NFL

Jesse Palmer acknowledges Cam Skattebo's injury was a huge blow to the New York Giants ... but he tells TMZ Sports the G-Men have a lot to be excited about going forward, thanks to the rookie RB and quarterback Jaxson Dart!

We spoke to Palmer, former Giants QB-turned-'Bachelor' host, at a Raising Cane's Halloween event this week, and Jesse made it clear the days of losing could soon come to an end.

"The organization did such a good job in the draft finding these young players that are impact guys, but not just impact on the field, they're impacting sort of the culture around that organization," Palmer said.

"Really unfortunate with the injury, but I think for the Giants fan, at least, looking ahead with those two guys they can build around."

In fact, Palmer -- who played for the Giants from 2001 to 2004 -- compared Skatt to one of his former teammates, Jeremy Shockey, who brought a similar fire and intensity to the Big Apple during his rookie season.

We also talked to Palmer about his alma mater, the University of Florida, which just fired Gators head football coach Billy Napier after a 3-4 start.

Palmer believes he knows who can step into the role and reenergize the program.

Move over, Lamar Jackson ... Jeff Hardy has a new favorite NFL player now -- thanks to Jahmyr Gibbs' Halloween costume tribute!!

We chopped it up with one-half of Team Extreme after Gibbs went viral for his 'fit at the Detroit Lions' holiday party this week ... and his efforts are being acknowledged by the man himself!!

"My mind was blown," Hardy said of the costume. "Lamar Jackson used to be my favorite NFL football player, so now I've got a new one."

Puka Nacua and Hallie Aiono welcomed a baby into the world this week ... just a few months after the latter asked a court to confirm the former was the father of her child.

Aiono revealed on Thursday she gave birth to little Kingston in a hospital room ... all while Nacua was right by her bedside.

In several pictures and videos she shared, she and the Los Angeles Rams superstar could be seen loving up on the little bundle of joy with emotional expressions on their faces.

Alex Rodriguez regrets giving Patrick Mahomes advice to play baseball over football ... but Joe Mauer once actually made that tough decision -- and he tells TMZ Sports he isn't ruing the choice one bit.

We caught up with the Minnesota Twins legend on Monday, just a day after A-Rod revealed he tried to get a 10-year-old Mahomes to quit the gridiron for the diamond -- and he made it clear, he's happy with how his life played out after he made the big pick.

Mauer, if you weren't aware, used to be a helluva quarterback. He was the top high school football recruit in the country ... and at one point, he accepted a scholarship offer to play for Bobby Bowden's Florida State Seminoles.

Chris Jones -- All-Pro defensive lineman, Super Bowl champion ... and Taylor Swift cover band??

Pretty much ... 'cause Travis Kelce's teammate briefly showed off his pipes by singing "The Fate of Ophelia" in front of a bunch of reporters at Thursday's press conference!!

The silly moment went down as the 31-year-old made his way to the microphone at the practice facility ... with the song bumping on his phone as he nodded his head.

Jim Irsay's family has announced its plans to auction off the "majority" of the late owner's memorabilia collection in 2026 ... featuring countless items that would make most museums jealous.

The Irsay family told a local outlet Thursday the "decision was not made lightly, but with deep reflection and love for the legacy he built."

"Our dad was a passionate collector, driven not by possession, but by a profound appreciation for the beauty, history and cultural resonance of the items he curated. From iconic instruments to handwritten lyrics by legends to rare historical artifacts and documents, each piece in the collection tells a story – and he was always so excited to share those stories with the world."

A Pittsburgh radio host now has some new hardware on his nipples ... and it's all because the Steelers let him down in a game earlier this month.

Andrew Fillipponi -- a 93.7 "The Fan" personality -- was so confident Pittsburgh would get a dub against Cincinnati back on Oct. 16 ... he actually made a big bet with his followers.

The deal was if the Steelers dropped the "Thursday Night Football" tilt to the Joe Flacco-led Bengals, he'd get a pair of rods driven through his areolas.

Cam Newton is speaking out on his shocking altercation with Alabama A&M's mascot last week ... insisting the whole thing was not as serious as it looked.

The moment happened at Legion Field in Birmingham on Oct. 24 ... as Newton and the ESPN "First Take" crew were enjoying football festivities before the Alabama State and Alabama A&M game. After the mascots from each school took part in a 40-yard dash, A&M's Butch got into a shoving match with Cam, who responded with a hard shot to the face.

