NFL

Green Bay Packers star Za'Darius Smith paid tribute to Breonna Taylor mid-game Monday night ... lifting his jersey after a huge play to reveal a "Rest In Heaven" message.

The honor all went down at the end of the first half of the Pack's "Monday Night Football" 30-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons ... when Smith sacked Matt Ryan.

As Za'Darius got up to celebrate at the fan-less Lambeau Field, he ran toward the endzone and pulled out the bottom of his undershirt that read, "Rest In Heaven Breonna Taylor."

Smith then raised his fist, pumped his arm and headed back with his team to the locker room as the tackle ended the half.

Smith -- who finished the night with 3 sacks -- was asked about the message after the game ... and he said he's planning similar honors the rest of the way this season.

"It's going to be something every week for me," said Za'Darius, who also promised to "do something special for someone" on Tuesday.

It seems like Smith is taking a page from tennis superstar Naomi Osaka, who wore a mask honoring different victims of racial injustice or police violence during every round of the U.S. Open.

As we previously reported, Breonna was killed by gunfire on March 13 after Louisville police officers forced entry into her home while executing a search warrant.

Bill O'Brien's time with the Houston Texans is officially OVER -- the head coach and GM has been fired after starting 0-4 this season.

The news broke Monday afternoon ... one day after the Texans lost to the 0-3 Vikings.

50-year-old BOB took over the reigns as head coach in H-Town in 2014 ... and also took over the general manager position earlier in 2020.

O'Brien was 52-48 during his 7 years with the team ... making the playoffs 4 times, but failing to make it past the divisional round.

O'Brien also made the trade to send away superstar receiver DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona in exchange for David Johnson, who has less than 200 rushing yards on the season.

BOB spoke about his job security earlier Monday ... saying he was not concerned about being on the hot seat.

"All I can control is what I can control, and I've got to do a better job with the team," O'Brien told reporters. "That's obvious. And we're going to work hard to do that."

Davante Adams clearly ain't happy over being ruled out for the Packers' "Monday Night Football" game ... saying, "I guess I don’t know my body as well as others."

The Green Bay superstar has been battling a hamstring injury since Week 2 ... and it was so bad, it forced him to miss his team's win over the Saints last weekend.

But, Adams had planned on returning for the Packers' game against the Falcons on Monday ... though it now seems team docs have other ideas.

Adams tweeted (and later deleted) early Monday morning that he's been ruled OUT for the matchup -- despite clearly believing he's ready to go.

"Sorry fans and friends I wont be on the field tonight," Adams said. "I’ve done everything I need to do and proved Im ready but I guess I don’t know my body as well as others."

"Good luck out there my boys."

It's obviously a big blow for Green Bay ... Dude is a 3-time Pro Bowler who's racked up for more than 5,000 receiving yards in 88 career games.

As for fantasy football purposes ... it's a REALLY tough blow if ya had gambled on the wideout playing.

Finally, some good news for the NY Jets ... their star defensive end Quinnen Williams is officially off the hook for bringing a gun and ammo to an airport back in March.

As we previously reported, the 3rd overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft was arrested back on March 6 when officials say they found a Glock 19 in Quinnen's luggage while going through a security checkpoint at NY's LaGuardia airport.

Officials say the gun was not loaded -- but they did find one 15-round high capacity magazine in Quinnen's bag.

22-year-old Williams was arrested and initially hit with two charges -- Class E and D felonies for criminal possession of a firearm.

At the time, Quinnen's attorney, Alex Spiro, told us the gun was "lawfully owned" and the issue was more about "the manner" in which the firearm was stored in the luggage.

Now, Spiro says the criminal gun charges have been formally dropped -- and Quinnen was instead hit with a minor citation.

"As we said from the outset, this matter has been resolved with no criminal charges," Spiro said in a statement.

"This case was nothing more than a technical issue with the storing of the firearm which is why the government gave Mr. Williams nothing more than a ticket."

L.A. Rams star Jalen Ramsey was so heated after brawling with NY Giants WR Golden Tate on Sunday, he reportedly waited outside of the locker room after the game for round 2!

Yeah, these guys HATE each other.

