Cleveland Browns

Multiple first responders rushed to Pensacola Beach earlier this month to tend to Peyton Hillis after the former NFL star nearly drowned while trying to save his children ... new police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

In the footage, captured on an Escambia County Sheriff's deputy's body camera, you can see Hillis was in bad shape on the Florida sand after he was pulled from the water on Jan. 4.

The ex-Cleveland Browns running back, who did not have a shirt on, appeared to be breathing heavily ... and seemed to be in a great deal of pain.

But, at least four medics on the scene provided him aid ... administering an IV while checking his vitals.

At one point, they even helped him roll over on his side to make him more comfortable -- while providing a beach towel as a pillow. They also urged him to keep talking in an effort to make sure his condition wasn't worsening.

They eventually got the 36-year-old off the beach and into a helicopter ... which flew him to a nearby medical facility for treatment.

Hillis' initial prognosis wasn't good -- his uncle said in a Facebook post he suffered damage to his lungs and kidneys in the swimming accident -- but, thankfully, his longtime girlfriend said last week he had a breakthrough and was "on the road to recovery."

Hillis now seems to be in far better condition -- he was just seen smiling in his hospital bed on Thursday after Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith popped by his room for a visit.

Deshaun Watson's out of the NFL playoffs, but don't feel too bad for the guy ... the quarterback is now on a tropical vacation, cozying up with his smokin'-hot girlfriend, Jilly Anais.

While the league's last remaining teams are duking it out for a spot in Super Bowl LVI, the Cleveland Browns star's mind couldn't be further from a football field ... as he hit a boat on Monday with Anais in an exotic location -- and clearly enjoyed the free time.

In video that Anais shot and posted on her social media page ... you can see she and Watson got really close on the ship's deck -- sippin' what appeared to be some champagne while soaking in the warm weather.

The two also got some up-close-and-personal time in the water ... when Anais hopped on Watson's back while he was cruisin' around in the ocean on an underwater sea scooter.

The couple seemed to be wearing some matching bathing suits, too ... and at one point, Watson even got close to Anais' bikini bottoms with a bottle of Veuve.

The vacation is a much-needed one for Watson, who had a rough season. After serving an 11-game ban following allegations he was inappropriate with female massage therapists, he came back rusty, completing just 58.2 percent of his passes while throwing five interceptions in six starts.

Cleveland Browns defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is addressing his recent comments about Myles Garrett ... saying he's personally apologized to his teammate, but claiming his words were taken out of context.

The former first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft made headlines recently ... after accusing the Browns of focusing on making Garrett look good instead of the team's overall success.

"You're all trying to get [Garrett] into the Hall of Fame instead of winning games," Clowney told reporters at the time. "I don't even think he notices."

Clowney -- who said he was 95% sure he was not returning to the Browns after the 2022-23 season -- added he didn't believe it was Garrett's fault ... but called the whole situation "B.S."

Now, Clowney is backpedaling his previous comments ... releasing a statement via his publicist Denise White on Friday.

"As a son and a parent I want to fully apologize to anyone I offended, specifically Myles Garrett and his family," the statement obtained by TMZ Sports says.

"My words in the lockerroom were not only taken out of context, but completely misrepresented."

Clowney added he personally reached out to Myles to share his regret ... and "will continue to learn and grow as I move forward."

Cleveland legend Bernie Kosar was booted from his radio gig with the Browns on Sunday ... and it's all because the ex-quarterback bet on his former team to beat the Steelers.

Kosar -- who played for the Orange and Brown from 1985-93 -- placed the $19,000 wager (in honor of his jersey number) with the Tipico Sportsbook app last weekend ... becoming one of the first legal bets placed in Ohio.

The former Pro Bowler claimed if Cleveland (+120 in most sportsbooks) ended up beating Pittsburgh, he would donate the winnings to charity.

The Browns ended up losing, 28-14, but not only did Kosar lose his $19k ... he also lost his pregame radio show job with the team -- due to breaking one of the league's most unforgivable rules.

"Earlier this week we notified Bernie, that per league policy, we were required to remove him from our pregame radio coverage for the season finale after he violated the NFL gambling policy by placing a bet on an NFL game," the Browns said on Sunday.

"We understand what Bernie means to this community and our history but as team contracted personnel hired to provide content on our media platforms, his bet was a violation of NFL rules and we must adhere to all NFL policy."

