Washington Commanders

A Jay-Z and Jeff Bezos partnership to buy the Washington Commanders seems to be full throttle ... because Monday night the two billionaires grabbed dinner in L.A. -- breaking bread for more than two hours.

The duo hit up Horses near the Sunset Strip at around 7:30 PM -- just a couple days after it was revealed they both had a mutual interest in putting in a bid for Daniel Snyder's Commanders. The restaurant is closed Monday, but the owner opened the doors just for them.

TMZ Sports has learned Bezos stayed tableside until about 9:30 ... while Jay didn't leave until after midnight.

Both men kept things low-key as they entered and exited the restaurant -- Jay was in a beanie and a hoodie, while Bezos was in a casual polo. Lauren Sanchez accompanied JB -- while Corey Gamble appeared to be there alongside HOV -- not sure why.

You'll recall, Snyder revealed last week he had hired Bank of America to explore a potential sale of his team ... and almost immediately afterward, Bezos and Jay-Z expressed interest.

The price tag won't be cheap -- Snyder is looking for more than $7 BILLION for the org. -- that's in the pocket change region for the 2 titans.

On Monday, just before dinner, Sanchez dropped a hint to her followers ... posting a photo with the caption, "Are you ready for some..."

The Washington Commanders and former star QB Joe Theismann are in mourning after one of their legends, David Butz, passed away.

He was 72.

The organization broke the news on Friday ... saying they're devastated over the death of the star defensive tackle who played for them from 1975 to 1988.

"We're heartbroken over the loss of Washington Legend Dave Butz," the team said ... "a 2x Super Bowl champion and member of our Ring of Fame and 90 Greatest list."

"Sending our deepest condolences to Dave's family and friends."

One of those friends is Theismann ... who's heartbroken over Dave's death. The men played together in D.C. for 9 seasons. They also won Super Bowl XVII together in 1983.

"Lost a dear friend today. Dave Butz. Dave Mark Mosley and I used to ride to games together," Theismann said.

"A true gentle giant. Rest In Peace my friend."

The Alabama native played college football for Purdue and was a 1972 finalist for the Lombardi Award.

DB was picked by the then-St. Louis Cardinals with the 5th overall pick in the 1973 NFL Draft ... but played the majority of his 16-year NFL career in Washington where he won 2 Super Bowls.

One of his famous moments is when the 6'8" tackle checked himself out of the hospital (illness) so he could play against the New York Jets in 1987.

After making a game-saving tackle during that game, Butz checked himself back into the hospital.

Butz ranks third in the franchise for most sacks (59.5) and was named one of the organization's 70 greatest players.

Jay-Z and Jeff Bezos, two of the most successful men in America, are interested in buying the Washington Commanders, in light of owner Dan Snyder's interest in selling the NFL team, sources tell TMZ Sports.

And, we're told a partnership between the men is on the table.

On Wednesday, the team issued a statement announcing Snyder hired a major bank to investigate a possible opportunity to sell the team ... but made it clear he hadn't yet made a final decision.

Still, the move provided hope to droves of Washington football fans ... who after controversy after controversy and endless losing have long wished Snyder would sell.

We're told Jay, worth an estimated $1.3 billion by Forbes, has expressed serious interest in acquiring the team ... valued at $5.6 billion this summer.

Despite the rap legend and businessman's incredible fortune, we're told he'd look for a strategic partner.

Bezos, one of the world's richest people ($114 billion net worth), is also interested in the team.

Bezos has ties to the area ... he owns the Washington Post newspaper.

Amazon also owns Prime Video ... which recently inked a multi-year, multi-million dollar deal to broadcast Thursday Night Football.

Jay-Z is in business with the NFL ... signing a partnership deal in 2019 which gave Hov power over the halftime show, as well as social justice initiatives.

He also previously owned an NBA team, the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets ... before being forced to sell when he opened his sports and marketing agency, Roc Nation Sports, over a potential conflict of interest.

Byron Allen and Robert Griffin III, amongst many more, have also expressed interest in the team.

There's no shortage of suitors, but topping Bezos and Jay-Z would be a monumental task.

A 17-year-old boy has been arrested for his alleged role in the shooting of Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson back in August ... cops confirmed to TMZ Sports on Wednesday.

The Metropolitan Police Department said the teen -- who was 16 at the time of the Aug. 28 incident -- was hit with a criminal charge of assault with intent to rob while armed (gun).

The boy's identity was not disclosed.

Cops added they are still on the hunt for an additional suspect ... who they say was captured on surveillance video brandishing a gun at the scene of the crime.

As we reported, Robinson was shot two times -- once in the glute and once in the knee -- after cops say two males attempted to rob him outside of a row of businesses in D.C.

Cops say after the suspects fired on the NFL player ... they fled the scene in a vehicle.

