Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Slaughterhouse rapper Joell Ortiz thinks Ryan Fitzpatrick sucks sooo bad, when we told him Fitz was getting the start vs. his Jets this Sunday, this was his reaction ...

"I WILL TAKE THE FREE WIN!!!"

Joell tells TMZ Sports he didn't even like Fitz when he was low-key ballin' for NY ... so he can't wait to watch the destruction, now that a Jameis Winston injury is forcing the QB under center for the Bucs.

Oakland Raiders stud lineman Donald Penn says allegations that the offensive line plotted to injure QB Derek Carr over his stance on taking a knee are total and utter bullcrap.

Penn is firing back at Miko Grimes -- wife of Bucs star Brent Grimes -- who went on "The Breakfast Club" and claimed there was an internal dispute during Week 3 ... and the line let Carr have it in Week 4.

"The reason Derek Carr got injured is because the Raiders offensive line allowed him to get injured because he was against them protesting. They had a fight in the locker room before that Monday night game with the Redskins," Miko said.

She continued -- "That's the only all-black offensive line in the NFL is the Raiders. ... When the whole offensive line said they were going to kneel, he was like, 'No, you're not kneeling. This is America, you're going to stand for the flag' ... so when they came out to play, they basically had a plan."

Enter Penn -- the leader of Oakland's O-line -- who shot Grimes down hard.

"It’s crazy how people will make up lies and tell a story so false and untrue 2 get them some attention," Penn tweeted. "I hope it was worth it. All lies."

Martin Gramatica -- one of the greatest Tampa Bay kickers of all time -- is vouching for Nick Folk ... saying his beloved Bucs should NOT fire the guy ... at least not yet.

Gramatica won a Super Bowl with the Bucs back in 2003 -- and as you can see in the back of the shot, his trophy room is filled with game balls from making clutch kicks.

So, after Folk crapped the bed on Thursday Night Football -- going 0-3 -- we hit up Martin for his take.

"I felt horrible for him," Gramatica tells TMZ Sports ... "that feeling that you get, only kickers understand."

But Martin says he knows Folk -- and if you look at his stats, he's a good kicker -- and he hopes the Bucs give him one more shot to prove it before cutting bait.

He's known as the passionate, expletive-shoutin' fan favorite on HBO's "Hard Knocks" ... but did you know Tampa Bay Bucs player Riley Bullough is an aspiring country music singer?!

You better believe it!!

The ex-Michigan State star joined the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show on FS1 to talk about his training camp experiences in front of the camera ... and we asked if there's a secret side to him that wasn't revealed on the show.

That's when Riley spilled the beans about his country music moonlighting ... and we gotta admit, dude sounds legit.

Here's another clue Adrian Peterson could be in Tampa Bay next season ... he's training with Jameis Winston and hanging out with some of the biggest stars on the team.

Peterson was out in Houston this week training with Tim Grover -- the fitness guru who's worked with guys like Michael Jordan, Kobe and Dwyane Wade.

He worked out with Jameis and praised the young QB's work ethic -- "I really enjoyed being in the backfield and marveling at [Winston] and the confidence & leadership he displayed around so many veteran guys. Really impressive!"

After the session. AP hit the nightlife scene with Jameis ... as well as Bucs receivers Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson.

Also noteworthy ... James Harden, Trent Williams and Lou Williams kicked it with the star-studded group.

Tampa Bay Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston completely blew it at an elementary school speech to kids ... telling the crowd men are supposed to be strong and loud -- and women should be silent.

Tampa Bay Bucs running back Doug Martin just announced he's entering a treatment facility after violating the league's drug policy.

Martin just issued a statement saying, "I was notified last week of a four-game suspension for violating the league's drug policy."

The 27-year-old did not reveal which substance he tested positive for though NFL Network's Ian Rapoport is reporting the substance in question is Adderall.

"My initial instinct was to appeal the suspension and finish the season with my teammates. However, after numerous discussions with people close to me -- including Coach Koetter -- I am starting the suspension immediately so I can enter a treatment facility and receive the help I truly need."

"On the field, I must be strong and determined to push through both pain and injuries to become an elite NFL running back. Off the field, I have tried that same approach in my personal life. My shortcomings in this area have taught me both that I cannot win these personal battles alone and that there is no shame in asking for help."

"I sincerely apologize to the Glazer family, General Manager Jason Licht and the entire Tampa Bay organization, my teammates and our tremendous fans. This was not the season I envisioned and I have let everyone down, including myself. However, adversity yields opportunity and I ask for your support in my battle to overcome these personal issues."

Martin fell off big time in 2016 after a stellar 2015 season in which he rushed for more than 1,400 yards.

He missed 6 games this season due to injury but even when he was healthy he didn't play well ... only averaging 2.9 yards per carry.

Nick Carter LOVES Jameis Winston.

Loves him.

In fact, he's SO THRILLED his Bucs finally have a winning team, he wants to round up the rest of the Backstreet Boys and do a halftime show in Tampa Bay!!

Well, that was quick.

Tampa Bay Bucs star Mike Evans says he's officially calling off his Donald Trump protest -- and apologizing to the people he offended.