Kosar addressed the move on Twitter ... saying, "I am shocked & disappointed. Brown & Orange is my life … Go #Browns."

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is pouring his heart out on his girlfriend's birthday ... sending Jilly Anais an emotional tribute as she celebrates another trip around the sun.

The 3-time Pro Bowler and influencer/model have been going strong for years ... and judging by the special message he shared with his Instagram followers on Monday, they're still madly in love.

"Happy QUEEN Day Luv!!!!," Watson said on Jilly's 27th birthday. "Today is your day!!!!"

"May The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace! & Continue to bless you with many more years of happiness, love, and success!"

He continued ..."You will achieve whatever you desire my twin! 💛🤞🏾You know this shii 4ever set in stone!!!! 🔒 "

Of course, Jilly has remained by Deshaun's side as he faced accusations of sexual misconduct made by multiple massage therapists ... and was present as he returned to the football field following his 11-game suspension against his former team, the Houston Texans, in Week 13.

Baker Mayfield is looking for a new home once again -- the Carolina Panthers just announced they are parting ways with the former #1 overall pick.

Mayfield won the starting gig after getting traded to Carolina in July ... but went just 1-5 under center in 2022.

Baker -- the top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft -- played in just 7 total games before getting the boot on Monday ... throwing for 1,313 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions.

The move comes after PJ Walker moved into the backup role behind Sam Darnold.

It was supposed to be a fresh start for Mayfield, who requested a trade after the Cleveland Browns pursued Deshaun Watson.

Mayfield has played in 67 total games in his career ... and has a 30-35 overall record. He's thrown 98 touchdowns and 62 interceptions.

The timing is perfect for the San Francisco 49ers, who are in desperate need of a quarterback after Jimmy Garoppolo went down with a foot injury, leaving Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy as the lone healthy QB on the roster.

Deshaun Watson just stepped foot on an NFL field for the first time in 700 days ... and the Houston Texans fans made their displeasure known -- letting the boo birds fly as he made his Cleveland Browns debut.

The 27-year-old quarterback is returning from an 11-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy ... after dozens of massage therapists made sexual misconduct allegations against him.

Watson faced a hostile crowd as he made his Browns debut on Sunday ... with his former team's supporters heckling him as he lined up under center.

As we previously reported, attorney Tony Buzbee -- who repped almost every woman who accused Watson of sexual misconduct -- announced at least 10 of his clients would be in attendance for the game.

Watson's family was also at NRG Stadium to support ... with everyone wearing #4 jerseys in the stands.

Deshaun had a smile on his face prior to the Browns' first offensive drive ... but the television broadcast showed many fans were not happy to see him.

There may be a bit of rust for Watson, who hasn't played since 2020 -- the Browns ended up going 3-and-out in their first possession.

Deshaun Watson shut down any non-football related questions prior to his first start as a Cleveland Brown ... saying he was advised to not get into his suspension and the numerous sexual misconduct allegations made against him.

Watson met with reporters on Thursday -- the first time since his 11-game suspension ended this week -- and anyone looking to hear the quarterback address the controversy surrounding him was left without answers.

"I understand that you guys have a lot of questions, but with my legal team and clinical team, there's only football questions I can address at this time," Watson said at the Browns' facility in Berea.

Of course, many want to hear from Deshaun ... especially considering there have been new allegations made against him following his suspension.

Several accusers are slated to attend his debut at NRG Stadium ... but that's something he wouldn't really touch, either -- Watson simply said he was "not worried about the atmosphere" and his focus was being the starting quarterback.

The 27-year-old also declined to speak about specifics regarding his mandatory treatment.

Watson did show love for the Browns, his trainers, teammates and the fanbase for their support during his time away ... and gave a special shout-out to Jacoby Brissett for leading the team in his absence.

"I wanna thank, most importantly, Jacoby," Watson said. "The big brother he's been to me and everyone in that locker room. The passion, the grit, the leadership he has shown these past weeks, everyone done see it. He's the ultimate guy that everyone wants to follow."

The boos for Deshaun Watson will be a bit louder when the Browns star takes the field in Houston Sunday ... ten of his accusers will be in the building to watch the controversial QB play his first game since his suspension ended.

