Aaron Donald Not Retiring ... Re-Works Rams Contract

UPDATE

3:42 PM PT -- Donald just posted a video message confirming he is indeed back, telling Rams fans he's "getting the chills just thinking about" a possible championship repeat.

UPDATE

Rejoice, Rams fans ... Aaron Donald is coming back!

Arguably the best defender in the NFL has re-worked his contract with the Rams, putting him in line to come back for his ninth season in 2022.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Donald's new deal with L.A. contains a $40 million raise. A.D. is now set to make $95 million between now and 2025.

The staggering figure is a record for non-quarterbacks, Rapoport reported.

Of course, Donald is worth every penny, he's a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year who played a huge role in the Rams' Super Bowl win in February.

Through 127 career games, Donald has logged 98 sacks and 448 combined tackles -- both extremely impressive totals, considering he plays defensive tackle.

Donald had been pondering retirement after the Super Bowl -- but it's clear, the Rams' elite roster and the new loads of cash have drawn him back to the game.

Sean McVay's June just keeps getting better and better!

Originally Published -- 2:08 PM PT

Rams Coach Sean McVay Bites Lombardi Trophy Cake ... At His Extravagant Wedding

WEDDING CHAMPS
Instagram / @trentkoch

Two of the best moments in Sean McVay's 2022 have now featured a Lombardi Trophy ... 'cause just four months after he lifted the prize at the Super Bowl, he ate a cake in the shape of one at his wedding!

The L.A. Rams head coach finally tied the knot with his longtime model girlfriend, Veronika Khomyn, with a gorgeous outdoor ceremony in Beverly Hills this weekend ... and, at one point during the proceedings, he got to munch on a Lombardi cake!

The 36-year-old, wearing a sweet white tuxedo, took a big bite out of the pastry -- and then the crowd around him cheered as he fist-pumped.

DOWN THE AISLE
Instagram / @a.woods

As for the rest of the wedding, it looked amazing -- Khomyn walked down the aisle in a beautiful white gown, while dozens of guests looked on.

At the reception, McVay and Khomyn danced the night away ... and the two even jumped onstage and sang with the live band.

The good-looking couple met way back when McVay was working for the Commanders ... and she was a student at George Mason University.

McVay proposed to Khomyn in 2019 prior to becoming the youngest coach to win the Super Bowl in February 2022.

"I've watched this guy grind nonstop. Day in and day out. No breaks," Kohmyn said on IG after the Super Bowl LVI win.

"He always puts everyone else first, and winning this Lombardi trophy for his team, his family, his friends… is a dream come true!!!"

"I love you babe, you deserve this times a million. Victory tastes pretty damn good!"

Congratulations!!!

Celebrity Scramble Guess Who!

You only get one shot to guess who lies behind this celebrity scramble!

The Cincinnati Bengals may have lost the Super Bowl this past year, but it was a huge win for this star who stepped onto the stage alongside his buddy Snoop Dogg.

When he is not spending time on his craft, this mystery man prefers to live his life out of the media, in Michigan, and spend time with his three children.

Can you navigate your way through this scrambled photo and make a guess on who the performer may be? Do not miss your chance to blow!

Odell Beckham Jr. & Von Miller Collabing W/ Celeb Jeweler We're Helping Design Rams' SB Rings!!!

Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller played huge roles in the Rams winning the Super Bowl ... and, now, TMZ Sports has learned they'll have a big say in how L.A.'s championship rings look, too!

We got celeb jeweler, Jason of Beverly Hills (who's creating the Rams' title bling this year), out in Las Vegas this week -- and he told us he's actually working closely with Beckham and Miller on the drip's design.

A TOUCH OF L.A.
TMZSports.com

Jason said Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald have been calling him with input as well ... and he tells us he's expecting the final product to be epic.

"That is going to be a legendary ring," Jason said.

In fact, Jason said with the help of all of the Rams players ... he's anticipating "something that's never been done before."

