Arizona Cardinals

Kliff Kingsbury is out in Arizona ... the Cardinals announced Monday they've fired their head coach after a brutal 4-13 season.

The 43-year-old had just signed an extension earlier this year ... but, after a disappointing campaign and an overall record of 28-37-1 in 66 games -- the Cards decided to move on.

The former Texas Tech head coach (2013-2018) had been hired by AZ in 2019 ... and saw his best season in 2021, when he led the Cardinals to an 11-6 record and his lone playoff appearance.

But, the team was blown out by the Rams -- and came back in 2022 and fell flat, finishing in fourth place in the NFC West standings.

Further complicating issues for Kingsbury ... he appeared to butt heads with franchise quarterback Kyler Murray multiple times this year, before the signal-caller suffered a season-ending ACL injury on Monday Night Football in Week 14.

No word yet on where the Cardinals will turn to replace Kliff -- but, reportedly, they have interest in ex-Saints head coach Sean Payton.

A taxidermized badger!

That's what J.J. Watt just revealed he received from a fan on Thursday ... as the future Hall of Famer prepares to play the last NFL game in his legendary career.

33-year-old Watt shared pics of the "fan mail" on social media -- showing the box the stuffed badger came in, along with the animal, resting comfortably on a chair in the Cardinal's locker room.

"I have received a lot of wild fan mail over the years," Watt tweeted, adding, "This package that arrived today is certainly being added to the list."

As you know, Watt played college ball at the University of Wisconsin ... who are, of course, the Badgers.

Watt has presumably seen an uptick in fan mail ... seeing that the defensive star announced in December -- he intends to retire after the season.

"Koa's first-ever NFL game," Watt said alongside a photo holding his baby ... "My last ever NFL home game."

He continued ... "My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It’s been an absolute honor and a pleasure."

If this is Watt's last season, #99 -- a 5x All Pro and member of the All decade 2010s team -- will go down as one of the most dominant forces to grace an NFL field.

J.J. has also done a ton off the field ... and even won the 2017 Walter Payton Award, given to the player who has the biggest impact away from football.

Uhh ... we're pretty sure fingers aren't supposed to bend like that.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Rondale Moore's pinky is pretty busted right now ... and if you needed proof, just check the cringeworthy update he posted to his Instagram page on Wednesday.

It's unclear how it happened -- Moore was placed on injured reserve last month with a groin injury ... but regardless of how it happened, it appears he visited a doctor in Beverly Hills to get it fixed.

Unclear whether the digit is broken or dislocated ... but these injuries tend to happen with receivers.

Moore was in the middle of his second year in the league before going on IR ... and had 41 receptions for 414 yards and a touchdown in eight games after missing the first three contests with a hammy injury.

The 22-year-old former Purdue Boilermaker was a second-round pick in 2021 ... going 49th overall to the Cards.

The Atlanta Falcons social media team had a change of heart on Monday ... scrapping a post that appeared to make fun of Ohio State kicker Noah Ruggles for missing a game-winning field goal over the weekend.

The now-deleted tweet was published right after ATL's Younghoe Koo nailed a 21-yarder to lead the Falcons to a 20-19 home win over the Arizona Cardinals ... which read, "This is how you make a game-winning field goal at @MBStadium."

Of course, Ruggles was in a similar, yet much more important, position on Saturday night in the College Football Playoff semis against the Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium ... but his 50-yard attempt ended up wide left, ending Ohio State's national championship hopes.

The Falcons' tweet was widely panned on social media ... with many pointing out Ruggles is just a kid, and he's probably already beating himself up over the situation.

On top of that, the Falcons were awful in 2022-23 ... and comparing a game-winning kick to earn a 6th win late in the season to a missed opportunity at a championship is laughable.

The Falcons must've agreed with the backlash ... 'cause the tweet was deleted on Monday.

But, considering this is the Internet we're talking about, the damage was already done ... and plenty of followers screenshot the bad joke and shared it all over social media.

One of the best careers in NFL history is coming to an end in just two weeks ... Arizona Cardinals star J.J. Watt just revealed he's retiring following the end of this season.