The moment aired live and sent everyone into a frenzy ... with even Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin thinking it was a real fight. Well, Newton says it was far from it.

The NFL isn't messing around this Halloween season ... with teams hosting extravagant parties left and right -- and the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles were no exception.

Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown gave his followers a look at a bunch of outfits his teammates rocked for their bash Tuesday night ... and they ranged from basic 'fits to some pretty creative ones.

Jahmyr Gibbs dressed up as one half of Team Extreme -- Jeff Hardy, who actually just lost his NXT Tag Team Titles with his brother Matt last weekend. Nevertheless, he proudly got into character.

Priest Holmes just lost one of his most cherished records to Travis Kelce, but he ain't bitter about it ... in fact, the Kansas City legend is heaping praise on the tight end -- and the guy's future wife!!

The ex-Chiefs tailback chopped it up with TMZ Sports on Tuesday -- just hours after TK tied his K.C. record for career touchdowns with 83 -- and Holmes was anything but salty.

The 52-year-old offered up immediate congratulations ... while saying it'll be "pretty awesome" to see Kelce inevitably pass the coveted scoring mark later this season.

Ed Oliver's on his way to get his injured biceps tendon surgically repaired ... but the Bills star tells TMZ Sports if Buffalo makes it to the Super Bowl, he'll be back!

The defensive tackle got hurt during the Bills' big victory over the Panthers on Sunday ... and on Tuesday, he touched down in Los Angeles to get the situation looked at by specialists.

But just before he got on his way to see docs, he chatted with us out at LAX ... and he made it clear, if his squad's got a chance to win a championship, he's going to do his best to be on that field.

Police in Sugar Land, Texas say Adrian Peterson fessed up to throwing back shots of a vodka mix at a poker game early Sunday morning ... just hours before he was arrested for DWI.

The officer who took Peterson into custody over the weekend wrote in court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, that the former NFL running back made the admission while the two were at a Sugar Land gas station at around 9:23 AM.

The officer alleged in the docs he encountered Peterson asleep at the wheel of a running black Mercedes SUV that was next to some pumps ... and he claimed once he woke up the unconscious ex-Minnesota Vikings star, he reeked of booze and had blood shot, glossy eyes as well as a slurred speech.

Travis Kelce appeared to pay homage to his fiancée following a big touchdown on Monday night ... with Taylor Swift fans convinced he hit her 'Fate Of Ophelia' dance.

Check it out ... just after the Chiefs tight end reached paydirt in the third quarter of Kansas City's "Monday Night Football" matchup with the Commanders, he seemed to emulate moves she made in the music video for her smash hit off her new "The Life Of A Showgirl" album.

Kelce -- mimicking the arm motions Swift created for the lyrics "pledge allegiance to your hands, your team, your vibes" -- looked like he put his hand on his heart before he stared at his gloves. He then pumped his arms in the same way Swift did in the 'Fate Of Ophelia' visuals.

Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes were side-by-side, cheering on their men at the Kansas City Chiefs game ... both rocking similar red outfits for the occasion.

TS and BM were spotted in their usual box seats Monday night at Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs vs Washington Commanders game ... with the broadcast cutting to the duo shortly after Taylor's fiancé, Travis Kelce, put the Chiefs up 21-7 in the 3rd quarter -- catching a touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes.

Taylor and Brittany were seen chatting and pointing toward the field ... with Taylor wearing a sleek red turtleneck and Brittany sporting a similar long-sleeve top.

NFL legend Adrian Peterson was seen slumped over at the wheel of his SUV on Sunday morning, just minutes before he was arrested for DWI.

The former Minnesota Vikings star was spotted dozing off in the driver's seat of his ride while he was at a Sugar Land, Texas gas station. A witness who photographed the former footballer at the scene tells TMZ Sports the 40-year-old's engine was still running while he was asleep, and his phone was still in his hand.

Law enforcement sources confirmed to us officers did, indeed, find Peterson in that manner.

Jay-Z is defending Bad Bunny's selection as the Super Bowl halftime show performer ... he says Americans really love them some Benito.

We got Hov in New York City on Monday and our photog asked him about all the hate getting thrown Bad Bunny's way ... seeing as some folks have been very vocal in blasting the decision to go with him, including President Trump.

Jay-Z is the guy to ask here ... his Roc Nation has been working with the NFL since 2019 to pick the Super Bowl halftime show performers.