"I'm from L.A.," Jason said, "so to make the best Super Bowl ring in history is a big deal to me."

Jason tells us OBJ has been great throughout the initial design process ... saying the wideout "is really creative."

But, developing a piece that tops Jason's past works of art won't be easy. You'll recall, the jeweler has created championship rings recently for the Milwaukee Bucks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Still, Jason is gunnin' to somehow accomplish the feat.

"We want this Rams ring to be the best Super Bowl championship ring in history," Jason tells us. "It's L.A. We are L.A. We're ready to do it."

Odell Beckham Lists Ohio Mansion For $3.3 Million ... Insane Sneaker Closet!!!

CHECK OUT THE CRIB
EZ Media

Sneakerheads brace yourselves ... Odell Beckham just put his Ohio crib on the market for $3.3 million -- and the walk-in closet looks just like Footlocker!

Take a look (the awesome video was shot by EZ Media) ... the 13,800-square-foot pad sits on 2.13 acres in Columbia Station -- 20 miles west of Cleveland -- and comes with 4 bedrooms, 7 baths, a huge kitchen and 3 car garage.

The two-story home comes has a whole bunch of entertainment with the club-like bar, movie theatre, golf simulator, game room that's big enough for a hockey rink, pool and Ping-Pong table plus a private one for live-stream gaming.

There's also a swimming pool with a slide and gym with a basketball hoop for outdoor fun.

But, what stood out the most was this insane custom-made walk-in closet that looks like a sneaker boutique with the outrageous amount of room for probably 100 pairs of kicks!

Well, OBJ is considered one of the best-dressed players in the game right now so it makes sense why he had this Footlocker-looking closet made.

This cool pad was listed this week by Megan Pettine of Keller Williams ... and has a $3.3 million price tag.

Of course, OBJ is officially giving O-H the deuces after the 3x Pro Bowler was released by the Cleveland Browns last November.

Beckham ended up signing a one-year deal worth up to $4.25 million with the Rams and won his first Super Bowl this year. He's currently a free agent.

Rumors were floating around that the 29-year-old might reunite with the Browns since the Deshaun Watson signing ... but with this recent listing, it seems he's moving on.

Vince Wilfork's Son Pleads Guilty To Stealing SB Rings

Vince Wilfork's son, D'Aundre Holmes-Wilfork, pleaded guilty earlier this month to stealing Super Bowl rings and other prized possessions from the New England Patriots legend ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to court documents, Holmes-Wilfork pleaded guilty to felony theft of property greater than or equal to $300,000 as part of a plea deal that he struck with prosecutors on April 20.

Holmes-Wilfork received five years of deferred community supervision as part of the agreement ... meaning the conviction will essentially go away if he keeps his nose clean for the next five years and meets all the conditions of his probation.

As we previously reported, Holmes-Wilfork was initially charged in 2021 with stealing Vince's SB rings, AFC championship rings, 2001 Miami Hurricanes national championship ring and other jewelry.

At the time, authorities said Holmes-Wilfork took the jewelry and sold it without Vince's permission in 2020. According to authorities, police said Vince told them he believed the goods were worth around $400k.

Court records show the stolen jewelry was ordered on April 20 to be returned to Vince.

Holmes-Wilfork's attorney, Mark Aronowitz, told the Galveston County Daily News that Vince had forgiven Holmes-Wilfork for the theft ... saying in a statement, "The outcome that emerged from the case as a result of much self-reflection and healing on the defendant’s part and the willingness of his parents to forgive him and show him unconditional love with the sincere hope that he can be rehabilitated and go on to live a happy and productive life."

Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Ball Signed By Performers Hits Auction ... Eminem, Dr. Dre & Co.!!!

Forget Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp autographs ... here's one of the coolest pieces of Super Bowl LVI memorabilia you can own -- a ball signed by the Big Game's halftime show performers!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... a pigskin that Eminem, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and Anderson .Paak all signed following their epic show at the event in L.A. has just hit the block at Heritage Auctions.