The 3-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year made the surprising announcement on his social media page Tuesday morning ... saying he's grateful his two-month-old son, Koa, was able to watch his last-ever home game on Christmas.

"Koa's first-ever NFL game," Watt said in his announcement. "My last ever NFL home game."

"My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It’s been an absolute honor and a pleasure."

Stars from all over the sports world congratulated Watt on his legendary career, including Kevin Durant, who wrote, "True game changer and a legend. Much respect 99."

The former Wisconsin Badger was the 11th overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft and played the majority of his 12-year career with the Houston Texans. Watt suited up for Arizona in his last two seasons.

Watt logged 111.5 sacks and 27 forced fumbles during his career ... and earned five All-Pro selections. He also won Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2017.

The 33-year-old, who just had his first baby with Kealia Ohai Watt in October, may not be on the field after this season ... but his family will still be represented well in the NFL nonetheless -- as his brothers, Derek and T.J., currently play for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

J.J.'s final two NFL games will be against the Falcons this weekend ... and then the 49ers on Jan. 8.

New England Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker is going OFF on the NFL ... saying officials need to "get on y'alls f***in' jobs" and take care of players who may have suffered head injuries during games.

Parker appeared dazed after getting hit with four minutes left in the first quarter of the Pats' "Monday Night Football" game against the Arizona Cardinals ... and teammate Nelson Agholor had to beg the referees to pause the contest so the veteran wideout could get checked out.

The NFL Players' Association is currently investigating why the league's concussion spotter didn't immediately stop the game ... especially considering the new protocols put in place following the handling of Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa's head injuries earlier this season.

Parker was visibly wobbly after he made the 10-yard catch -- he actually bumped into teammate Cole Strange as he tried to walk.

Parker thanked Agholor for looking out for him ... and it was for good reason -- #1 didn't return to the game after being examined by the medical staff.

The Pats are now dealing with a short receiving core ... as Jakobi Meyers also missed Monday's game due to a concussion.

Things have gone from bad to worse for the Arizona Cardinals -- Kyler Murray did, in fact, tear his ACL on "Monday Night Football" against the Patriots ... and the star quarterback's season is now over.

The signal caller suffered the non-contact injury on the third play of the game ... and ESPN's Adam Schefter confirmed the tough news just minutes ago.

The injury happened when Kyler escaped out of the pocket and went to plant his right foot before attempting a move on Pats' defender Matthew Judon.

Murray appeared to drag his right leg with him as he fell to the grass ... and many assumed his night -- and season -- were over.

Kyler was visibly emotional as he was carted off the field ... putting a towel over his head in frustration as players from both the Patriots and Cardinals gave their regards.

The Cards turned to backup QB Colt McCoy after Murray's injury ... but the team couldn't come away with the win, losing to New England, 27-13.

It's unclear how much time Kyler will ultimately miss ... but a lot, or all, of his 2023 season could be in jeopardy depending on his rehab process.

Scooby Wright -- the ex-NFL linebacker and former University of Arizona football star -- is now trying his hand at a different contact sport ... auditioning to become the WWE's next big superstar!!

The wrestling org. invited the former Wildcat to attend tryouts at IMG Academy in Florida this week as part of the company's new recruitment strategy ... and, Scooby sure seemed to impress while there.

One of the 30-plus athletes -- 17 of which were former college football players -- who showed up, the 28-year-old moved around the ring just like he did on the football field.

Wright learned the fundamentals from on-site coaches, including how to absorb blows when hitting the mat. He even got some wisdom imparted to him from Matthew Jason Bloom, a veteran in the industry who wrestled under various monikers during different stints with the WWE.

No word yet on how the execs felt about the former backer ... but the dude has rarely ever disappointed in his athletic life -- so we're sure things went well.

If you need a refresher, the former two-star recruit balled out during his college career at UofA ... recording a staggering 270 total tackles, 17 sacks, five forced fumbles and an interception in 30 career games.

He went on to be picked by the Cardinals in the 7th round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

The Arizona Cardinals reportedly fired their offensive line coach/running game coordinator for groping a woman in Mexico City ... just hours before the team played against the 49ers.

