NFL

Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Elijah Sarratt would love it if he didn't play his last down with quarterback Fernando Mendoza -- he tells TMZ Sports "it would be fun" to join forces in the NFL.

We caught up with the 22-year-old while he was working an honorary shift at Raising Cane's after taking home the National Championship against the University of Miami this week ... and asked him what it would be like if the duo ended up in the same locker room at the next level.

And considering they connected on 15 touchdowns during their perfect season together ... yeah, he's on board.

"He could spin it," Sarratt said. "He's a great guy, great teammate, great player. I wouldn't mind playing some years with him at all."

Only Bert Kreischer could equate Baker Mayfield to a walking, talking pressure cooker … and mean it as the highest compliment.

TMZ Sports caught up with the comedian this week in NYC ... and he declared the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback the king of pressure -- and yes, he meant it literally.

"There's always pressure on Baker Mayfield, that's the way Baker Mayfield lives," Kreischer said. "He s***s with pressure, he pisses with pressure, he drinks with pressure, he takes his daughter to school with pressure -- that's why he's so f***ing great."

Kreischer went on to hype Mayfield as a "coal waiting to pop into a diamond" as the QB prepares to enter the final year under his current contract.

Fit Fernando Mendoza for a gold jacket now -- the Indiana superstar's teammate, Mikail Kamara, tells TMZ Sports he's confident the quarterback is destined for greatness at the next level!!

Kamara -- the CFP Defensive Player of the Game -- gave Mendoza his flowers this week ... fresh off their 27-21 win over the Miami Hurricanes.

The defensive end praised Mendoza as a passionate, smart, tough QB ... and said whichever team selects him in the 2026 NFL Draft (where he is projected to be No. 1 overall) will have a bright future.

"No matter what teams end up drafting him, they're going to get, you know, a future Hall of Famer," Kamara said.

Former NFL player Kevin Johnson -- a member of the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders -- passed away this week, TMZ Sports has learned.

He was 55 years old.

Johnson was found dead near a homeless encampment in L.A. on Tuesday. According to the medical examiner, his cause of death was listed as blunt head trauma and stab wounds. The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department is investigating it as a homicide.

Brandin Cooks is still fired up over the uber-controversial potential-catch-ruled-interception ... and he’s not holding back!

The Buffalo Bills wide receiver (momentarily) reeled in a deep ball in overtime of Sunday’s Divisional Round matchup with Denver, which would've put the Bills in field goal range -- except Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian yanked the ball away.

Referees controversially ruled it an interception in favor of McMillian ... but Cooks disagrees, telling NFL Network he caught the ball, full stop.

“At the end of the day, it was a catch,” Cooks said. “Not just what it looked like, but what it felt like. You see examples throughout the league all year and in previous years, and you’re like, ‘Wait a minute. If that was a catch, then there’s no-brainer that this was a catch.’”

Stefon Diggs' ex-girlfriend, Aileen Lopera, filed to dismiss her paternity and child support lawsuit against the New England Patriots' star receiver ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Lopera -- AKA Lord Gisselle -- filed the docs this week, requesting the case be dismissed without prejudice.

Lopera's lawyer, Tamar Arminak, told us on Wednesday, "The matter has been resolved."

Us Weekly was the first to report on the dismissal.

Bo Nix is breaking his silence after breaking his ankle at the end of his AFC Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills ... saying, "What started as one of the most exciting games I’ve ever been a part of ended with some of the most devastating football news I’ve ever received."

The second-year quarterback took to Instagram Wednesday afternoon after undergoing surgery Tuesday in Alabama ... writing, "This is not how I imagined my season would come to an end."

"I can’t express how much this team and organization mean to me and how much I believe in them. I couldn’t be more proud of our guys."

Looks like Cardi B didn’t just fall for Stefon Diggs -- she fell for football too!!!

