authorities in Miami-Dade County, Florida are seeking to arrest the former NFL wide receiver on a charge of attempted murder stemming from a shooting at a celebrity boxing event in May.

We covered the incident -- AB was briefly detained by police following an intense dust-up involving a gun at Adin Ross' Brand Risk kickboxing event just over a month ago.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are beating the "Cruel Summer" heat ... staying inside and enjoying an icy atmosphere at the fourth game of the NHL's championship.

The singer and the football star attended Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.

Video is circulating online of the pair walking the halls together ... with Travis decked out in red, and Taylor looking angelic in a cream-colored outfit.

Travis Kelce might have some competition when it comes to the top spot on Patrick Mahomes' BFF list ... 'cause Lionel Messi sure seemed to make a great case for it recently.

The soccer superstar hit a gym with the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback to film an Adidas ad ... and the guys appeared to have some serious bromantic chemistry both on and off camera.

In the 45-second Three Stripes advert ... Messi can be seen pushing Mahomes to run faster on a treadmill -- which Patrick appreciates.

The New England Patriots just announced Tom Brady's statue will be erected outside Gillette Stadium ahead of their first preseason game in August ... with the organization planning a special ceremony to promote the 12-foot tribute.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft initially shared the plans for the bronze Brady during his Patriots Hall of Fame ceremony last year -- the same night the 47-year-old quarterback’s No. 12 was retired.

Kraft said the statue would "perpetuate the legendary legacy of this once-in-a-lifetime player" ... and a local artist had already been commissioned for the gig.