ESPN, citing sources, reported Wednesday morning Sean Kugler was accused of inappropriately touching a female on Sunday night. The outlet reports Mexican authorities were made aware of the allegations, and then told the Cardinals of it all. Kugler was fired a short time later and sent back to Arizona on Monday morning.

The Cards had arrived in Mexico on Saturday night for the big game against S.F. on Monday. The team went on to lose the contest, 38-10.

Arizona officials have yet to confirm the report ... in announcing the firing on Tuesday, head coach Kliff Kingsbury would only say Kugler had been involved in an off-field "incident."

Kugler had been on the Cardinals' staff since 2019.

J.J. Watt and Kealia Ohai are parents!!

The Arizona Cardinals star and pro soccer player made the announcement Tuesday evening ... saying their baby boy arrived on Oct. 23.

The couple -- who got married in February 2020 -- shared a photo with their bundle of joy in the hospital bed on Instagram.

"Love and happiness have reached heights we never even knew existed," Watt said in the caption.

The couple also revealed their son's name -- Koa James Watt.

The great news had their post swarmed with comments from fans and NFL players ... including Watt's little brother and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, T.J.

"Welcome to the family Koa!!!" T.J. said on the post.

The Arizona Cardinals and the NFL also congratulated the 3-time Defensive Player of the Year ... with the league account saying, "KJ Watt! Congrats JJ and Kealia!"

This kid definitely has sports in his blood ... besides his dad being a 5-time Pro Bowler, his mom is a Chicago Red Stars midfielder. Plus his uncles are pros as well.

Safe to say the kid will have a future as an athlete if he wants.

DeAndre Hopkins is back!

The Arizona Cardinals receiver -- one of the best in the NFL -- is making his return to the field after serving a 6-game suspension for PEDs ... and he's amped!

The 30-year-old even dropped a hype video celebrating his comeback hours before the Cardinals' "Thursday Night Football" home game against the New Orleans Saints.

"Don't call it a comeback," DHop captioned the clip.

The video shows the 5-time Pro Bowler's recent workout with a mix of LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out' song and Black Sheep's "The Choice Is Yours".

Several NFL players showed support for Hopkins in the comments ... including teammate Budda Baker who wrote, "It’s Time!!! 🔥🔥🔥"

As we previously reported, DH was suspended in May for violating the league's PED policy. Hopkins initially appealed the punishment, before withdrawing.

His return couldn't come at a better time ... the Cardinals just lost star receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown for a month due to a foot injury.

And, Hopkins is one of Kyler Murray's favorite targets ... in the last two regular seasons, the two connected for 1,979 yards and 14 touchdowns.

"I'm excited to have him back," the Cardinals QB said earlier this week, "He's been waiting on this moment. He's an electric player."

The Cardinals are currently last in the NFC West but with DHop back ... AZ could make a run.

Antonio Brown is going way too far with his most recent Twitter antics ... sharing an insensitive image making fun of mental disability on Monday -- and people are pissed.

AB has had zero filter on social media lately ... firing tweets with seemingly no care about the repercussions, including tasteless jokes about Tom Brady's marriage issues with Gisele Bündchen.

34-year-old Brown randomly decided to post the offensive picture just minutes ago ... showing a distorted image of the Arizona Cardinals logo and a modification of the team name that featured the R-word.

"Starting my own Team Sign 🆙" AB said in the tweet.

Of course, not many are laughing at his awful attempt at humor ... and made sure to let him know in the replies.

In fact, some users are even comparing AB's actions to Kanye West, who was recently criticized for preaching "White Lives Matter" over the past week -- leading Brown to add, "All Lives Matter" in a post of his own.

"are you and kanye in some kinda competition?" the user said of the newest post ... while another pleaded, "you gotta just get off social media bro."

Kyler Murray appears to be doing a 180 when it comes to the altercation he had with a fan in Vegas on Sunday ... because he's now saying he has "no hard feelings" toward his alleged attacker.

