Cleveland Browns

It turns out Jedrick Wills can't compliment a guy without sparking a QB battle ... 'cause the Cleveland Browns left tackle is clearing the air after praising Case Keenum, saying he was NOT taking a shot at Baker Mayfield.

Wills was speaking with reporters on Monday following the Browns' 17-14 win over the Denver Broncos ... when he said he didn't feel like there was a drop-off with Keenum filling in for the injured Mayfield.

While Wills was very clearly trying to speak highly of the team taking care of business in Baker's absence, some fans tried to start drama by twisting it into a diss at Baker -- and he ain't having it.

"Bro y’all are weird 😂😂😂," Wills said Monday. "Case played a good game, not s***ing on Bake at all. Relax"

Of course, Baker's still dealing with a shoulder injury ... but Keenum stepped up for nearly 200 yards and 1 touchdown to get Cleveland back in the win column.

Cleveland Browns running back D'Ernest Johnson was in complete shock when he found out LeBron James showed him love after his breakout game Thursday night ... giving a hilarious reaction to the shout-out!!

25-year-old Johnson balled out against the Denver Broncos in his first NFL start, rushing for 146 yards and a touchdown on the ground and adding 22 yards through the air.

LeBron -- a diehard Browns fan as of a few years ago -- took note of the performance and tweeted his support for DJ Thursday night ... saying, "D’ Ernest Johnson on 1 tonight!! Love to see it! #Browns"

Johnson got wind of the shoutout during his postgame presser, and he could not believe it.

"What? LeBron?! Man, that's my favorite basketball player, I ain't gonna lie to you," Johnson said. "LeBron?! LeBron?! Bro, that's big time. That's amazing, bro."

"LeBron James, I appreciate it, man. That means a lot."

Johnson's teammate, Anthony Walker, was also star struck ... saying, "That's big time right there."

BTW, Johnson's story is incredible -- he spent a year working on a fishing boat catching mahi-mahi after going undrafted out of the University of South Florida in 2018. When the Alliance of American Football debuted in 2019, he DMed every team in hopes of getting back on the field.

After spending 8 games with the AAF's Orlando Apollos, he joined the Browns in 2019 as a backup. With Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt out with injuries, Johnson stepped up and helped Cleveland get the much-needed win on TNF.

So, did Johnson celebrate the big win with some mahi-mahi??

"Definitely not having no mahi-mahi, probably have some salmon, but not mahi-mahi."

Scary moment on the sideline during the Browns game Thursday ... a photographer was slammed into by a Broncos star -- but somehow, he's okay.

Matt Starkey, the camera guy, was shooting some pics near the end zone during Cleveland's tilt with Denver ... when safety Justin Simmons caught a ball and accidentally plowed into him.

The Broncos player hit the guy with full force -- causing Starkey's hat to fly off, and his head to snap forward.

The collision was violent, and many people noticed the scary scene live -- with Pat McAfee even commenting on Twitter at the time, "That photog got SMOKED."

Fortunately, both Starkey and Simmons were able to pop right back up ... with the photog somehow even saving his camera from hitting the ground!!

After the game, Starkey made sure to let everyone know he was fine, saying, "All good" with a thumbs up emoji.

He also got a pic with Simmons later in the night and joked "iron sharpens iron."

Odell Beckham Jr. needs to get the hell outta Cleveland ... so says Robert Griffin III, who's calling for the Browns to trade the star receiver and stop wasting his talent.

It's no secret -- OBJ isn't nearly as productive in The Land as he was with the New York Giants ... and while he's battled injuries in his 3 seasons with the Browns, he's not getting many targets when he's healthy.

RG3 -- who spent the 2016 season with the Orange and Brown -- has seen enough of OBJ in CLE ... saying it's time to send the 28-year-old to a team that'll actually throw him the ball.

"The Browns need to trade OBJ because they don’t feature him, some games they don’t even try to throw it to him, their QBs don’t seem to be able to sync up with him on the deep ball or any other route," the former Heisman winner tweeted after the Browns' 17-14 win over the Broncos on Thursday night.

"He is wayyy to talented to be this poorly utilized. Oh and now he is hurt."