The Patriots star receiver couldn’t stop gushing about Cardi while speaking to reporters on Wednesday ... making it clear how much he appreciates having the rap queen as one of his loudest cheerleaders.

"She's an amazing supporter of just me and the Patriots," Diggs said. "She wasn't a football girl before, but I converted her over. I'm just thankful to have her in my corner."

Don't go penciling in the Patriots for the Super Bowl just yet ... 'cause former star Broncos safety Justin Simmons says backup QB Jarrett Stidham's play will be every bit as good as Bo Nix's!

"This isn't a shot at anyone," Simmons told TMZ Sports. "There's going to be no drop off."

Of course, 25-year-old Nix went down on the second-to-last play of their overtime thriller against the Bills on Saturday ... thrusting 29-year-old Stidham into the spotlight, with a trip to Super Sunday on the line.

John Harbaugh was officially introduced as the head coach of the New York Giants on Tuesday ... and the 63-year-old admitted it felt "really great" to know the leader of the free world is on board with his hiring.

Harbaugh was asked about President Donald Trump's push for his employment during his first date with the N.Y. media ... and coach was well aware of the Jan. 10 endorsement via Truth Social.

"I'll tell ya, I also noticed on that post he said 'And John take the job,' so I thought John Mara had something to do with it," Harbaugh said.

Denver Broncos star Bo Nix was surrounded by support after he learned his season was over ... with his wife sharing a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the young quarterback after beating the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.

Nix's wife, Izzy, shared the image to her social media followers on Monday ... which shows the second-year signal-caller sitting on the floor with his right cleat removed.

As reported, Nix fractured his right ankle on the second-to-last play of the game ... meaning he will not be able to suit up for the remainder of the Broncos' Super Bowl run.

NFL officials did NOT blow the critical interception call during overtime of the Bills vs. Broncos game -- it was called correctly, full stop -- according to Dean Blandino, the league's former head of officiating.

"The Cooks' play I thought, ultimately, they got it right," Blandino, FOX Sports rules analyst and former Vice President of Officiating (2013-2017) told TMZ Sports.

Dean explained why, saying ... "Cooks' is going to the ground. He's gotta hold onto the ball when he lands. I thought the ball came loose immediately, McMillian ended up with it."

Some Buffalo Bills players are NOT happy with head coach Sean McDermott getting fired after nine seasons ... including defensive tackle, Jordan Phillips, who called the decision "stupid" and "sickening."

The NFL world is reacting in real time to McDermott losing his job following the Bills' Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos ... but Phillips' comments were by far the most filtered.

"This s*** here is so stupid honestly sickening," Phillips said on Instagram. "The best coach I've ever been around."

The Buffalo Bills are starting fresh next season -- they just fired head coach Sean McDermott.

The move comes fresh off the Bills' loss to the Broncos on Saturday -- a nail-biting overtime thriller that ended with Denver punching its ticket to the AFC Championship Game.

McDermott posted a 98-50 record on the Bills' sidelines since 2017 ... and went 8-8 in the postseason.

Marshall Faulk has one request for the Rams and Bears game -- the referees need to CHILL.

Yes, that's what the Super Bowl champ said to TMZ Sports before his former team, the Rams, face the Bears in freezing Chicago on Sunday for the NFL Divisional Round matchup.

"Here's what I hope for," Faulk started.

"I hope that the referees stay their ass out of the game. We don't need to see referees on TV as much. They've been too visible in these games. They're throwing too many flags, I know they wanna be seen, but they need to stay out of the game."

If Mike Tomlin's ready to put coaching behind him, Nate Burleson knows how to keep him busy in a different way ... telling TMZ Sports he's got all the "energy" for a TV job!

We caught up with the former NFL player-turned-analyst outside of CBS studios in New York City this week ... fresh off the news that Tomlin decided to part ways with the Steelers after 19 seasons.

Nearly two decades of coaching is a long run -- so we asked Nate if Tomlin should fully enjoy his time off ... or consider a TV gig while off the sidelines.