NFL

Although Kyler Murray's mostly known for his work on the gridiron, he became notable among football fans for a not-so-positive reason in September 2025.

The Arizona Cardinals quarterback received widespread backlash after he shared a photo in which he posed next to one of his pit bulls while wearing a Michael Vick jersey ... there are some pretty negative connotations there.

Here's a look at what led to the athlete receiving criticism for his post, which he quickly took down, and at how he managed the subsequent fallout.

For a bit of context ... Vick, a former NFL star, was arrested and agreed to plead guilty to charges related to his involvement with a dog-fighting ring in 2007.

The athlete admitted to killing several dogs by hanging and drowning when he was questioned in the case, according to ESPN. An official report in the case included information about the former football player finding it "funny" when certain dogs injured and killed others.

He was convicted in 2007 and received a 23-month prison sentence. He was ultimately released early, in May 2009, for good behavior, and he served two months of home confinement before he was fully released from federal custody.

Vick was reinstated to the NFL in 2009, and he announced his retirement in 2017 after spending the 2016 season as a free agent. He's also become an advocate for animal rights in the years since his release from prison.

Murray's post didn't really leave much to the imagination, as he wore a Vick jersey while posing for the photos.

It's worth mentioning the jersey was from Vick's time at Virginia Tech University, where he played from 1999 to 2000.

Also present in one of the photos was Trunks, one of Murray's pit bulls -- a breed historically prized for its fighting skills.

Murray's post didn't stay up for long, as he got tons of backlash over its implications before taking it down.

Murray spoke about the controversy surrounding his post at a press conference on September 17th, and he apologized for any discomfort he might have caused by sharing the photos, according to USA Today.

The athlete admitted to taking down the post after he "saw how it affected people" and stated he "no way, shape or form" condoned either dog fighting or animal cruelty.

He chalked up his act of wearing Vick's jersey to paying tribute to "a player I admired very much growing up" in his statement.

Stefon Diggs appeared to be on baby duty earlier this year -- the NFL superstar was spotted leaving a hospital with a car seat in his hands ... exactly one day before he hard-launched his relationship with Cardi B.

TMZ Sports has obtained footage of the New England Patriots receiver outside an NYC medical facility on May 11 ... meaning he really made the most of his time in the Big Apple, as he hit Madison Square Garden hand-in-hand with the "Outside" rapper to catch the Knicks host the Boston Celtics in a playoff matchup just over 24 hours later.

In the footage, Diggs walks toward an SUV with an unidentified woman in the backseat ... and it appears he's trying to figure out where to fit the carrier before electing to try his luck on the other side.

Colin Kaepernick is stepping in to cover the costs of a second, independent autopsy for De'Martravion "Trey" Reed -- the black student found hanging from a tree on a college campus ... this after officials announced this week his death was ruled a suicide.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the Reed family, released a statement on Friday ... revealing Kap's Know Your Rights Camp Autopsy Initiative will fund a separate autopsy as the family challenges the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office's initial ruling.

Reed's body was found hanging from a tree on the Delta State University campus on Monday ... and his loved ones have raised questions surrounding the details being provided.

The Buffalo Bills improved to 3-0 after defeating the Miami Dolphins 31-21 Thursday night ... but two members of Bills Mafia wanted something more to really make the evening even more memorable -- Ryan Fitzpatrick's chest!!

It all went down during the Prime Video postgame show ... when the folks at Highmark Stadium stuck around to engage with the former Bills quarterback as he was live on air -- with one sign requesting he free the nip.

"That sign is back," he said. "We're back Fitz, now show them your t**z!"

Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is adamant Tom Brady does not have a huge role in the team's game planning process ... saying Thursday when the two talk ball, they keep it pretty generic.

Peter Schrager, of course, reported during "Monday Night Football" that Brady -- a Raiders co-owner who also helps broadcast NFL games for Fox -- talks with Kelly 2-3 times a week ... and occasionally goes over game plans with the assistant coach.