There was fear Odell further injured his shoulder sprain when trying to catch a pass in the win. He later returned to the game, but finished with 2 catches and 23 yards from backup Case Keenum.

Odell has 16 catches on 33 targets in 5 games this season ... with just a little over 200 yards and 0 touchdowns.

Kyler Murray had a bone to pick with Myles Garrett following their game Sunday ... telling the Cleveland Browns star he was ticked over his inclusion in the dude's Halloween QB graveyard!

Murray's hilarious beef was all picked up on a hot mic after the Cardinals beat Cleveland ... with the quarterback asking Garrett why he had to be on one of the headstones in the pass-rusher's front lawn.

"Why you got me in the graveyard, dawg?!" Murray asked. "Why you got me in the graveyard?!"

Garrett gave a sheepish smile and then explained, "I need some added motivation."

Murray clearly didn't love the answer, replying back, "Damn!" But, he did tell Garrett he did appreciate not having a "RIP" on his marker.

As we previously reported, Garrett has laid out QB gravestones in front of his house to celebrate the spooky season ... with Murray, Lamar Jackson, Ben Roethlisberger and four others being featured in the decorations.

Garrett had said they were up because he thought they were funny, and that he liked being "kind of a troll."

Don't worry ... it seemed like Murray didn't care that much, 'cause he complimented Garrett's game and said, "You're the best at it, man."

It's officially spooky season at Myles Garrett's house ... 'cause the Cleveland Browns superstar has decorated his home for Halloween -- with gravestones of NFL QBs!!!

The 25-year-old put out the set up at his Ohio pad just a few days ago ... laying headstones on his front lawn with seven quarterbacks' last names, numbers and helmets on them.

The list of signal-callers features opposing players on the Browns' schedule this season ... including AFC North rivals Lamar Jackson, Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Burrow.

The other four names include Bears' Justin Fields, Patriots' Mac Jones, Cardinals' Kyler Murray and Chargers' Justin Herbert.

Unclear why other QBs on the Browns' schedule like Derek Carr and Aaron Rodgers missed the cut ... but you can see in photos, obtained by TMZ Sports, it's all hilarious nonetheless.

Each "grave" has it's own light fixed on it ... and on Jackson's and Jones', the words "RIP" and "Here lies" are written on the top.

There's also two giant skeletons, a scarecrow, pumpkins and more on the property!!

Of course, some could perceive these as possible bulletin board material for Myles' opponents ... but even all the motivation in the world ain't going to help tackles block Garrett better.

Because, after all, have you seen the dude?!?

Baker Mayfield's wife is going OFF on fans blaming the Browns QB for Sunday's loss ... saying all the haters need to "wake up" and quit being so ungrateful.

Baker and Co. fell to 3-2 after a heartbreaking 47-42 loss to Justin Herbert and the Chargers at SoFi Stadium ... with #6 going 23-32 for 305 yards and 2 touchdowns in the effort.

Despite having an overall decent game, some fans criticized the 26-year-old signal-caller for not coming away with the dub.

Enter Mrs. Mayfield, who fired back at all the anti-Baker hate with a passionate Instagram post Monday morning.

"For all you fans who are blaming yesterday’s loss on Baker, wake up," Emily said. "It was one hell of a game and that game could have gone either way. He left it all on the field."

Baker's wife of 2 years says he has worked his ass off since he joined the team in 2018 ... and hasn't received the acknowledgment he deserves from the fans.

"You truly don’t know what you have. I have watched him give his all and change the entire  culture in Cleveland, yet he gets so little credit for it."

"He never asks for recognition and continues to carry the weight, day in and day out, despite the hate."

Emily calls for the Dawg Pound to start supporting the guys on the team instead of tearing them down all the time ... saying, "The hate does nothing for them."

Cleveland Browns safety Grant Delpit got straight-up torched this week -- but it wasn't on the football field, it was against a lucky kid who challenged him at a school supplies giveaway!!

Here's the deal -- the ex-LSU star hosted a shopping spree at a local Meijer in Cleveland ... giving kids all the school supplies, toys and clothes they could get their hands on.

But, one confident boy decided to use the event as an opportunity to go face-to-face against 23-year-old Delpit ... claiming he could "Moss" the 2nd-round pick, according to reporter Camryn Justice.