Evans sat down during the National Anthem at the Bucs vs. Bears game this past weekend -- claiming he was upset that Trump won the election.

But a backlash soon began when it came out that Evans -- who lives in Florida -- didn't vote in the election.

Now, he's issued an apology.

"I want to start by apologizing to all the U.S. military members, their families, and the fans who I offended by my actions on Sunday. It was never my intention as I have tremendous respect for the men and women who serve our country."

"I have very strong emotions regarding some of the many issues that exist in our society today. I chose to sit as an expression of my frustration towards this year’s election. It was very personal for me, as it was for so many Americans."

"With that being said, I will not sit again during the National Anthem because I want to focus my efforts on finding more effective ways to communicate my message and bring about change by supporting organizations and movements that fight for equal rights for minorities."

"This Sunday, I will be back to standing with my teammates."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Louis Murphy was so drunk and confused about why he was locked in a museum, he called 911 and he's now made the Hall of Fame ... for 911 calls.

In the call obtained by TMZ Sports, the wide receiver tells the dispatcher he was a groomsman at his friend's wedding at the Flagler Museum -- but "got kinda drunk," and accidentally fell asleep in a garden and got locked inside.

29-year-old Murphy said he cut his hand while trying to break through a door to freedom. You'd think a guy who uses his hands for a living would be pissed about that, but no ... Murph was more upset his friends were somewhere partying without him.

He was clearly still wasted. Just listen. So good.

Museum security found him and cops showed up around 1:15 AM, but agreed no criminal charges would be pressed because Murphy agreed to pay for the door repair costs.

The NFL and its 3 Florida-based teams are opening their wallets to help those affected by the Orlando shooting -- donating $400k to help recovering survivors and families of victims.

The Dolphins, Jaguars, and Buccaneers -- along with NFL commish Roger Goodell -- announced they came together to contribute the money to the OneOrlando Fund, which was formed by Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer.

The fund was specifically created to provide support to the victims of the Pulse tragedy and their families.

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross issued a statement saying, "We are united with the NFL, the Jaguars, and the Buccaneers in making this commitment to the OneOrlando Fund."

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got a "special thanks" from Beyonce at the end of her "Lemonade" special this weekend ... and TMZ Sports has learned it all has to do with a favor the team did for Jay Z.

We didn't notice any players in the special ... or stadium shots or any other obvious Bucs references -- so, we asked the team ... why did Bey shout-out TB?

A rep for the team told us, "We actually were not involved with Lemonade, it was actually just a thank you for allowing Jay-Z to come and work out at our facilities during their time here in Tampa as they were preparing for the start of her tour."

Turns out, Jay got his pump on at the Bucs facility earlier this month ... and the team was so happy to have him, QB Jameis Winston presented Jay with his own custom Bucs jersey.

"It's an honor to meet you," Winston told Jay at the time. He even offered to take Hov out to the field to throw the ball around ... though it's unclear if that ever happened.

Still, pretty cool to get a shout-out from Bey.

Nick Carter says he wants to be Jameis Winston's booty mentor -- and rule #1 is STAY OUT OF THE STRIP CLUBS IF YOU DON'T WANNA SCREW UP YOUR LIFE!

The Tampa native was on "The Miguel Show" on WPOI in T.B. when he said he knows firsthand about the dangers of being young, rich and famous in one of the best strip club cities in the world ... and doesn't want Winston to make the same mistakes he did.

So, the Backstreet Boy decided to dish out some advice for the Bucs QB:

-- Stay out of the strip clubs
-- Ditch all of your "dummy friends"
-- Get a girlfriend, get married, settle down
-- Keep your nose in the books

When it comes to the Tampa Bay Bucs logo ... Bucco Bruce is out. Jameis Winston is in ... at least according to JW's dad.

Check out the shirt Jameis' dad, Antonor Winston, rocked to the game in New Orleans this weekend, spotted by NFL Network reporter Jeff Darlington (and brought to our attention by BSO).

Jameis Winston learned the hard way ... star power stops at the shorts -- especially when trying to get into a bar with a strict PANTS ONLY dress code.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB was rejected from the Blue Martini bar in Tampa when he tried to get in Friday night while wearing a pair of shorts ... in front of a sign that said, "Dress code strictly enforced."

We spoke with one of the managers ... who tells us, "It was nothing personal. He was not allowed inside because he did not meet the standards of the dress code."

He stole their shellfish ... but Jameis Winston is now officially sponsored by Publix (by way of the Tampa Bay Bucs) ... and the market says they're all about BURYING THE HATCHET.

In fact, it was 1 year ago this week that Winston was busted stealing crab legs ... and as fate would have it, Publix happens to be the official supermarket sponsor of the Bucs.

So, how do store officials feel about teaming up with a guy who jacked their seafood?

"We support our hometown team. We welcome Jameis Winston to the Bucs. We don't hold any grudge against him."

A rep for Publix adds, "We've moved forward, we're past this. We hope Jameis has done the same, and is moving forward."

"Part of our affiliation with the team is to do the right thing for the community. If Jameis has an idea that would make the community better, [we'd] gladly hear out his proposal."