Michael Penix Jr. went from buying in bulk to being the main guy in Atlanta ... with the quarterback revealing he found out he was getting the Falcons' starting gig while shopping at Costco.
The Washington product chatted with reporters a day after it was announced Kirk Cousins was getting benched ... and he painted a pretty vivid picture of what it was like when he got the call while buying groceries.
"As you can imagine, there were some nerves, there was some excitement," he said. "But I'm just super blessed to be in this position. Super blessed to be on this on this team for the opportunity."
Michael Vick is taking on a new challenge -- the former NFL superstar is reportedly the next head football coach at Norfolk State!!
According to reporter David Teel, the four-time Pro Bowl selection is set to replace Dawson Odums on the sidelines ... after he was fired for going 15-30 over his four years at the helm.
While the 44-year-old has plenty of experience on the gridiron, the one area he doesn't have much expertise in is a coach -- as this job will mark the first time he throws on a headset.
Atlanta is really rubbing off on Kirk Cousins -- the Falcons quarterback celebrated his huge "Thursday Night Football" win by chowing down at Waffle House ... but not before doing an interview in the parking lot!!
The 13-year vet joined "The Dan Patrick Show" on Friday to talk all about the Falcons' 36-30 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in overtime ... but before they broke down the game, the broadcasting legend inquired about his backdrop for the virtual convo.
Cousins explained he wanted to take advantage of his day off from work, so he asked his 7-year-old, Cooper, what they should do.
Kirk Cousinsand Baker Mayfield are doing their part to make sure individuals affected by Hurricane Helene can get the assistance they need -- the two NFL stars donated $50k each to a relief fund.
The Falcons and Buccaneers quarterbacks made the combined $100k contribution to Team Rubicon -- a veteran-led humanitarian organization -- to help people who dealt with the impacts of Helene after its landfall back on September 26.
"We stand with those who have been affected," Mayfield said. "Honoring the lives lost and the families that are still in distress. Together, we can make a difference."
Video from the scene captured by a bystander shows two men in a wrestling match over some seats ... a guy in a No. 11 Falcons jersey was trying to beat up a dude in a red shirt just feet away.
The Eaglessuffered a crushing last-minute defeat on "Monday Night Football" at the hands of Kirk Cousinsand the Atlanta Falcons ... and their star running back, Saquon Barkley,is acknowledging his key fourth-quarter drop might have cost Philadelphia the game.
Barkley met with media members at his locker following the 22-21 defeat ... and almost immediately, the $37.75 million man took ownership of a crucial third-down drop that would have iced the contest for Philly.
Matty Ice is putting his career on ice for good -- former NFL MVP Matt Ryan is officially retiring from professional football after 15 seasons.
The Atlanta Falcons great -- who played all but one season with the organization -- released a heartfelt goodbye to the game on Monday ... saying it was time to hang up the helmet.
"Today, 16 years after being drafted, my childhood dream has officially come to an end," Ryan said.
1:10 PM -- Bijan Robinson is perfect no more ... Marquette just ruined the NFL star's previously unblemished NCAA tournament bracket.
The No. 2-seed Golden Eagles defeated No. 15-seed Western Kentucky, 87-69, making it the only game so far that Robinson hasn't gotten right.
What a run!!!
NCAA tournament bracket already busted? Bijan Robinson can't relate -- the NFL superstar is perfect through Day One!!
The Atlanta Falcons tailback didn't get one of his 16 picks wrong on Thursday -- somehow nailing Oakland's upset over Kentucky AND Duquesne's big victory over BYU.
The feat is incredibly rare ... out of the 22 million-or-so brackets that were filled out this week -- less than 2,000 remain unblemished!!
The 22-year-old was thrilled to be right ... he posted a pic to his Instagram page late Thursday night, flashing a million-dollar grin with the caption, "They said it was crazy."
"Yessirski," he added.
The running back will have quite the hill to climb in order to stay undefeated going forward. He's got No. 11-seed North Carolina State and No. 12-seed Grand Canyon advancing to the Elite Eight ... as well as his alma mater, Texas -- a No. 7 seed -- winning the whole thing.
But, hey, if the guy made it this far this good, perhaps the choices aren't that wild after all!!
His NFL team, meanwhile, celebrated the feat with a late-night tweet Thursday -- writing, "A PERFECT bracket for @Bijan5Robinson on day one?! 🤯"
Tip-off for Day Two is just a couple hours away -- if you need betting tips for the afternoon, probably best to check out Robinson's bracket above!!
Barring something unforeseen in the next few days, Bill Belichick will NOT be the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons ... the NFL org. is reportedly set to hire Raheem Morris instead.
The former New England Patriots head man had been considered the favorite for the open gig throughout the early parts of January ... this after interviewing for the job twice in a matter of days earlier this month.
However, something changed in the last week ... and now, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Falcons will hire Morris -- the LA Rams' defensive coordinator -- instead.
The Falcons were believed to be the only team without a head coach who interviewed Belichick this offseason.
Only two franchises remain without a head coach at this point, but both -- the Commanders and the Seahawks -- do not appear to have interest in Belichick.
