NFL

Bad Bunny is ready to rock the Super Bowl LX halftime show next year ... and a couple of past performers are already showing him some love.

Jennifer Lopez celebrated the big announcement by sharing a photo of her alongside Bad Bunny -- both decked out in silver, standing in front of a Puerto Rican flag -- saying, "Now it's your turn !!!!! bori gang lets gooooo."

Shakira -- who co-headlined the Super Bowl halftime show with Jennifer in 2020 -- is also congratulating Bad Bunny ... reposting his announcement with the caption ... "Welcome back to the Super Bowl stage!" and adding in Spanish, "Here go my Latin people!!!"

Skylar Thompson -- the Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback -- was attacked in Ireland before their game against the Minnesota Vikings, according to reports.

Tom Pelissero -- a longtime sports reporter who now works for NFL Network -- first reported the news that several men jumped and robbed Thompson while he was walking around Dublin earlier Saturday morning, around 3 AM local time.

Thankfully, Pelissero says Thompson -- who is currently on the injured reserve list -- suffered only minor injuries in the beating.

Is the Jaxson Dart era in New York starting too early? Justin Pugh certainly appears to think so ... as the ex-Giants star tells TMZ Sports he would have preferred it if the rookie didn't assume the QB1 role until next year.

The former Big Blue offensive lineman sat down with us just after Brian Daboll revealed he was benching Russell Wilson in favor of Dart ... and Pugh made it clear, he's got some concerns about the move.

Pugh said he's actually "nervous" that Dart's hitting field "a bit too soon" ... explaining he thinks teams that have the most success at quarterback are the ones who don't rush their young signal-callers onto the field.

If Cardi B and Ciara ever need help with their Sunday wardrobe choices, a celebrity fashion designer says she's one phone call away -- telling TMZ Sports she's ready to make the musicians a similar 'fit to the one she just commissioned for Kash Doll!!

The rap star wore an exclusive Philadelphia Eagles corset last week to rep her boyfriend, Za'Darius Smith, at his game against the L.A. Rams ... and the fashion statement was quite popular with folks on social media.

The designer, Mercedes, tells TMZ Sports her DMs have been flooded with requests since Kash's notable look ... and she hopes to create enough buzz to get Cardi and Ciara's attention next.

Travis Kelce is a huge fan of Andy Reid -- even after he got into yet another heated confrontation with him during last Sunday's game.

TK addressed him getting all up in the Kansas City Chiefs head coach's face during their Sept. 21 game against the New York Giants while speaking to the media Friday ... and said it's all love, the Kansas City Star reports.

He gushed ... "I love that guy, man. There’s nothing outside of this building that’s going to make me feel any different way. We know exactly each other’s intentions."

The gunman who killed multiple people at the NFL's headquarters in New York earlier this summer has been diagnosed with CTE.

The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner said in a statement on Friday that after testing Shane Tamura's brain tissue, they discovered "unambiguous diagnostic evidence" of the disease.

Tamura, of course, believed he was suffering from the ailment prior to his July 28 rampage ... and mayor Eric Adams said he was actually targeting the NFL over it.

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel just revealed defensive coordinator Terrell Williams was diagnosed with prostate cancer ... explaining the health issue is the reason behind his recent absence from the team.

Vrabel made the announcement at the beginning of his press conference on Friday ... saying Williams will undergo treatment for the disease -- while noting his diagnosis is deeply personal for him.

"They're figuring out the best plan of attack to be able to attack this, heal it and fix it and allow him to get back to better health," Vrabel said.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba let everyone watching "Thursday Night Football" know he was pissed he was flagged during a critical 4th quarter drive, calling it straight up BS ... in a moment that was captured on an open microphone.

Whoops.

The expletive was heard loud and clear, on both the stream of the game, and in the stadium, as the Seahawks star and his squad played the Cardinals in Arizona in a week 4 matchup.

Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson is devastated over his former teammate Rudi Johnson's death ... saying he wishes he had the chance to tell him he loved him one last time.

The ex-Cincinnati Bengals superstar briefly addressed the tragic news on the "Nightcap Show" with Shannon Sharpe on Wednesday ... and it's clear he was deeply impacted by loss.

"I just lost my dog yesterday, Rudi Johnson ... obviously the great memories we had playing in Cincinnati and all that good stuff."

Rudi Johnson recorded a video message encouraging kids to "shoot for the stars" and "never give up" ... just days before he died by suicide.

The ex-NFL star delivered the heartfelt note as part of an acceptance speech for his induction into the Chesterfield Sports Hall of Fame's Class of 2025.

Johnson -- who an official said could not make the Sept. 18 ceremony due to previous commitments -- thanked all his former teammates and coaches in a vid that was played at the Chester, Va. festivities ... before he turned his attention toward the youth.

Russell Wilson isn't ready to give up on his NFL career after losing his starting job to a rookie -- the new-New York Giants backup met with the media for the first time after being named QB2 ... and he made it clear he's still got gas left in the tank.

Wilson, 36, spoke after practice on Wednesday ... days after he threw two interceptions and zero touchdowns in the Giants' 22-9 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at MetLife Stadium on "Sunday Night Football."

The disappointing performance opened the door for Jaxson Dart ... who head coach Brian Daboll named the starter on Tuesday. Despite losing the gig, Russ isn't phased ... nor is he worried about his future.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt joined the TMZ Sports Live Stream on Tuesday ... and the Commanders star touched on a bunch of hot-button NFL topics -- including his fantasy football popularity!!

The rookie tailback sat down with Michael Babcock and Co. for the show -- which airs at 1 PM PT/4 PM ET Monday through Friday on the TMZ and TMZ Sports YouTube channels as well as other social media platforms -- and he talked ball for around 10 minutes.

He chatted about how he has "a chip on my shoulder" after going in the seventh round of April's draft, before he got into all the direct messages he's been receiving from fantasy football players looking to get roster advice.

Tom Brady is on the defensive against critics accusing him of having a "conflict of interest" with his Raiders ownership and Fox gig ... saying it's his duty to utilize his knowledge of the sport -- and anyone who doesn't see that is "paranoid and distrustful."

The legendary quarterback addressed the chatter in a newsletter on Wednesday ... when he spoke at length about the importance of doing one's job.

For him ... that means growing the game of football by sharing his experiences on Fox broadcasts while also assisting in bringing the Las Vegas Raiders back to relevance.

7:21 AM PT -- Cops tell TMZ Sports ... Rudi Johnson died by suicide in Florida just after midnight on Tuesday.

Former Cincinnati Bengals running back Rudi Johnson has died.

A family source for the ex-NFL star tells TMZ Sports ... he passed away this week.

Russell Wilson might have lost his job as the starting quarterback of the New York Giants on Tuesday, but that didn't stop him from making a bunch of kids' days -- he made a special visit to a local hospital to raise spirits for patients.

Wilson shared the photos from his trip to the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital after the news broke Jaxson Dart would be taking over under center in the Big Apple ... while including the caption, "With god, nothing is impossible. Grateful for his healing power!!!"

Wilson's followers flooded the comments with support ... letting him know they still have his back no matter where he sits on the depth chart.

Deion Sanders says a routine activity like going to the bathroom was "the most excruciating pain I've ever felt in my life" after undergoing surgery ... detailing the hardest part of his bladder cancer battle.

The Hall of Famer and Colorado Buffaloes football coach sat down with Michael Strahan on "Good Morning America" to discuss his recent medical issues ... revealing doctors gave him two options after spotting the tumor during a scan.

Sanders said he had to either have his bladder removed or do 36 weeks of chemotherapy. The 58-year-old chose the procedure ... and admitted the recovery was agonizing.