NFL

The NFL is threatening even MORE punishment for those who violate COVID mask protocol ... now saying if coaches are caught yelling at refs sans face covering, they'll be hit with a 15-yard penalty.

League officials made the announcement in a memo to the 32 clubs Friday ... saying in addition to a possible flag -- arguing maskless with refs could now also result in fines, a suspension or even loss of draft picks.

Of course, the league has seen a SERIOUS issue with this over the first 4 weeks of its season ... just last Monday night, Bill Belichick ripped down BOTH his masks to give an earful to refs.

Others, like Ravens coach John Harbaugh, have also been spotted similarly violating the mask protocol to argue with refs this season.

The league has already hit several teams and coaches with BIG fines for just simply not wearing their masks properly on the sideline ... and it's clear, this is just another step the NFL is taking to ensure safety.

Devastating news for the Dallas Cowboys ... star offensive lineman Tyron Smith is set to undergo season-ending surgery for a scary neck injury.

Head coach Mike McCarthy made the announcement Friday ... and it's massive -- with some believing this move alone could end Dallas' hopes of a Super Bowl.

Tyron is considered one of the best left tackles in the sport ... and is widely viewed as a future Hall of Famer.

And, with the Cowboys already missing star right tackle La'el Collins due to a hip injury ... it ain't exactly like the team has depth to replace him.

Dallas is no stranger to missing Tyron from its lineups ... he's battled neck and back issues in the past -- but the Cowboys have notoriously struggled in games he hasn't played in.

As for Tyron's future post-surgery ... it's unclear if this could put his playing days in jeopardy.

The 6'5", 312-pound lineman is only 29 years old ... but he's already played in 133 career games and made 7 Pro Bowls.

Smith signed an 8-year, $97 MILLION contract with the Cowboys back in 2014.

Name the first thing a stripper takes off ...

That was a topic on an NFL players edition of "Family Feud" Thursday night ... and Marcus Peters' answer was so bad -- the Baltimore Ravens star was clowned like hell over it!!!

Here's how it went down ... Peters was facing off with Adrian Peterson when Steve Harvey asked the two, "What's the first thing a stripper takes off?"

Peters -- confident as hell -- buzzed in and blurted out, "Panties!"

PANTIES?!

The answer was immediately hit with a red X ... and when Harvey got over to Peterson's NFL legends team -- they laughed their asses off over it!!

"See, that's the difference between old school and new school," Harvey said. "Panties, right now!"

To his credit, Peters laughed it all off with the rest of the guys ... and, hey, watch the clip -- it wasn't like anyone else's answers were much better!

Did Tom Brady forget what down it was in a crucial moment during the Bucs game Thursday night???

It certainly seems so ... 'cause cameras caught the QB asking refs what down it was after he had just thrown a game-losing incompletion on 4th down!!

Here's the deal ... after the Chicago Bears kicked a field goal to go up 20-19 on TB12's Bucs late in the 4th quarter -- Brady took the ball with less than 90 seconds left in the game.

Tom looked poised to lead Tampa Bay to its 4th win this season and was driving ... when, suddenly, his offense started to sputter.

On 1st down, Tom missed Mike Evans. On 2nd down, #12 hit his running back for a short gain. On 3rd down, Brady's pass to Rob Gronkowski was broken up. And, on 4th, the QB threw another incompletion.

But, as his whole team was walking off the field -- Brady looked dumbfounded, held up 4 fingers and appeared to ask the ref, "What down?!"

The debacle cost the Buccaneers the game ... 'cause the Bears took a couple knees and ended the contest.

Afterward, Brady was asked about the down-counting disaster -- and he claimed he actually knew it was 4th.

"I knew we had to gain a chunk," Brady said, "so I should have been thinking more 1st down instead of chunk in that situation."

Added his head coach, Bruce Arians, "Yeah, he knew."

Sure, guys. Suuuuuuuuuuuuuure.

Call this a new kind of love-love for tennis star Genie Bouchard ... TMZ Sports has confirmed she's now dating Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph!!!

A source close to the couple tells us the two began a romantic fling recently ... and have gotten pretty serious.