Of course, The Hoodie could always be a defensive coordinator somewhere this season ... though it appears more likely the 71-year-old takes the year off, before trying to resume his pursuit of the NFL's all-time wins record in 2025.
Rob Gronkowski says there's plenty of heat left on Bill Belichick's fastball ... telling TMZ Sports his former head coach is still every bit the "powerhouse" he used to be.
"I think, 100 percent, he's still the great Bill Belichick," the Patriots legend said. "No doubt about that."
Of course, it's all come into question recently ... after Belichick struggled to find success in New England following Tom Brady's departure.
In his four seasons without the GOAT under center, Belichick recorded just a 29-38 record ... and only made one playoff appearance.
Now that he's officially out of Foxborough, though, Gronk says he believes Belichick can prove once more he's still the best ever to put on a headset ... telling us if he gets a hold of a roster with stars on it, watch out.
"If he goes to a team with great players with great talent, he will be successful," Rob said, "because he's still the powerhouse coach that we all have seen throughout the years."
For now, Belichick seems more likely than not to end up in Atlanta ... he already interviewed for the Falcons' vacant job earlier this month -- and, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, he'll have a second meeting with the team's brass this weekend.
As for The Hoodie's replacement in New England ... Gronkowski had nothing but good things to say about Jerod Mayo -- telling us all he's heard so far about his former teammate is that he's become a helluva a leader on the sidelines.
There's much more with Gronk ... we also talked to the NFL legend about his upcoming Super Bowl party, Gronk Beach, at Encore Beach Club on Saturday, February 10.
TMZSports.com
The 5,000-person strong pool party/music festival will have all kinds of entertainment, including Afrojack and DJ Irie, in addition to other surprise musical guests.
In past years, Rob's brought some of his famous to the party ... like Travis Kelce, Julian Edelman, Guy Fieri, Deebo Samuel, Johnny Damon, Camille Kostek and even Bill Belichick!
Here's your chance to party with Gronk ... don't drop the ball!
Ryan Clark tells TMZ Sports if the Atlanta Falcons are looking to get better quickly ... acquiring both Justin Fields and Bill Belichick would be a heck of a place to start.
Of course, the Falcons appear to be exploring the idea of bringing both guys on board this offseason ... and Clark made it clear to us this week he'd have no qualms with either addition.
"I could see that being a match in Atlanta that would work not only for a coach," the 44-year-old ex-Steelers defensive back said, "but also a player."
As for how possible it'd be ... it seems it could very well go down. After all, the Falcons have already interviewed Belichick for their vacant head coaching role ... while Fields appears to be available via trade in Chicago after the Bears locked up the No. 1 overall draft pick through the Carolina Panthers.
Clark seems confident Belichick would want Fields under center, too ... knowing the coach loves to acquire talent that's previously performed well against him.
"Justin Fields played absolutely out of his mind against Bill Belichick last year," Clark said.
As for the rest of the coaching carousel around the NFL, Clark said he could envision Jim Harbaugh landing in L.A. ... and he told us he could also see big shakeups coming in Dallas and Philadelphia too.
TMZSports.com
Meanwhile, Clark was pumped for this week's episode of "Inside The NFL," which airs Tuesdays on The CW ... telling us there are some mic'd up moments from this weekend's wild card games he's super excited to bring to viewers.
It's the most nerve-wracking time of the year for NFL coaches on the hot seat -- Black Monday -- and some guys are already without a job ... including Ron Rivera and Arthur Smith.
The Commanders made their announcement just minutes ago ... saying after four seasons with the franchise, it was time to move on from Riverboat Ron.
Rivera went 26-40-1 during his time on the sidelines ... including one playoff appearance in 2020 after winning the NFC East. He won Coach of the Year honors that same season.
During that period, Rivera fought a bout with squamous cell carcinoma, but did not miss a single game while receiving treatment.
The Commanders will be a sexy option for coaches -- they have the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft ... and new owners Josh Harris and Magic Johnson are eager to turn the franchise around.
The team has hired former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers to help with its coaching search, according to reports.
As for Smith, the Atlanta Falcons decided to give him the ax on Sunday ... after going 7-10 each of the past three seasons.
Falcons head coach Arthur Blank addressed the move in a statement ... saying, "Decisions like this are never easy and they never feel good."
"We have profound respect for Coach Smith and appreciate all the hard work and dedication he has put into the Falcons over the last three years. He has been part of building a good culture in our football team, but the results on the field have not met our expectations."
"After significant thought and reflection, we have determined the best way forward for our team is new leadership in the head coaching position."
There may be more moves coming ... and many are speculating Patriots head coach Bill Belichick may be on the move as well, even though he remains under contract.
Chillide TLC y el actor Matthew Lawrence no son tan públicos acerca de su romance como solían ser, pero no dejes que el silencio te engañe, su relación sigue en pie y se están preparando para algunas fiestas compartidas.