Around ten women, along with their attorney, Tony Buzbee, will be inside a suite at NRG Stadium for the 1 PM eastern game, according to The Athletic ... pitting 27-year-old Watson against his old organization, the Texans, who drafted him in 2017.

“I will be there to welcome Deshaun back to Houston,” Buzbee told The Athletic, saying he'd be there with "bells and whistles on."

It's unclear which of the more than two dozen women who sued Watson (almost all have settled) will be attending the game.

Buzbee says he invited all of his clients, but some declined.

As for why they'd go watch him play, Buzbee wishes to send Deshaun a message ... “You think you put us behind you, but we are still here.”

Of course, Deshaun was suspended 11 games and fined $5 million this offseason after scores of female massage therapists accused him of acting improperly during sessions.

He hasn't seen NFL action since January 3, 2021.

As if Cleveland's season couldn't get any worse -- some rando allegedly broke into FirstEnergy Stadium and took a joyride on the field just days before the Browns' next home game ... resulting in a bunch of damage.

The incident reportedly went down early Tuesday morning ... forcing the Browns' grounds crew to rush to repair the grass before Sunday's matchup against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Pictures captured by News Channel 5 show tire marks throughout the field ... with a road roller working to improve the home turf.

Luckily, the team told the outlet the damage is superficial ... which means there's a good chance Sunday's game will go down without any hiccups.

Police believe the joyride occurred after someone broke into the stadium and got ahold of a golf cart. The whole thing is currently under investigation.

“We are aware of the incident that occurred early Tuesday morning at FirstEnergy Stadium and have provided the Cleveland Division of Police with all relevant information," the team said in a statement.

"Based on our internal evaluation, there was some superficial damage to the playing field that our grounds maintenance team is currently working to repair."

The Bills and Browns won't be playing inside of a snowglobe this weekend after all ... TMZ Sports has confirmed the NFL is moving the game to Detroit to avoid the massive storm that's set to hit Buffalo this weekend.

The contest had been lined up to be played at Highmark Stadium at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday ... and it was slated to be must-see TV, considering the area is expected to get pelted by roughly six feet of snow in the next few days.

But, league sources tell us the NFL put the axe to that idea on Thursday -- clearly believing the weather wouldn't make it possible for fans, essential personnel and maybe even players to attend the contest safely.

Detroit's Ford Field is open for use on Sunday -- as the Lions are playing against the Giants for a road game in New Jersey. It'll be the first of two games the Bills play there this month -- as they're set to play the Lions in the Motor City on Thanksgiving.

Playing in copious amounts of snow is not unprecedented for the Bills -- back in Dec. 2017, they played in a blizzard against the Colts, and won, 13-7, in overtime.

But, seems like 4-6 feet is just too much to cope with this weekend.

Deshaun Watson has taken another huge step toward finally returning to NFL gameday fields ... he just made his way back to Browns practice Wednesday -- as his 11-game suspension is officially set to end next month.

The Cleveland quarterback wore full pads for the workout ... and was seen throwing balls at full strength. He appeared to be in good spirits -- at one point, seemingly pointing into a camera that was filming his drills.

Wednesday marked the first day Watson was allowed back at practice since he was initially hit with the ban following retired judge Sue L. Robinson's ruling that he was inappropriate with multiple female masseuses.

Watson was able to play in the preseason for Cleveland as part of the stipulations of the suspension -- though once the regular season began, he was forced to get lost until this week.

Deshaun still has to sit for the Browns' next two games ... but he'll finally be eligible to come back in Week 13.

Cleveland coaches have already said he'll be the starter when kickoff time rolls around for the Dec. 4 game.

Former Cleveland Browns star Joe Thomas just went scorched earth on Jim Irsay ... blasting the Colts owner for hiring "drinking buddy" Jeff Saturday as Indy's next head coach.

Thomas, who played 11 years in the league, didn't hold back a thing while appearing on NFL Network's "Good Morning Football" on Friday ... calling the Saturday hire "the most egregious thing I can ever remember happening in the NFL."

"It is one of the most disrespectful things I have ever seen in my entire life," the ex-offensive lineman said.

Thomas' main issue is Saturday's experience. The former Colts center never coached at the NFL or collegiate level -- and had been working as an ESPN analyst at the time of the hiring.

Thomas called it a complete slap to the face of all of the other coaches in the league who have worked tirelessly at their crafts for years.