But Kelly -- who addressed the report for the first time during Vegas' media availability Thursday -- insisted the talks are far more casual.

NFL defensive back Jimmie Ward will not face criminal charges in his domestic violence case ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

A Montgomery County, Texas court official tells us a no bill was issued on Thursday ... after a grand jury did not find probable cause in the case.

The Houston Texans safety's attorney, Stephen Jackson, said in a statement to us just after the ruling that he and his client were thrilled with the outcome.

Stefon Diggs is opening up on Cardi B's pregnancy ... revealing he's hoping the two welcome a baby boy!!

The "Outside" rapper broke the massive news on "CBS Mornings" on Wednesday ... expressing how happy she is to have one on the way with the New England Patriots receiver.

Diggs, on the other hand, was pretty coy when reporters asked him about the bun in the oven at practice hours after an interview with Gayle King aired ... opting instead to share his feelings on social media.

11:37 AM PT -- Shaquil Barrett just gave TMZ Sports the play-by-play of how the incident all went down!!!

Shaquil Barrett just proved his reflexes extend far beyond the football field ... as the NFL star executed a wild flip to dodge his daughter's flying baby poop!

The free agent pass rusher's athletic display all went down sometime this week ... and thanks to his lovely wife, Jordanna, all of his fans can see it on repeat.

Mrs. Barrett shared the footage on Instagram on Wednesday ... and in it, you can see Shaquil looking more gymnast than a football player while he changed his newborn's diaper.

Kyler Murray was remorseful after a recent social media post resulted in a ton of backlash ... telling reporters he meant no harm when he shared a picture of himself wearing a Michael Vick jersey while posing with a dog.

Murray addressed the controversy during his media availability on Wednesday ... when he explained, "In no way, shape, or form do I condone animal cruelty or dog fighting, whatever it is."

"I saw how it affected people and decided to take it down," he said. "So, I apologize to anybody and whoever I affected with that."

The NFL's probe into the recent allegations of domestic violence against Tyreek Hill is moving full steam ahead ... as TMZ Sports has learned the wide receiver's accuser's attorney is slated to chat with the league's most prominent investigator later Thursday.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us ... Keeta Vaccaro's lawyer, Evan R. Marks, is set to talk in a matter of hours with Lisa Friel, the former New York prosecutor who now works as the senior vice president for investigations.

We're told their conversation could ultimately lead to talks between Friel and Vaccaro.

Looks like Patrick Mahomes will turn 30 years old without a public shoutout from his best bud's fiancée ... as Taylor Swift was notably absent from a Chiefs video that featured a host of celebs wishing him a happy birthday.

Kansas City's NFL franchise just dropped some special footage for Mahomes' big 3-0 ... splicing together a compilation of several A-listers who went out of their way to send well wishes to the quarterback.

David Beckham, Kane Brown, Bobby Witt Jr., Peyton Manning, Pat McAfee, Rob Riggle, Kevin Richardson and Eric Stonestreet were all showcased. Mahomes' coach, Andy Reid, a few of his former teammates -- Chad Henne, Alex Smith and Mitchell Schwartz -- and Brittany Mahomes and their kids were all in it too.

Ben Johnson isn't sweating a potential conflict of interest as Tom Brady juggles his roles as a broadcaster and Raiders minority owner ... telling reporters he thinks the whole conversation is actually a nothing burger.

The first-year Bears head coach met with the media ahead of Chicago's tilt with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday ... which will see Brady serve as the commentator for the contest.

It's pretty interesting ... as Brady's Raiders will welcome Da Bears to Sin City next week.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and his wife Annah Gore might have been pretty private about their relationship at first, but now it looks like they've gotten used to sharing a bit more about their personal lives over the past few years.

The professional athlete and his spouse kept mum about their romance for a while, but after the news about their union was leaked, plenty of the athlete's fans wanted to learn more about his partner.

We're going to take a look at the background of the NFL star's wife and see how her love story with the athlete took place behind closed doors ... at least, for a while.