Of course, getting "Mossed" means completely embarrassing a defender with an insane catch or separation on a route ... something made famous by Hall of Famer Randy Moss.

Delpit heard the challenge loud and clear ... and let the kid take his best shot right in the middle of the store with teammate AJ Green playing QB.

The kid lined up for his route ... AND HE'S GOT SKILLS!!!!

Now, we know Delpit wasn't going 100%, but that shouldn't take away from the foot skills and speed the kid put on display as he breezes by the 2019 Jim Thorpe award winner to make the catch.

But, the kid wanted more -- and the second time around, he had a diving catch that would make Mr. Moss himself proud.

Delpit cheered the kid on ... raising his hands and celebrating as the young athlete secures the catch.

Don't be surprised if you hear from this kid again!!

He's baaaaaaack!!!! (reportedly) -- Odell Beckham will make his big return to the Cleveland Browns this Sunday ... 11 months after going down with a season-ending injury.

Remember, OBJ tore his ACL in a Week 7 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals ... and has been busting his ass in recovery ever since.

He's been busting his ass during rehab ... from running on treadmills to heavy lifting to other drills.

Odell has been participating in team warmups the past 2 weeks in hopes of getting back on the field ... but the Browns wanted to make sure he was back to full health before giving the green light.

Now, ESPN's Jordan Schultz is reporting #13 WILL be in action against the Chicago Bears this weekend ... that is, "barring any final setbacks."

Odell teased reporters earlier Thursday ... smiling and saying, "we'll see" when asked about his chances of playing.

WNBA star Angel McCoughtry says she's down to help Odell Beckham Jr. with his ACL recovery ... telling TMZ Sports she's willing to hook him up with the "secret sauce" to an early return.

The Las Vegas Aces baller came back from the horrific knee injury in just 4 MONTHS -- and when we asked her out in L.A. this week if she'd drop an assist to OBJ (who's still trying to make it back to the field after tearing up his knee in 2020) ... she said of course!

... under one condition.

"Tell him if he really, really want the secret, he gotta call me," AM told us. "Holla at me Odell, I'll tell you the secret! The secret sauce."

She added, "There's secret sauce, but you can't give it out. Those who want it will seek it."

All kidding aside, McCoughtry says she's confident OBJ -- who tore his ACL in Week 7 of the NFL season last year -- will make it back to the Browns' lineup sooner than later.

"He knows what to do," Angel said. "He knows how to come back."

Good news ... Ryan Switzer's infant son has undergone another major surgery ... and the NFL receiver says he's expected to make a full recovery.

Remember, Ryan's 10-month-old son Christian was hospitalized earlier this month after his parents found him in a pool of blood.

Doctors had performed surgery on Christian back on March 7 in order to track the cause of bleeding, but were not able to identify the issue with 100% certainty.

Ryan and his wife, Gabie, said doctors have made progress in the past few weeks and became certain they found the root of the problem ... and advised another surgery to address the issue once and for all.

Doctors at the famous Boston Children's hospital identified the issue as a "vascular anomaly" somewhere in his gastrointestinal tract.

Baby Christian underwent the procedure on Monday ... and his parents report everything appears to have gone well.

"Our sweet baby boy is stable and out of surgery," Switzer tweeted Monday. "This nightmare is over with. These wonderful people in Boston fixed our son. He’s going to make a full recovery. Praise God."

THIS. IS. INSANE.

Cleveland Browns star lineman Wyatt Teller hunted, shot and killed a 10-foot gator in Florida this week .... and then picked up the beast with his bare hands!!

Seriously!!

Here's how it went down -- Teller linked up with his buddy and Miami Dolphins defensive end Zach Sieler ... who happens to own a hunting outfitter, Clay Gully Outfitters, in central Florida.

The 2 NFL players -- who have been planning the trip for a while -- hunted hogs and gators on Sieler's enormous plot of land.

Sieler and his GF Hannah Cook tell TMZ Sports the 26-year-old All-Pro killed the gator -- which Zach estimates were 9.5 feet and 200 pounds -- and then threw it over his shoulder and carried it away.