And, according to experts, it could be a bargain for a potential buyer ... as it's expected to fetch just around $1,500!!

The ball is pretty sweet ... five of the artists that performed just before the Rams won the Lombardi Trophy back in February all put their signatures on it in bold, black ink.

The leather also features the Super Bowl LVI logo and other Wilson markings ... and comes with letters of authenticity.

Bidding is set to close on the auction in mid-May ... leaving plenty of time to scrounge up the cash for the piece of history.

Good luck!!!

Zach & Julie Ertz Baby Ertz On The Way!!! ... 'Adding To Our Starting Lineup'

NFL tight end Zach Ertz and his wife, Julie, just shared some exciting news on Monday -- the married couple is having a baby!!

The Arizona Cardinals and USWNT stars dropped the news on Instagram ... with the two posting photos of Julie's baby bump, and Zach kissing her growing tummy.

"Adding to our starting lineup ... Baby Ertz!" Zach captioned the pics.

The 10-year NFL veteran has been with the U.S. women's national team defender for nearly a decade ... and tied the knot in March 2017.

Of course, Julie was there to celebrate with Zach after Super Bowl LVII, which he won as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Ertz had one of the key plays in the game when he caught what proved to be the go-ahead touchdown from Nick Foles ... propelling Philly over New England in the end.

Julie is a star in her own right -- the two-time Olympian and one-time Olympic gold medalist is one of the most decorated in her position.

Although the baby isn't here yet, having a football and soccer star as parents means the sky is the limit when it comes to sports ... if that's what the youngin' is into, of course.

Congrats!!

Andrew Whitworth Aaron Donald Isn't Retiring ... 'He'll Be Back'

HE'LL BE BACK
TMZSports.com

Breathe easy, Rams fans ... Aaron Donald isn't retiring, so says his former L.A. teammate Andrew Whitworth, who tells TMZ Sports A.D. ain't going anywhere but the gym this offseason.

The ex-Rams left tackle, who just walked away from the game this month, said out at Wally's in Beverly Hills this week that he is 100 percent sure Donald won't hang up the cleats this year.

"He'll be back on that field dominating again," Whitworth said, confidently.

Of course, according to NBC's Rodney Harrison, Donald was considering retirement just before the Super Bowl -- with the former Patriots star explaining A.D. had told him he'd strongly think about giving up the game if the Rams won it all.

Donald hasn't given a solid indication that he's leaning one way or the other following the big championship win -- but according to Whitworth, that chatter can be put to bed now.

"Dominate on the football field again," Whitworth said when asked what he expected to see from Donald in 2022. "That's what I know he knows how to do well and I'm sure he's going to be doing it again."

If Donald does come back, Whitworth thinks the star defensive lineman has a great shot at getting a second ring -- telling us even without him on the O-line, there's still plenty of talent for the Rams to go back-to-back.

Antonio Gates I'm Smellin' Super Bowl For Chargers ... After Khalil Mack Trade

CHARGED UP
TMZSports.com

Antonio Gates LOVES the Khalil Mack trade for his old Chargers squad ... telling TMZ Sports he believes the move could win the Chargers the Super Bowl next season.

We spoke with Gates out at LAX this week -- just a few days after L.A. acquired Mack from the Chicago Bears -- and he said the transaction is huge for his former team.

Gates said with Mack and Joey Bosa, the team now has the "best pass-rushing ends in the game."

Gates added that the other moves the Chargers made so far this offseason have him fired up for the Bolts in 2022.

"You add in Derwin [James], you add in J.C. Jackson now," Gates said, "I'm excited to see what they're going to do, bro."

Gates also spoke with us about Tom Brady coming back for yet another season -- and the future Hall of Famer didn't seem surprised to learn the QB was unretiring.

In fact, he said he wouldn't be shocked if TB12 went FIVE more years!!!