Thomas then said Saturday's introductory press conference earlier this week -- one in which Irsay said he was actually glad Jeff didn't have prior head coaching experience -- was also disrespectful to those around the NFL.

"I was in France with my kids earlier in the week, but when I saw this, I thought it was a joke," he said. "I thought maybe I had a little Google translate and all the sudden I'm in the wrong calendar and it's April 1st or something going on."

Thomas threw some shade Saturday's way too ... seemingly implying the 47-year-old should have simply rejected Irsay's job offer.

LeBron James says he can no longer support the Dallas Cowboys -- the NBA superstar revealed he denounced his beloved team years ago over the organization's handling of the national anthem protests.

LeBron was always a massive fan of America's Team -- in fact, he even previously stated Jerry Jones offered him a contract to play for the 'Boys during the 2011 NBA lockout.

But, in recent years, the Lakers icon suddenly started showing love for his hometown Cleveland Browns ... which left fans wondering if he was still backing Dallas.

In an Instagram Live session on Thursday, LeBron explained he is, in fact, done with the Cowboys ... saying he was upset over the belief that players were told they would lose their spot on the team if they joined Colin Kaepernick's movement and took a knee during the "Star-Spangled Banner."

"I had to sit down on the Cowboys man," James told his business partner, Maverick Carter. "It's just things that were going on when guys were kneeling and guys were having the freedom of speech and wanted to do it in a very peaceful manner."

"A lot of people in they front office and a lot of people that ran the organization was like, 'If you do that around here, then you will never play for this franchise again.'"

"I just didn't think that was appropriate."

Remember, Jones and the Cowboys knelt in solidarity before a Monday Night Football matchup back in 2017 ... but stood back up once the anthem started playing.

The moment came on the heels of President Donald Trump's call to fire any "son of a bitch" who took a knee for the anthem ... but James seemingly didn't think that was enough.

Deshaun Watson is adamant he NEVER pressured his latest accuser into giving him oral sex ... claiming he has a bevy of DMs from the massage therapist that contradict her story.

Watson was sued by the woman, ID'ed as Jane Doe, back on Oct. 13 over an alleged 2020 encounter with the QB ... but in a new court filing, obtained by TMZ Sports, the Cleveland Browns star is calling BS on her allegations.

In the documents, Watson and his attorneys showed several direct messages as well as texts that they say revealed the woman was experiencing "unrequited love" with the football player.

Watson and his team of lawyers claim some of the messages were sent in Sept. 2021, nearly one year after the 2020 meetup where Watson was accused of being inappropriate with the woman.

In one of the messages, which Watson's attorneys say he did not respond to, they say the woman told the 27-year-old, "do you want to meet?" In others, they claim she said, "I have the best head in all of Houston," and, "Let me know when your ready to make big deposits."

Watson and his attorneys also say the woman sent him texts just days after their 2020 meetup, where she told him, "I'd like to see you again we should hang out."

Watson's lawyers say in the documents the woman did go to authorities with her allegations ... but they "were considered -- and ultimately rejected -- by police, the Harris County District Attorney's Office and a Harris County Grand Jury."

They also claim the woman was interviewed by Watson's counsel in 2021 over the claims ... and she said at the time, "I wasn't scared, I wasn't intimidated. I didn't do anything I didn't want to do."

Deshaun Watson found himself in trouble in Ohio just months after he was traded to the Browns ... TMZ Sports has learned he was busted for going 97 MPH in a 70 MPH zone in June.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says it caught the star quarterback speeding in his G-Wagon in Sandusky -- less than three months after the Houston Texans dealt him to the Browns in a blockbuster trade.

Police body cam footage shows an officer pulled over the 27-year-old on June 11 ... and asked him if he had any clue how fast he was going.

"Like, 97?" said Watson, who also told the cop he had just been traded to the Browns.

"Yeah," the officer responded, "I got you at 97."

Watson said during the stop that he had been traveling into town from Detroit ... and the entire interaction with the cop was cordial. After a few minutes, the QB was issued a citation and allowed to leave.

Court records show the case was closed out on July 6 -- when Watson paid a $185 fine.

Deshaun is currently serving an 11-game suspension after he allegedly was sexually inappropriate with female masseuses during multiple massage therapy sessions during his time on the Texans.