In fact, 26-year-old Genie was just spotted at a fancy restaurant in Pittsburgh this week ... posting a pic of her at the place with the caption, "Pitt stop."

25-year-old Mason -- who was presumably on the other end of the camera -- dropped a "like" on the photo.

Of course, the new relationship means the end of a possible old one for Rudolph ... as we previously reported, the quarterback had been seen in L.A. in April getting cozy with "Bachelor" star Hannah Ann Sluss.

Unclear how serious the two were ... but Rudolph's clearly moved on either way.

As for Genie, she's been no stranger to famous dates in the past ... remember Super Bowl bet guy?!

But, seems she's finally found her special someone ... which is awesome for her, considering just a few months ago she tweeted that going through quarantine "would be a lot more fun with a boyfriend."

Congrats!!

File Under: Perks Of Being Rich and Famous.

Cleveland Browns superstar Odell Beckham's already got his hands on the new Xbox Series X ... which is pretty unfair, considering the damn thing doesn't hit shelves until next month!!!

OBJ showed off his new toy on Thursday ... and while he didn't say how he got it, he got his point across with a few emojis -- "🤐🤫🤯"

The new Xbox will become available to the non-VIP public on November 10 ... but when you're Odell Beckham, you ain't gotta wait like the rest of us normies.

Beckham's not the only one getting special treatment ... Travis Scott made heads explode when he bragged about having a PlayStation 5, which launches on Nov. 12.

No word on Odell's review of the Xbox just yet ... we can only imagine how dope it's gonna be.

It's been a great week for OBJ, who's coming off a MONSTER game against the Dallas Cowboys ... with 2 touchdowns off of insane trick plays.

Colin Kaepernick is calling for the end of America's current policing system ... saying Wednesday, "In order to eradicate anti-Blackness, we must also abolish the police."

The ex-NFL star spelled out his wishes for the country in a pointed essay ... claiming the current U.S. police system has "roots in white supremacy and anti-Blackness."

Kaepernick says based on his research ... he believes the "central intent" of cops is to "surveil, terrorize, capture, and kill marginalized populations, specifically Black folks."

And, Kaep says the only way to stop that is to tear down the entire system.

The 32-year-old says simpler solutions -- like police reforms -- just flat-out don't work.

"F**k reform," Kapernick said, adding, "reforms have done nothing to stop the actions that force us to #SayTheirNames."

Kaepernick is also urging the end of the country's prison system ... saying it, too, has roots based in racism.

"Abolition is the only way to secure a future beyond anti-Black institutions of social control, violence, and premature death," Kaepernick said.

Colin says once the systems are dismantled ... he wants to see the funding "reinvested directly into communities to address mental health needs, homelessness and houselessness, access to education, and job creation as well as community-based methods of accountability."

Tom Brady has his sights set on a Tampa Bay-area mansion -- a $7.5 million waterfront estate in a private community, TMZ Sports has learned.

We're told Brady is in the final stages of a deal and it's expected to close later this week. He'll become the proud new owner of a 5-bedroom modern crib in a gated community in Clearwater, Florida that was custom built in 2015.

Remember, Brady and his family had moved into Derek Jeter's mansion in the Tampa area back in April after TB12 signed with the Bucs.

But, since Jeter is selling the place for $29 mil -- and Brady can afford his own spot -- the QB went house hunting and has apparently decided to pull the trigger.

The new home -- listed by real estate agent Sophia Vasilaros -- is 8,548 square feet with 5 full baths and 3 half baths (8 toilets in all!) and it's right on the water with its own private dock.

Inside, the home has a private gym, theater room, billiard room, media center ... oh, and it also has an elevator!

And, if Tom's looking to expand, there's an empty lot next door that's also for sale.

Again, we're told it's not a done deal at this point but it's expected to wrap up real soon.

It's good to be rich.

It's a good thing Vernon Davis retried when he did ... because the ex-NFL star says he probably would've sat out this season over COVID concerns.

Davis -- who spent 14 seasons in the league -- hung up his cleats for good back in February, right before COVID exploded into a giant problem in the U.S.

Now that he's seen the pandemic play out, Davis tells TMZ Sports he would be "totally concerned" if he was still on a team and expected to play on Sundays.