Here's the deal ... right after the Rams defeated the Giants on Sunday, Jalen Ramsey and Golden Tate got into a straight-up fist fight at midfield.

Ramsey and Tate really don't like each other -- Jalen used to date Golden's sister, and has two kids with her.

But, the couple went through a public breakup last year ... and after the split, Golden accused Jalen of not treating his sister well.

"I’m not happy at all with the disrespect that he’s shown towards my sister," Tate told The New York Post last year, "and the things he’s done in the past, but I don’t really want to go too much into it."

In fact, when a fan on social media insisted Golden was going to have to talk with Jalen over the end of the couple's relationship ... Tate said, "He know he gonna have to see me."

Fast-forward to Sunday afternoon at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles ... and Jalen saw Golden alright.

After the Rams finished beating the Giants, 17-9, Tate and Ramsey reportedly threw haymakers at each other in a wild fight near the 50-yard line.

That, of course, ignited an all-out brawl ... with players leaving both bench areas to enter the fracas.

Fortunately for both teams, nobody appeared to be injured in the melee -- and it was all broken up after just a few minutes.

But, after the game, Ramsey reportedly wanted round 2 with the Giants star ... ESPN reported the defensive back lingered outside the Giants' locker room after the fight to try to get another piece.

The two, however, did NOT ultimately meet up again for a 2nd go-around.

Neither Rams coach Sean McVay nor Giants coach Joe Judge had too much to say about the incident after the game.

"I don’t know all the details," Judge told reporters, "so I’m going to reserve comment on that until I find out everything."

Ya gotta love the effort!!

Here's Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Malik Jackson straight-up CHEATING during a 4th quarter goal-line stand ... and it's actually pretty impressive!

The 49ers were trying to mount a miraculous comeback in the final 2 minutes of Sunday night's game ... and had just moved the ball right to the Eagles goal line.

Right after the refs had spotted the ball inches from the end zone -- Jackson used his foot to secretly nudge the ball back about half a yard, which is HUGE in that situation!

And, the funniest part ... HE DIDN'T GET CAUGHT!!

Unfortunately for Jackson, the 49ers handed the ball off to Jerick McKinnon on the next play ... and the running back scored anyway -- but still, funny stuff!

In the end, the Eagles ended up winning the game 25 to 20 ... and Jackson has become a viral sensation on social media.

Antonio Brown's letting everyone know he's still got a "Whole Lotta Money" ... 'cause he just copped an INSANE iced out pendant and chain to celebrate his record label.

The 32-year-old superstar wide receiver started his music career -- and CAB label -- after the New England Patriots cut him last September due to multiple off-the-field incidents.

AB has released songs, mixtapes and music videos ... but wanted to take it a step further, so he hit up celeb jeweler Leo Frost and commissioned the bling.

We're told the CAB Records pendant is decked out in 18k gold and is filled with 32 carats of VVS diamonds.

The Cuban link handset chain is also 18k yellow gold ... and has 65 carats of VS1 diamonds.

Overall, the piece has a whopping 97 carats of diamonds.

It's unclear how much AB dropped on the chain and pendant ... but Frost's work ain't cheap -- and neither is that many diamonds.

The jeweler has hooked up some of the NFL's biggest stars in the past ... with ballers like Saquon Barkley and Joe Burrow going to see Frost.

Despite the music, AB -- who is currently in the middle of an 8-game suspension -- is still training for an NFL comeback.

The NFL's COVID problem is getting worse -- Cam Newton has tested positive for coronavirus and will not play this weekend.

The New England Patriots QB was supposed to lead his team against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, but the positive test obviously will end those plans.

Newton tested positive on Friday night -- and according to the team, he immediately entered self-quarantine. The team says no other players or staffers who came in close contact with Cam have tested positive at this point.

The game was supposed to be one of the marquee matchups for the NFL this weekend -- it's being marketed as Cam Newton vs. Patrick Mahomes, two massive stars.

Now, 31-year-old Newton will likely begin a lengthy quarantine process -- and we assume he'll be tested daily (maybe multiple times a day) for the foreseeable future.

Newton is far and away the biggest NFL star to test positive for COVID since the season began. During the preseason, multiple superstars including Ezekiel Elliott and Von Miller had it.