You know how a big part of relationships is having things in common? Well, it turns out Gore and Tagovailoa are fans of the Crimson Tide, because they both attended the University of Alabama.

And just in case you didn't know, the quarterback actually played three seasons on the school's football squad before he was drafted by the Dolphins.

Plus, there's a pretty good chance Gore saw her future husband play in her college days, as she shared a photo from a Crimson Tide game on her Instagram account way back in 2018.

And as far as her background goes, she grew up in the South, attending high school in North Carolina.

Gore and Tagovailoa didn't wait too long to make things official between them, tying the knot in July 2022, but didn't make the info about their union publicly available at the time.

The thing is, the news about their marriage leaked in August 2022, and the quarterback wasn't exactly happy about the revelation, as he stated he wanted to keep his personal life "as private as possible" at a training camp, according to the New York Post.

The pair didn't go Instagram official until the following year, when Gore shared a photo featuring her husband on her account commemorating their first anniversary.

Gore and Tagovailoa have been a bit more open about their relationship since then, as he's occasionally been featured in photos shared on her Instagram account.

The pair welcomed a son named Ace just a month after they got married.

Gore and Tagovailoa decided to expand their family further, and she gave birth to a girl named Maisey in 2023.

The quarterback's been open about how his family life has affected his approach to football, and he told Sports Illustrated he'd had "conversations" with his wife about leaving the sport after suffering multiple concussions.

J.J. McCarthy's built up a pretty sizable following throughout his career in the NFL, and we think his future wife Katya Kuropas has got to be one of his biggest fans!

The professional football player and his fiancée have been together ever since their teenage years, and they've accomplished a few big things with each other -- like starting a family.

Here's a look at how the athlete's partner stuck it out with him for several years before they decided to make things official.

J.J. and Katya's love story goes all the way back to their days at Nazareth Academy, near Chicago, where they initially met.

The two started dating in 2018, and they maintained a long-distance relationship when he headed to IMG Academy in Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The athlete celebrated being with Katya for three years in a 2021 Instagram post, writing he was "beyond blessed and grateful" to have her in his life.

The football player also wrote he hoped his partner would stay "by my side for years to come" ... and it turned out she did!

J.J. and Katya remained together throughout his college years, which he spent at the University of Michigan.

She became a fixture at his games, and the pair routinely shared photos and videos of each other wearing Michigan gear at sporting events.

J.J. popped the big question in January 2024, and they made an announcement about their plans for the future by sharing a joint Instagram post.

The two adorably wrote they were planning on remaining together "forever & ever."

The pair experienced another milestone with their fans in May 2025, when they made a joint Instagram post to announce Katya's pregnancy.

J.J. and Katya waited until September to reveal she'd given birth to a baby boy named Rome Micah.

The two posted several photos featuring their newborn child, and they included a shot showing the quarterback cradling his son in his arms.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed was feeling GOOD on several levels after undergoing surgery to fix his broken collarbone ... going live on Instagram to update his fans on his status -- and guaranteeing a spot in the Super Bowl in the process!!

The 25-year-old conducted the surprise stream right from his hospital bed on Tuesday ... and it's safe to say he can't wait to get back out on the field.

"Packers to the Bowl, bruh," Reed said. "I'm good, thank you for the prayers, bruh. But we turnt, bruh, we going all the f***ing way, bruh."

Taylor Swift may've kept a low profile at fiancé Travis Kelce's game Sunday, but she still had a good time ... as seen in a new post from the outing.

Kane Brown shared a snap from the weekend on Instagram Monday night, where he confirmed he and his wife, Katelyn, celebrated Patrick Mahomes' birthday alongside Brittany Mahomes, Swift, and Kelce.

Check it out ... the Kansas City Chiefs QB's birthday turned into a date night after their game Sunday, with the 3 couples happily posing before grabbing a bite together at Kelce’s restaurant, 1587 Prime.