Robinson required surgery to fix the damage caused by the bullets -- but ultimately made a full recovery. He played in his first-ever game on Oct. 9 ... and has logged snaps in every Washington contest since.

Daniel Snyder could part ways with the Commanders after all ... the team just confirmed he's hired Bank of America to explore a potential sale of the NFL franchise.

Snyder has received pressure to move on from his org. for years ... but, most recently, following multiple allegations of workplace misconduct, the cries for a sale have grown to a deafening roar.

In fact, just two weeks ago at an NFL owners' meeting in New York ... Indianapolis Colts honcho Jim Irsay came out and strongly suggested he'd be in favor of Snyder's ousting.

The Commanders said Wednesday Snyder is now looking into "potential transactions" following all of the recent backlash -- though it's clear, it's all very preliminary at the moment.

And, according to Forbes, the 57-year-old could just be simply looking into selling a "minority stake" of the team.

Washington officials did not provide further clarity on the situation ... only adding, "The Snyders remain committed to the team, all of its employees and its countless fans to putting the best product on the field and continuing to work to set the gold standard for workplaces in the NFL."

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera is mourning the death of his beloved mother, Dolores ... it was announced Tuesday.

The sad news comes a week after the 60-year-old coach missed practice due to a "personal matter" concerning his mom.

Dolores was surrounded by her husband and family members when she passed away.

"The Snyders and the entire Commanders family extend their heartfelt condolences to Coach Rivera and his family," the team said in a statement.

"The Rivera family would like to say thank you for the many kind thoughts and prayers they have received."

It is unclear if Rivera -- who joined the Commanders in 2020 -- will be on the sidelines for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Commanders are currently on a 3-game winning streak with a 4-4 record ... and battling to move up in NFC East.

Halloween will come a day early for Indianapolis Colts corner Isaiah Rodgers ... 'cause the NFL player copped some spooky mummy cleats for Sunday's game -- that light up!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the Indy defensive back hit up his go-to guy Rodney Jackson recently to get some spikes made for the Colts' day-before-Halloween game against the Washington Commanders.

Jackson tells us he actually came up with the idea to make Rodgers' cleats look like a corpse ... and then he decided to add on a bonus -- some creepy green lights!

The final product came out amazing ... the shoes are wrapped in fabric to make them look like a body is inside. Rodgers' jersey number is painted on the side ... and there's also a frightening green face featured on the toes.

Jackson says he used curtains for the look -- telling us he went to several fabric stores before finally finding just the right product.

Jackson said the pieces -- plus the special wiring for the illumination -- took him 12 hours to put together.

The Washington Commanders just unleashed on Colts honcho Jim Irsay for saying "there is merit" to remove Dan Snyder as an NFL owner ... calling his comments "highly inappropriate, but not surprising."

Irsay got candid with reporters at the league's fall meetings on Tuesday ... where he said the allegations made against Snyder and the Washington football organization could result in a majority vote to remove him as team owner.

"I just believe in the workplace today, the standard that the shield stands for, in the NFL, that you have to stand for that and protect that," the Colts owner said.

"I just think that once owners talk amongst each other, they’ll arrive to the right decision," he added. "My belief is that, unfortunately, I believe that that’s the road we probably need to go down, and we just need to finish the investigation. But it’s gravely concerning to me, the things that have occurred there over the last 20 years."

The Commanders quickly fired a response at Irsay ... claiming his opinions are based on "falsehoods in the media."

“It is unfortunate that Mr. Irsay decided to go public with his statement today, while an investigation is in process, and the team had no opportunity to formally respond to the allegations," a Commanders spokesperson said.

"The Commanders have made remarkable progress over the past two years. We are confident that, when he has an opportunity to see the actual evidence in the case, Mr. Irsay will conclude that there is no reason for the Snyders to consider selling the franchise. And they won’t."

Snyder was recently accused of both sexually harassing an employee and keeping revenue that was meant to be shared with NFL owners ... but the Commanders owner strongly denies the claims.

If anyone knows about surviving a shooting, it's 50 Cent ... that's why the rap legend shouted out Commanders RB Brian Robinson on social media,  celebrating the 3rd round draft pick for playing just six weeks after he was shot twice.

"That s**t ain’t stop nothing, 👀when God has bigger plans it’s just a bump in the road. @b.robinson_4 right back in action 💪🏽," 50 wrote on Instagram Monday morning.

50, of course, was famously shot 9 times in 2000 ... and miraculously survived.

23-year-old Robinson returned to the field on Sunday ... after being shot in his butt and leg on August 28th. The Commanders lost to the Titans, 21-17, but Robinson ran the ball 9 times for 22 yards.

Robinson -- who had surgery after the shooting -- was medically cleared to play last week ... but the team wanted to give the rookie ball carrier a little extra time to heal.

It was well worth the wait for fans ... who were clearly pumped to see Robinson. When he ran onto the field before kickoff, he received one of the loudest ovations.