As for if he's getting the itch to play again after seeing Brady go at 44 years old, watch the clip, the 41-year-old former tight end sure doesn't seem ready to catch any more passes in the league now.

Rams' Andrew Whitworth Told Kids He Was Retiring During SB Celebration ... 'Daddy's Last Football Game'

Andrew Whitworth knew he was retiring the moment the confetti fell on Super Bowl LVI -- 'cause the Rams star told his kids he was hanging up his helmet while celebrating the championship on the SoFi Stadium field.

The heartfelt moment was captured by NFL Films on Feb. 13 ... but wasn't released until the 40-year-old left tackle announced his retirement on Tuesday.

In the clip, you can see Whitworth sitting on the turf with his four kids, surrounded by confetti.

"Hey, listen to me," Whitworth says, "That is daddy's last football game."

"That's it. No more. I'm gonna be home with you guys, okay?"

The kids reaction was adorable ... they're clearly very excited daddy's gonna be home.

Whitworth spent 16 seasons in the league. The former second-round pick in 2006 out of LSU played 11 years with the Bengals ... and his last 5 in Los Angeles.

Andrew had a hell of a career ... he made four Pro Bowls, two First-Team All-Pro, won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year (2021), the 2022 Super Bowl champ and oh, he also made over $107 million.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Now, Whitworth has time to spend with his wife, Melissa, and kids, Sarah, Drew, Michael and Katherine.

"Promise, I'm gonna be a better dad, I'm gonna be around more. I'm gonna coach the crap outta you boys."

"We're gonna have some fun. I love yall!"

Congratulations, Andrew!!

Bengals' Evan McPherson Coach Mad Star Stayed On Field ... For SB Halftime Show

Evan McPherson went from watching Snoop Dogg to going straight into the dog house ... 'cause one of his Bengals coaches said he's still sour the star kicker stayed on the field at the Super Bowl to watch the halftime show.

Nearly a month after McPherson was spotted on the sidelines grooving to Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop, Mary J. Blige and others instead of hearing locker room speeches -- Cincinnati special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons said he's still not happy about it all.

"That's a sore subject," Simmons told The Athletic this week. "That's a real sore subject."

Simmons didn't elaborate further (at least on the record) ... but it's clear he's pissed McPherson didn't head in with his teammates during the Super Bowl break.

Of course, Simmons probably should have seen it coming ... because, after all, McPherson told TMZ Sports just days earlier his plan was to stay out for the show.

2/13/22
I'LL BE READY
TMZSports.com

Even though Simmons might still be hot over it all ... something tells us he'll eventually get over it -- because, well, McPherson just doesn't miss.

Odell Beckham Jr. Bye Bye Purple Mohawk!!! ... Rams Star Gets New 'Do

FRESH CUT
@obj / Instagram

New championship bling, new baby, new knee ligament ... and now, new hair?!?!

Odell Beckham Jr. just underwent yet another huge change in his life ... shaving off his famous mohawk on Tuesday.

The L.A. Rams star put his fresh 'do on display in a video on his Instagram ... revealing his purple curls are no more.

"New toppp," OBJ said in a caption on the clip.

The new look comes just over two weeks after he won the Super Bowl, just over one week after his model girlfriend, Lauren Wood, gave birth to their baby, and just days after he had surgery to repair the ligament he tore during February's Big Game.

Beckham said on IG after all the changes and before the haircut that he was excited for all the new chapters in his life.

"U better believe imma be back," he wrote, "and imma be back better than ever before. I mean that Shxt from the bottom of my heart."

Joe Burrow All Smiles On Course With D Book ... Post-Super Bowl Loss

Joe Burrow is spending his offseason the right way ... by playing golf with Kendall Jenner's boyfriend, Devin Booker, and his old Ohio State teammates after losing Super Bowl LVI.

Burrow hit the links with D Book in Scottsdale, Arizona recently .... where Joey B's teammate, Sam Hubbard, and 49ers star defensive end, Nick Bosa joined in on the fun.