"I would be totally concerned because I worry about my family," Davis said ... while admitting, "I probably would have opted out."

The NFL is already dealing with some serious COVID problems involving multiple teams -- and there's concerns about a larger outbreak.

Davis says he hopes the league takes the COVID threat seriously -- and puts safety first.

As for football, we asked Davis about the QB situation with his former team in Washington -- since they just benched starter Dwayne Haskins for Kyle Allen.

Davis says he strongly believes Haskins has what it takes to be a star in the league -- and "being benched is just temporary."

We also asked about Alex Smith's comeback from that gnarly leg injury that almost ended his career -- and Davis told us straight-up AS is "the most resilient man I've ever met in my life."

This could be a huge problem ...

The Miami Dolphins have been granted permission from the governor of Florida to allow full capacity at Hard Rock Stadium.

You read that correctly. We're talking 65,000 seats. In the middle of a pandemic.

The green light comes by way of Gov. Ron DeSantis -- whose spokesperson told Andy Slater the team is now allowed to pack their stadium as part of statewide removal of COVID-19 stadium restrictions.

That doesn't mean the Dolphins will rush to allow 65,000 people to watch the team at their next home game ... Slater says the org. still plans on limiting the number of fans to 13,000 at the next home game on Oct. 25.

The news comes on the heels of an announcement from the Green Bay Packers -- which just pressed pause on the possibility of opening up Lambeau Field to fans any time soon.

"Due to the concerning increase of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the Green Bay area and across Wisconsin, the Green Bay Packers today announced that the organization has put an indefinite hold on hosting fans for games at Lambeau Field this season," the team said in a statement.

Plus, with NFL teams like the Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, K.C. Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders dealing with possible COVID outbreaks among the players ... it just doesn't seem like the best time for a team to pack a stadium with people!!

Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker Bud Dupree is giving a firsthand account into what it's like to play during the pandemic ... telling TMZ Sports his life really consists of 2 things right now -- "go to practice and go home."

The NFL was hit with its first COVID outbreak following Week 3 ... with the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots reporting positive tests within their organizations.

Dupree -- who had an unexpected week off when the Steelers' matchup with the Titans was pushed to later in the season -- says his team is being EXTRA cautious to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to them.

"We try to stay away as much as possible just so we won't be on that end of the stick," the 27-year-old tells us. "We don't wanna be the ones who are holding the game up."

Dupree -- a 1st-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft -- points out the league's strict guidelines have essentially prevented him from doing anything other than reconnecting with family at home during his bye week ... or he'd face a fine.

As for switching gears from preparing for the Titans to getting ready for the Philadelphia Eagles this week ... Dupree says Coach Mike Tomlin makes it easy.

"With a coach like Tomlin, anytime adversity hit, he already got us coded to just keep going," he says.

"Live in the moment, be ready for whatever, just keep the punches going. He does a great job of preparing us for the moments even throughout training camp."

"I sometimes laugh when people talk about down years for me because down years for me are career years for most quarterbacks."

AARON RODGERS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!

The Green Bay Packers QB just dropped one of the least humble brags of all time Tuesday on the "Pat McAfee Show" ... and it was awesome!!

McAfee was asking the 36-year-old QB if he paid attention to any of the negative media criticism over the past year -- including claims that he was washed up at the end of 2019.

But, Rodgers (in his 16th season in the NFL) has been KILLING IT in 2020 -- with 13 TDs and ZERO interceptions while leading the Packers to a 4-0 start.

Some are saying he's already the frontrunner for the 2020 MVP.

So, when Aaron had the opportunity to clap back at his critics -- HE DELIVERED!!

McAfee's reaction is also incredible -- he lost this damn mind!!

When Pat finally calmed down, Rodgers smirked and said, "Hey, it's just the facts, bro."

"To lose a coach 4 games into the season doesn’t make a lot of sense to me."

That's Tom Brady going to bat for his old pal, Bill O'Brien, after the Houston Texans fired the guy just 4 weeks into the NFL season -- and it's clear TB12 thinks Bill got a raw deal.

"That was really tough to see. I’ve known Billy for a long time and I think he’s a hell of a coach," Brady told Jim Gray on his Westwood One Sports radio show.