After the game, someone on the internet put Fif's song "Many Men" -- largely about his shooting -- to video of Robinson running onto the field for the first time ... and it's pretty damn cool.

Brian Robinson's road to recovery after a horrifying shooting incident is nearly complete -- Commanders head coach Ron Rivera just announced the running back has been medically cleared ... and could make his NFL debut this weekend.

Rivera said Robinson -- who was shot twice in August during an attempted carjacking in D.C. -- will officially jump into Washington practice on Wednesday ... and if all goes well, there's a "very good chance" he plays against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

Rivera said the team will be cautious with the 23-year-old rookie ... but docs have told him there's no need to place restrictions on the back's workload -- at least not initially.

"We'll see how he handles it," Rivera said. "We've got to see how he reacts to contact 'cause we will have a padded practice on Wednesday. He'll get to bump around a little bit -- and we'll see how he handles that and then we'll go from there."

The Commanders picked Robinson in the third round of this year's NFL draft. He had impressed in the preseason, appearing to earn the team's starting tailback role coming out of training camp.

However, he was shot in the glute and the lower leg on Aug. 28 -- and has been fighting to get healthy and back to the field since.

But, Rivera told media members Robinson has passed every test so far, and he's "optimistic" Robinson will be available Sunday.

Brian Robinson is continuing to make incredible strides after being shot twice in the lower body last month -- the Commanders running back was spotted out at practice Wednesday riding a bike and looking good.

Robinson -- who was shot in D.C. on Aug. 28 in what cops believe was an attempted carjacking -- had a wrap around his knee, but appeared to be moving just fine on the stationary cycle.

He reportedly also got in some agility work with trainers on the field following the ride.

The 23-year-old seemed to be in good spirits during it all -- chatting with Washington staffers as he got in the workout.

Of course, it's all a great sign, considering just a few days ago he was on crutches following a surgery.

Robinson, though, has remained positive throughout the recovery process -- even bringing Oreos for his teammates when he made his initial return to the Commanders' practice facility.

Robinson is currently on the Commanders' Non-Football Injury list -- meaning he won't be available to play for the team until Week 5 at the earliest.

Former Washington Commanders captain Deshazor Everett has just been sentenced to house arrest in the criminal case involving his December car crash that resulted in the death of his girlfriend.

A judge handed down the sentence in a Loudoun County, Va. courtroom on Thursday ... two months after Everett pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless driving in the case.

The judge sentenced the 30-year-old to 12 months of house arrest, with nine months suspended, court records show. The judge also ordered the suspension of Everett's license for six months. He was also hit with a $2,500 fine, according to the records.

Outside of the courtroom following the ruling, Everett's attorney, Kaveh Noorishad, called it all "a fair decision."

Everett also spoke after the hearing ... and vowed "to be the best person" that his girlfriend "always wanted me to be."

As we previously reported, Everett was initially charged with felony involuntary manslaughter after officials alleged he was speeding before he crashed his Nissan GT-R. His girlfriend, Olivia Peters, was a passenger in the car, and died as a result of the wreck.

Everett cut a deal with prosecutors in July, pleading guilty to a lesser charge of misdemeanor reckless driving.

Everett -- who was released by the Commanders three months after the crash -- has not played football since the accident. He's currently an NFL free agent.

Jon Gruden says he still wants another NFL coaching gig -- despite being forced out of his Las Vegas Raiders job amid allegations he fired off emails containing racist language.

Gruden -- who spent two seasons at the helm with the Raiders -- said during an interview at the Little Rock Touchdown Club on Tuesday that he takes accountability for the email scandal that sullied his reputation and cost him his job.

"I'm ashamed about what has come about in these emails, and I'll make no excuses for it," Gruden said. "It's shameful, but I am a good person. I believe that. I go to church, I've been married for 31 years, [I] got three great boys."

"I still love football. I've made mistakes, but I don't think anybody in here hasn't, and I just ask for forgiveness, and hopefully, I get another shot."

In October, The Wall Street Journal reported Gruden sent an email to then-Washington Football Team exec Bruce Allen, commenting on NFLPA director DeMaurice Smith.

"Dumboriss Smith has lips the size of Michelin tires," Gruden wrote, according to the report.

Gruden became embroiled in even more controversy -- The New York Times reported he referred to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in emails as a "f*****" and "clueless anti-football p****."

Jon apologized for sending the email about Smith's lips -- calling the comment "horrible" and insisting he "doesn't have an ounce of racism in me."

Shortly after, Gruden resigned as coach, saying ... "I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction. Thank you to all the players, coaches, staff, and fans of Raider Nation."

"I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone."

The former Tampa Bay Bucs coach -- who won a Super Bowl with the team in 2003 -- expressed remorse and is passionate about someday coaching in the NFL again.