Just last week, several players and staffers from the Tennessee Titans tested positive for COVID -- forcing the NFL to postpone their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, originally scheduled to go down on Sunday.

As for Sunday's game, the Patriots have issued a statement saying, "We are in close consultation with the NFL, as well as our team independent doctors and specialists, and will follow their guidance regarding our scheduled trip to Kansas City and game against the Chiefs."

"The health and safety of our team, as well as our opponent, are of highest priority."

ESPN's Dianna Russini says the Patriots players were sent home from the team facility Saturday morning -- and told to stay by their phones regarding travel plans to KC.

Russini also claims she spoke with multiple Patriots players who are all "very concerned" about the situation.

Story developing ...

Pittsburgh Steelers star Bud Dupree just copped a ridiculously ICED OUT watch encrusted with 30 carats of diamonds ... and it's worth 80 grand!!

TMZ Sports has learned the Steelers linebacker treated himself with some new bling to celebrate the 2020 NFL season .. hitting up jeweler Moe Diamond in Pittsburgh.

Moe -- whose hooked up NFL beasts like Aaron Donald in the past -- delivered the Audemars Piguet watch ... loaded with approximately 30 carats of VS-VVS diamonds, to Dupree.

You can (literally) see the sparkle in BD's eyes.

The AP -- which we're told was appraised at $80,000 -- also has a custom gold bezel.

It's a crazy expensive watch -- unless you're making $16 million this season -- like Bud ... who's one of the highest-paid defensive players in the league this year.

And, he's definitely earning his money ... 'cause he's already racked up 2.5 sacks for the 3-0 Pittsburgh Steelers.

KC Chiefs cornerback Bashaud Breeland just agreed to plead guilty to 2 charges stemming from his terrifying altercation with a cop back in April ... and TMZ Sports has learned he'll likely receive nothing more than a slap on the wrist as punishment.

Breeland was stopped at around 11 AM on April 28 after an officer said he saw the 28-year-old smoking weed with two other men at a York County, SC gas station.

In police documents, the cop claimed when he tried to detain Breeland ... the NFL player became combative. In video of the incident, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see what happened next was horrifying.

Breeland argued with the officer repeatedly, and at one point, stared down the cop's gun barrel as the officer tried to get the football player to comply.

Fortunately, Breeland ultimately gave up and was arrested without harm. He was eventually hit with several charges, including resisting arrest.

But, prosecutors said Friday they just cut a deal with Breeland ... in which the defensive back agreed to plead guilty to public disorderly conduct and possession of 28g or less of marijuana first offense.

In exchange, prosecutors said they agreed to drop his driving with an open container of alcohol charge, as well as his resisting arrest and driving without a license charges.

As for the punishment part of the deal ... court documents show Breeland agreed to a 30-day suspended jail sentence and $200 in fines.

"This was a relatively minor situation that could have turned into a serious incident," law enforcement officials said in a statement. "Failing to comply with law enforcement’s instructions too often leads to tragic results."

"I appreciate Mr. Breeland’s recognition of this fact and acceptance of responsibility for his actions. Compliance is the best way to avoid a dangerous escalation of routine encounters with the police."

A rep for Breeland added in a statement, "We are pleased to have come to a fair and swift resolution in this case. Mr. Breeland looks forward to putting this entire ordeal behind him."

"We appreciate the York County prosecutor's cooperation and professionalism throughout this process. This case is a prime example of how a person is best served by allowing these matters to be litigated in a court of law, rather than roadside during an arrest."

Breeland -- who recorded an interception in the Chiefs' Super Bowl win last February -- has been serving a four-game suspension to start this season over a failed drug test that happened before his arrest.

A season-ending injury can't stop Von Miller from reppin' his favorite brand ... with the Denver Broncos LB getting a sick custom Carhartt walking boot!!

The NFL superstar went down with a devastating ankle tendon injury in the season opener against the Tennessee Titans ... requiring surgery to get back to 100%.

The 31-year-old showed how he's dealing with the bad news on Friday ... revealing a personalized Carhartt boot to help him through the tough time.

Now, Miller's love for the company is the worst kept secret -- the guy LOVES to rep the brand while farming his chickens ... and now he can keep it going during recovery.