FYI, Tom and Bill worked together for 5 years in New England from 2007 to 2011. O'Brien left to take over the football program at Penn State before accepting the head coaching job with the Texans in 2014.

"I think he does a great job," Brady said of O'Brien.

"Four weeks ago, everyone was so hopeful about what the season could become. You hate to see things transpire as they do and to lose a coach 4 games into the season doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. It’s always tough when you see that happen, especially 4 games into the year."

Brady also said he believes O'Brien was well-liked by his players, despite some reports to the contrary.

"Those guys really seemed to love playing for him."

"I think he has great leadership ability," Brady said. "It’s a very difficult part of the profession and I thought he did a great job in Houston over the years."

Of course, a helluva lot of people in Houston would disagree ... O'Brien (who was also the GM) traded away superstars like DeAndre Hopkins and Jadeveon Clowney -- without much to show for it.

The Kansas City Chiefs say the fan who was ejected by police from Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night was NOT removed due to his anti-Roger Goodell shirt.

You may have seen the footage by now ... several police officers responded to the top of Arrowhead Stadium to remove a fan wearing the famous Barstool Sports "Clown Shirt," created as a shot at the NFL Commish.

Barstool president Dave Portnoy re-posted the video Monday night with the caption, "Goodell is Hitler."

Since the NFL has previously banned certain Barstool employees from NFL events, there was speculation the fan was removed because of his shirt.

But, a spokesperson for the Chiefs tells us that's simply not the case.

"I can confirm, the ejection had nothing to do with the shirt the fan was wearing," the rep told us.

The team wouldn't give us specifics about why the fan was tossed -- only saying he "violated the team's fan code of conduct" and "it had nothing to do with the shirt."

The Clown Shirt has made headlines a lot over the years -- remember New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton rocked it after that infamous blown non-P.I. call in the NFC title game in 2019 that cost N.O. the game.

Positive news from Patriots running back James White ... the New England star says his mom's condition is slowly improving after she was involved in a tragic accident last month.

"That eases my pain a little bit," White said Monday.

Both of White's parents were traveling in a car in Cooper City, Fla., on Sept. 20 when their vehicle was involved in a terrifying wreck at around 1 PM.

Cops say White's father, former Miami-Dade Police Captain Tyrone White, was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers added White's mom, Lisa, was transported to the hospital, reportedly in critical condition.

James had sat out the last two Pats games to mourn the tragedy ... and after his first game back against the Chiefs on Monday, the RB delivered some positive info about his mom.

She's "continuing to improve and progress and get better," James said.

As for how he's handling everything ... the 28-year-old said it all still feels "surreal" -- but added, "I'm just trying to push through, because that's what my dad would want me to do."

James -- a 3-time Super Bowl champ -- played well in his first game since the tragedy ... catching 7 passes and recording 59 total yards from scrimmage in the Pats' 26-10 loss to the Chiefs.

The tailback told reporters afterward that football has helped "ease my mind."

Bill Belichick removed BOTH of his masks from his face Monday to scream at officials after a bad call ... and it seems obvious a huge fine is coming his way.

The New England Patriots head coach arrived at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City wearing TWO masks ... seemingly trying to send a message that he's taking the NFL's COVID rules seriously.

But, when the Patriots appeared to force a HUGE turnover late in the 2nd quarter -- only to have the play waved off by officials -- Belichick lost his damn mind.

Long story short ... Pats defensive end Chase Winovich appeared to strip Mahomes of the ball during a big 3rd down play -- with another Pats player catching the ball before it hit the ground.

It seemed like a solid turnover that would give the Pats the ball deep in Chiefs territory ... a potential game-changer!

But, the refs ruled that Mahomes was "in the grasp" and blew the whistle dead BEFORE the turnover -- meaning Chiefs kept possession.

Belichick went NUCLEAR -- ripping down his two masks and unloading at the refs ... breaking COVID protocol.

The NFL has been fining coaches for removing masks to yell -- Raiders coach Jon Gruden was hit with a $100,000 fine for similar antics during Week 2.

Belichick is rich and can afford it -- but the NFL is trying to send a message ... STOP TEARING OFF YOUR MASKS!!!!