Fuentes cercanas a la pareja le dicen a TMZ que Chilli y Matthew recientemente pasaron su segundo Día de Acción de Gracias juntos, con la cantante cocinando algo de comida para ellos. Matthew aparentemente quedó impresionado por la habilidad culinaria de la artista.
11/26/23
TMZ.com
Ellos han estado juntos a larga distancia por un tiempo. Ella está en Georgia y él en Los Ángeles, pero han encontrado el tiempo para verse tanto como pueden.
Chilli y Matthew estuvieron juntos el jueves por la noche para el show de TLC en Las Vegas, y ambos fueron a un partido de los Atlanta Falcons juntos el mes pasado.
Échale un vistazo al video del partido, se puede ver a Chilli y Matthew bailando "Crank That" de Soulja Boy, ¡con el nieto de Big Boi!
Las cosas parecen ir muy bien para la pareja. Nos dicen que van a pasar la Navidad juntos este año, otra señal de que esto será una relación larga.
3/30/23
TMZ.com
Como hemos informado, Chilli se ha mostrado abierta acerca de sus sentimientos por la estrella de "Boy Meets World", ¡incluso nos dijo en marzo que ella espera que se casen!
TLC's Chilli and actor Matthew Lawrence aren't as public about their romance as they used to be, but don't let the quiet fool you -- their relationship is still booming, and they're gearing up for some shared holiday cheer.
Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... Chilli and Matthew recently spent their second Thanksgiving together, with the singer cooking up some grub for them, and Matthew was apparently blown away by the meal.
11/26/23
TMZ.com
They've been doing the long-distance thing for a bit -- she's in Georgia, he's in L.A. -- but have still made time to see each other as much as they can.
Chilli and Matthew were together Thursday night for TLC's show in Vegas, and they both went to an Atlanta Falcons game together last month.
Check out the vid from the game, BTW -- that's Chilli and Matthew groovin' to Soulja Boy's "Crank That" ... with Big Boi's grandson!
Obviously, things appear to be going great for the couple ... and we're told they're gonna spend Christmas together this year, too -- another sign they're in this for the long haul.
3/30/23
TMZ.com
As we reported, Chilli has been open about her feelings for the "Boy Meets World" star ... she even told us back in March that she's hoping they'll tie the knot!
T.I. stood on business with all ten toes after a club attempted to capitalize off his viral spat with his son, King ... letting the owners of the establishment know he came to shut the party down!!!
Tip and King had been previously scheduled to appear at Atlanta's Elleven45 Lounge for its "R&B Wednesdays" but just one day before the event, the rapper learned a flyer to promote the event included a photoshopped image of Tip holding King in a headlock.
TikTok / @stevozone4_
The image was meant to poke fun at King flipping out on his parents during Sunday's Atlanta Falcons game inside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium suites over claims he grew up more rugged than he actually did.
T.I. confronted everyone at Elleven45 Lounge, letting them know it wasn't cool, and threatened the whole appearance would be cut unless things changed.
The full video of Ti Son, King, speaking how he grew up in the hood and how he stood on business… Ti and his mom insists he grew up in a gated community and sucked his pacifier til 12 years old pic.twitter.com/CBl9KVjLwd
In his outrage, Tip stated the city of Atlanta was still his -- and regardless if the club honchos were homegrown or outsiders, they'd abide by his rules!!!
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Turns out, Tips' fury worked ... because the club promoter changed the flyer and the event went on as planned Wednesday.
Instagram / @wagonthefineassbartender
T.I., King and Domani all pulled up to the event, and all looked to be well with the fam bam.
T.I. se alteró luego de que un club trató de sacar provecho de su disputa viral con su hijo, King, haciéndole saber a los propietarios del establecimiento que vino a cerrar la fiesta.
Tip y King habían sido previamente programados para aparecer en Elleven45 Lounge de Atlanta para su "R & B Miércoles", pero solo un día antes del evento, el rapero se enteró de que un volante para promover el evento incluía una imagen de Tip sosteniendo a King con una llave de cabeza.
TikTok / @stevozone4_
La imagen estaba destinada a burlarse de King, atacando a sus padres durante el partido de los Atlanta Falcons del domingo dentro de las suites del Mercedes-Benz Stadium, sobre las afirmaciones de que creció más robusto de lo que realmente lo hizo.
T.I. se enfrentó a todos en Elleven45 Lounge, haciéndoles saber que no estaba bien, y amenazó con cortar toda la aparición a menos que las cosas cambiaran.
The full video of Ti Son, King, speaking how he grew up in the hood and how he stood on business… Ti and his mom insists he grew up in a gated community and sucked his pacifier til 12 years old pic.twitter.com/CBl9KVjLwd
En su indignación, Tip declaró que la ciudad de Atlanta seguía siendo suya, y que independientemente de si los responsables del club eran de la ciudad o de fuera, ¡se atendrían a sus reglas!
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Resulta que la furia de Tips funcionó, porque el promotor del club cambió el volante y el evento se llevó a cabo como estaba previsto el miércoles.
Instagram / @wagonthefineassbartender
T.I., King y Domani llegaron al evento y todo parecía estar bien con la familia.