It's been pretty positive for the Broncos lately -- Denver just beat the NY Jets on Thursday Night Football to get win #1 on the season.

Seeing Miller have some fun with his injury has to boost the spirits a bit, too.

"Knowing him, he'll be able to go right on through this and hopefully not miss a beat."

Jerry Jones doesn't seem worried about Donald Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis ... he said Friday he's "very confident" POTUS will get through it all just fine.

In fact, the Dallas Cowboys owner says he's pretty sure #45 will still be able to do his job effectively over the coming days.

"No one in the world has the ability to handle this COVID any better than the office of the President of the United States," Jerry told 105.3 The Fan.

"I'm very confident that he'll be able to continue governing. I'm sure that he has anticipated this. Knowing him, he's the hardest worker you've ever seen."

Donald announced Thursday night he and Melania tested positive for the coronavirus and have already begun quarantining.

Trump is said to be only experiencing "mild" symptoms ... and he, too, seemed confident he'd beat the virus, adding in his official announcement, "We will get through this TOGETHER!"

Jerry and Trump have been friendly for years ... so Jones' support for the president comes as no surprise.

Tennessee and Pittsburgh will NOT be playing in Week 4 ... after one additional player and team staffer in the Titans organization tested positive for COVID-19.

The matchup -- originally scheduled to take place in Tennessee on Sunday at 1 PM PT -- becomes the first game to be pushed back due to the coronavirus this season.

The league released a statement Thursday, saying, "The decision to postpone the game was made to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel."

"The Titans facility will remain closed and the team will continue to have no in-person activities until further notice."

As we previously reported ... the Titans shut down their team facility after 3 players and 5 staffers tested positive earlier this week ... and announced it would not reopen until Saturday at the earliest.

There were hopes of pushing the game back until Monday or Tuesday ... but after the news of another player and staffer testing positive, the league had no choice but to push it past Week 4.

The league says the makeup date will be announced shortly.

Adjust your fantasy lineups accordingly ... and get better, Tennessee.

The next Manning has officially arrived ... and he's VERY real!!!

Peyton and Eli Manning's star QB nephew, Arch Manning, kicked off his sophomore season in spectacular fashion Thursday night -- scoring SIX total touchdowns in a 41-0 rout!!

The young quarterback -- whose dad is Cooper Manning -- showed off a ridiculous skill set in Isidore Newman's win down in Louisiana ... tossing dimes AND running over players with his legs.

Check out the highlights from the night ... Arch threw touch passes, he threw bullets -- and he even stiff-armed THE HELL out of some dude on a long run!!

Also, shout out to his WRs -- THOSE GUYS ARE BEASTS!!!!

The 6'3", 195-lb QB totaled up 260 passing yards and 5 passing TDs on just 13 completions ... and also added a rushing touchdown.

Of course, the night should surprise absolutely nobody ... Arch has already been dubbed the best QB in America in the 2023 class -- and was a STAR as a freshman last season.

Former NFL star Steve Smith UNLOADED on Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams after NY's loss to Denver on Thursday ... accusing the coach of being dirty as hell.

"If it smells like a pig, it looks like a pig and it's oinkin'," Smith said, "then guess what my friend, it's a pig."

Broncos players were irate at the end of "Thursday Night Football" ... after Jets players hit Denver QB Brett Rypien late AND hard, despite the game essentially being over at 37-28.

Things got so heated ... Broncos head coach Vic Fangio told his players to ignore postgame handshakes and go "straight to the f*cking locker room!"

And, afterward, on the NFL Network, Smith said the whole scene went down because he believes Williams is a dirty coach who instructs his players to be dirty.

"Gregg Williams is a guy who has had bounties on guys and made sure, 'Hit him when he goes out of bounds,'" Smith said ... "Wherever he goes, the nonsense follows. That's how he runs his defense and that's how he does it. Straight up."

Smith says he's seen it firsthand when he was playing in the league ... claiming players on Williams' teams would hit him late based on the instructions of the coach.

"I'm not saying you have to believe me," Smith said. "I'm saying I'm willing to put myself out there and call a spade a spade."

For the Jets' part, head coach Adam Gase told media members he basically understood why Fangio rushed his players off the field without shaking hands ... saying, "I think he was just making sure we didn’t have any kind of melee."