Hubbard, a defensive end for the Bengals, took to social media to share a few images of the trip as they enjoyed some nice weather out on the course ... followed by a group dinner after.

The Bengals, of course, are still trying to recover from their disappointing 23-20 loss to the Rams in the Super Bowl ... and what better way to do that than having some quality tee time!!

Of course, Sam, Nick, and Joey Franchise all went to Ohio State -- though Burrow would finish his career with the LSU Tigers, where he led them to a national title after defeating Clemson in the 2019 season.

But, it was those OSU and Ohio roots that forged the basis of the foundation for Sam's relationship with Joe ... and it's spilled over into their professional careers.

While the Bengals season is over, the Suns and Booker are still playing ... and with the best record in the NBA, Phoenix looks poised to make a serious run at an NBA championship.

It won't be easy with Chris Paul being out ... but maybe Burrow's playoff success winning will rub off on Booker??

Super Bowl LVI Woman Sues SoFi Stadium ... Alleges She Suffered Life-Altering Injuries

A Los Angeles woman says she was unable to see her Rams hoist the Lombardi Trophy after spending nearly $9,000 on tickets to the Super Bowl ... claiming she suffered "life-altering injuries" during the big game -- and now she's suing SoFi Stadium.

Rams fan Lita Abella made the allegations in a lawsuit -- obtained by TMZ Sports -- claiming she missed the rest of the game due to an incident in the third quarter.

In the docs, Abella claims she was sitting in her seat when she "suddenly, and without warning," felt a forcible blow to the back of her head.

Abella says the impact was so strong, it forced her out of her assigned seat and sent her flying into the back of another seat rows ahead.

In the suit, the woman alleges that a man lost his balance and fell after "high fiving" another man ... causing him to fall into where Abella had been sitting, which resulted in her face and head colliding with another seat.

The woman says she suffered gnarly injuries -- including a concussion, orbital fracture, fractured nose, and fractured shoulder -- and ended up missing the trophy ceremony because she was in the hospital.

Abella is accusing SoFi Stadium of negligence and premises liability -- saying the stadium was ultimately responsible for what she describes as the "dangerous and defectively planned" seating which led to her injuries.

She's suing for unspecified damages.

We've reached out to reps for SoFi Stadium for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

Matthew Stafford Texted, Apologized To Rams Photog ... For Reaction To Bad Fall

IT HAPPENED SO QUICK
The Morning After with Kelly Stafford/ActionPark Media

Matthew Stafford says he feels awful about the way he reacted to a photog falling off the stage at the Rams' Super Bowl rally ... revealing he personally reached out to her to apologize.

As we previously reported, Kelly Smiley fractured her spine after attempting to take a pic of Matthew and his wife last week ... and the QB was captured on video quickly turning around and walking away.

SCARY FALL
TMZSports.com

Stafford was criticized for how he handled the situation ... with some people saying he should have stepped in to help out.

Matthew and his wife discussed the incident from their perspective on Kelly's "The Morning After" podcast this week ... and she says the QB DID show concern.

"Matthew looked at me and said 'check her please,' and turned around," Kelly said .... adding he personally texted the photog afterwards.

"That obviously happened really quickly and suddenly and unexpectedly and I wish I had a better reaction in the moment," Matthew added. "I didn’t. I apologized to her for that. But I’m glad that all in all she’s doing all right."

BTW -- the Staffords and Rams will be paying for Smiley's broken camera equipment and medical bills.

There's more -- Matthew and Kelly also talk about just how awful their hungover Disneyland trip was ... and the convo will make you wanna drink a ton of water.

HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH?
The Morning After with Kelly Stafford/ActionPark Media

"Disney is a beautiful, amazing place when you are sober," Kelly said. "When you are hungover and when you are still a little tipsy, not so much. If you didn’t have kids, maybe it would be a little more fun."

Matthew agreed ... saying, "Yeah, it was a tough day."

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