FYI -- folks down south love to eat fried gator ... but no word on what will happen with this particular beast -- it could be eaten, or used to make a cool rug or even gator boots!!

Either way, it's gonna get used up.

Baker Mayfield ... SAW ALIENS?!!

The Cleveland Browns QB believes he may have seen a spacecraft in Austin, Texas on Wednesday ... and he wasn't alone!

25-year-old Mayfield says he was leaving a restaurant in his hometown when he and wife Emily Mayfield witnessed some visitors from another galaxy zoom across the night sky.

"Almost 100%, Em and I just saw a UFO drop straight out of the sky on our way home from dinner," Mayfield says.

"We stopped and looked at each other and asked if either of us saw it."

So, what did it look like?

"Very bright ball of light going straight down out of the sky towards Lake Travis. Anybody else witness this?"

That's when former NFL star turned analyst Nate Burleson chimed in -- saying he's ALSO witnessed a UFO in real life and promised to share his story later today.

"Aliens definitely exist!!!"

Cleveland Browns stars Rashard "Hollywood" Higgins and Jedrick Wills, Jr. just caught a break in their drag racing incident ... with both players pleading guilty to lesser charges of speeding on Tuesday.

As we previously reported ... 26-year-old Higgins and 21-year-old Wills were cited for drag racing in Westlake, OH on Jan. 5 ... just days before the Browns' first playoff game in nearly 2 decades.

During the stop, police claim they found a marijuana joint in Higgins' pocket ... which the wide receiver was instructed to destroy on camera, as one cop claimed it would be "bad for press."

During Wills' stop, the lineman admitted he and Higgins were "just being d*ckheads."

While the players' attorney initially claimed they would both plead not guilty to the drag racing charges, TMZ Sports has confirmed Higgins and Wills both pleaded guilty to lesser charges of speeding.

Both players paid $250 fines to wrap things up -- which seems like a pretty good deal considering the more serious punishment they could have received if convicted on the drag racing charges.

Marty Schottenheimer -- one of the NFL's all-time greatest head coaches -- died on Monday after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's ... his family announced Tuesday.

He was 77 years old.

The coach had fought Alzheimer's since 2014 ... but was moved to a North Carolina hospice facility last month after his family said he was suffering from "complications from his disease."

Schottenheimer's wife, Pat, said at the time, "As a family we are surrounding him with love and are soaking up the prayers and support from all those he impacted through his incredible life."

"In the way he taught us all, we are putting one foot in front of the other ... one play at a time."

Pat and the rest of the Schottenheimer family told ESPN's Chris Mortensen Marty passed on Monday ... adding the former coach will have a private family service soon with a public memorial service at a later date.

Schottenheimer was a head man in the NFL for 21 years ... and is 1 of just 8 men to win at least 200 games in the league as a head coach.

He began his head coaching career with the Cleveland Browns in 1984 -- and later went on to coach Joe Montana and Marcus Allen in Kansas City starting in 1989.

Schottenheimer went on to spend 10 total years with the Chiefs -- piling up a 101-58-1 regular-season record. He took the team to 7 playoff appearances -- and even brought them to the AFC Championship game in 1993, where they lost to the Buffalo Bills.

Marty continued his coaching career with Washington before moving to the San Diego Chargers. He was named Coach of the Year there in 2004, when the team went 12-4 and won the AFC West.

Nick Chubb and Saquon Barkley both think they can out-squat each other ... and there's only one way to solve this:

NFL STAR SQUAT SHOWDOWN FOR THE AGES!!!

The Cleveland Browns running back was answering questions during an AMA with Bleacher Report this week ... when he was asked straight-up -- who would win in a squat-off between the 2 stars.

"It'd be me," Chubb said. "Don't let his leg shots fool you."

Shots fired!!

But, Saquon didn't let Chubb run his mouth without clapping back on Twitter Friday saying, "@NickChubb21 STOP THE CAPPPPP!😂😂😂😂"

Now, these 2 dudes are absolute FREAKS in the gym -- especially when they're working on their legs.

Remember, Barkley made headlines when the Giants posted a vid of their star RB box squatting 585 pounds FOUR times back in May 2020.

As for Chubb, the dude was turning heads even back in college ... when he maxed out at 600 lbs. in 2017.