The Cardinals star clearly felt differently just three days ago -- when a man appeared to take a swipe at the quarterback's face while he was celebrating Arizona's thrilling overtime win against the Raiders.

Murray was apparently so upset with situation, Las Vegas police ended up launching an investigation into the incident ... telling TMZ Sports they received "a battery call alleging a spectator at the stadium struck a professional football player."

But in addressing the incident with reporters on Wednesday, Murray seemed now to be ready to let the whole thing go.

"I know every person that I've hit in the face, I did it for a reason," the 25-year-old said. "I don't know if he didn't know where he was. I don't know -- it was a pretty live game, Vegas is Vegas, I'm sure he was having fun. But, again, I don't know."

"I don't think any player should be getting touched in that manner, but, no hard feelings toward the guy," he continued. "I mean, if I see him, I'd shake his hand. It is what it is."

It's unclear if Vegas police are now considering dropping the probe.

As for celebrations with fans going forward, Murray said those will continue if the situation calls for it ... saying he would "do it all over again if I could."

TMZ Sports has obtained new video of Kyler Murray's postgame incident with a fan at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday -- and it appears to show a man winding up before taking a swipe at the Cardinals star's face.

The footage was shot just seconds after Arizona scored a game-winning touchdown in overtime against the Raiders in Las Vegas.

You can see in the clip, Murray was trying to celebrate the win with someone who appeared to be his friend and others -- before a man in a grey T-shirt reached over fans and bopped Murray's head.

It's unclear from the video if the act was intentional or not. Seems the man could have just been attempting to slap Murray's shoulder pad in celebration -- but missed badly.

Murray turned around and seemed upset -- pointing at people in the crowd. His teammates eventually jumped in to separate everyone, and the 25-year-old signal-caller ultimately ran off without further issue.

As we reported, Las Vegas police are investigating the incident ... saying in a statement that a battery complaint was made at the venue at 6:26 PM.

"We do not provide victim names however the event you are requesting is a battery call alleging a spectator at the stadium struck a professional football player," the spokesperson told TMZ Sports. "A crime report was taken, and the suspect has not been identified. This is an ongoing investigation."

Police in Las Vegas have launched an investigation ... after a fan allegedly smacked Kyler Murray in the face following the Cardinals' win over the Raiders on Sunday.

The incident happened just seconds after Arizona beat Vegas in an overtime thriller -- when Murray ran over to some fans to celebrate the victory.

At first, the Cards' star quarterback was jubilant -- he high-fived somebody -- but then his demeanor quickly changed after a man appeared to hit him in his face with an open hand.

Video shows Murray became upset -- and tried to identify the fan who appeared to tag him. Arizona players eventually raced in to intervene before things escalated.

A Las Vegas police spokesperson said on Monday cops are now investigating the matter -- saying a battery complaint was made at Allegiant Stadium at 6:26 PM.

"We do not provide victim names however the event you are requesting is a battery call alleging a spectator at the stadium struck a professional football player," the spokesperson told TMZ Sports. "A crime report was taken, and the suspect has not been identified. This is an ongoing investigation."

Arizona Cardinals cornerback Antonio Hamilton suffered second degree burns all over his lower body ... in what he described as "literally a freak accident" in a kitchen.

According to NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, the 29-year-old football player was cooking a meal recently ... when he accidentally spilled hot oil all over himself.

Hamilton says he suffered burns on his thighs and feet in the incident ... but he was grateful it wasn't much worse.

"I had an accident that could've ended up deadly for me & my family," Hamilton said on his Twitter page. "But instead I got the short end of it by having my feet severely burned."

The Cardinals put Hamilton on the reserve/non-football injury list Thursday -- which means he's out of Arizona's lineup for at least the first four weeks of the season while he recovers.

It's a super unfortunate break for the defensive back -- because he had just crushed Cardinals training camp and earned a starting job. In fact, Hamilton called it "the greatest camp of my career."

No word on how much time Hamilton will ultimately miss ... but he said in his social media post Thursday, "God spared me to only have these injuries."

Hamilton broke into the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2016. He bounced around the league for several years after that, but latched on with the Cardinals last season.