Denver Broncos

Former Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman, a third-round pick in 2012, is in hospice fighting for his life ... his former teammates said Tuesday.

Orlando Franklin -- who helped block for Hillman for three seasons in Denver -- initially revealed the sad news on his Twitter page ... asking Broncos fans for prayers for the ex-tailback.

"He's in hospice and not doing well," Franklin said.

Another one of Hillman's former teammates, Derek Wolfe, said later Tuesday the 31-year-old is currently battling "bad liver cancer."

"It's not looking good," Wolfe said on 104.3 The Fan on Tuesday. "He has pneumonia and I'm putting it out there just to send positive vibes his way."

Hillman played for the Broncos from 2012 through 2015 -- and helped Peyton Manning and the rest of the team win Super Bowl 50. Wolfe remembered him as a "great football player, great person, great teammate" and "an all-around great dude" on Tuesday.

Hillman, who starred at San Diego State before his NFL career began, also played for the Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys in his career.

Brad William Henke, a former NFL player who later got into acting and appeared in "Orange Is The New Black," has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

Brad died in his sleep Tuesday, according to sources connected to his family. The cause of death is unclear.

Brad's most famous for playing one of the prison guards in 'OITNB' -- and he's in the scene where one of the show's main characters, Poussey Washington, is killed off -- one of the biggest scenes in the entire series.

He also had roles in TV shows like "Justified" and "Lost" ... appearing in movies including "Pacific Rim" and "World Trade Center."

Brad started acting after retiring from the NFL in 1994, hanging up his cleats due to ankle injuries. He played his college ball at the University of Arizona before being drafted in 1989 by the New York Giants.

A defensive lineman, Brad also played for the Denver Broncos and got on the field in Super Bowl XXIV against the San Francisco 49ers.

Brad first got into Hollywood by acting in commercials, then he started landing TV guest spots on series like "ER," "Arli$$," "Nash Bridges," "Silk Stalkings" and "Chicago Hope."

With over 100 acting credits to his name, Brad also appeared in "CSI," "Judging Amy," "Crossing Jordan" and "Dexter" ... among many others.

His manager, Matt DelPiano, tells us, "Brad was an incredibly kind man of joyous energy. A very talented actor, he loved being a part of this community….and we loved him back. Our thoughts are with his wife and family.”

Brad was 56.

Ciara went all out for Russell Wilson's 34th birthday ... hittin' a super sexy dance for her hubby -- AND penning him a sweet love letter, too!!!

Wearing a skintight, leather mini-dress, the "Level Up" singer took to TikTok to show love for her NFL player boo ... dancing around to a birthday song while blowing him a kiss.

She later hit Instagram to tell the Denver Broncos quarterback just how much she loved him on his big day Tuesday.

"Intelligent, Beautiful, Loving, Caring, Thoughtful, Consistent, Special, Anointed, Rare, A Legend, a Winner, Everything that is YOU!" she wrote in the caption of steamy photos of the couple. "I love you so much Birthday Boy @DangeRussWilson! Today a King was born! I love you so much! I’m so proud to celebrate you today and everyday 👑"

Russ, like always, cherished both posts from his wife of 6 years ... responding in the comments, "Uh oh ... Momma TikTokin' again."

"I am grateful I get to spend the rest of my life with you," he added. "And one day Eternity in Heaven. I love you Mrs. Ciara Wilson."

As for how they celebrated ... they spent at least part of the day giving back to the community, with the two dropping by Centura Parker Adventist Hospital in Colorado to visit some patients.

Of course, there was a birthday cake involved, too.

Mats were nowhere to be seen on the sidelines during the Chargers vs. Chiefs game on Sunday night ... just days after a Broncos player sued L.A., claiming the previous use of the ground coverings at SoFi Stadium caused him to tear his ACL.

The mats had been there for the Broncos vs. Chargers game back on Oct. 17 -- and during a special teams play in the overtime period of the contest, outside linebacker Aaron Patrick stepped on them and blew out his knee.

In a lawsuit filed on Nov. 15, he claimed it was a mistake by the Chargers, ESPN, the NFL and others to allow the mats to be placed so close to the playing field ... explaining all parties should have known they presented a dangerous hazard for players.

He sued for unspecified damages, including lost bonuses and future earning potential.

On Sunday -- the first Chargers game at SoFi Stadium since the suit was filed -- no mats were present in any area of the field.

It should be noted the game was an NBC broadcast, not an ESPN one ... but cords and cables were either covered in a different way, or carried by officials.

Unclear if the Chargers imposed the changes as a result of the suit ... they declined to comment due to the pending litigation.

Patrick's attorney, William M. Berman of Berman & Riedel, tells TMZ Sports he and his client still aren't happy with the changes ... saying, "The guys holding the cables/wires were still in too close proximity to the field, creating what we believe to still be a very dangerous condition."

A Denver Broncos special teamer is suing the NFL, the Chargers and a bunch of others ... claiming mats placed on the sidelines at SoFi Stadium earlier this year caused him to suffer a severe knee injury.

Aaron Patrick spelled out his allegations in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, saying that a series of poor decisions by the league and its L.A. team resulted in his ACL tear back on Oct. 17 during the Broncos vs. Chargers' "Monday Night Football" game.

The 25-year-old Denver outside linebacker said in his suit the injury happened in the overtime period of the contest in L.A. ... while he was attempting to make a tackle on a punt return.

Patrick says because of his effort to make the play on the field, his momentum carried him into the sideline area -- where an NFL official who monitors television timeouts was standing. Patrick claims in the suit in an attempt to avoid the man, he had to step on mats that stadium workers had put down to cover up NFL instant replay sideline monitor cords and cables.

Patrick says, as a result, his foot got caught in the mats and the cords -- causing his knee to bend awkwardly. He was later diagnosed with a torn ACL, and is expected to miss the rest of this season.

Patrick is heaping blame on not only the NFL and the Chargers for it all, but also ESPN, the mat company and others -- claiming they all could have done more to prevent the injury from happening.

Patrick claims all parties should have known the mats presented a dangerous hazard for players. He also says the NFL official shouldn't have been standing where he was.

Patrick is suing for unspecified damages, including lost bonuses and future earning potential.

"Player safety should be the foremost of importance to the NFL and its owners," said Patrick's attorney, William M. Berman of Berman & Riedel. "The NFL is a multi-billion-dollar sports enterprise and business, and it needs to do everything possible to protect its players from non-contact game injuries."

Russell Wilson ditched the cold temps in Denver for a much warmer spot during the Broncos' bye week -- the QB hit up Cabo with his wife, Ciara, for some unliiiimited fun in the sun.

Russ and CiCi posted up poolside for at least part of their special getaway ... lounging in the rays while they got some R&R.

Ciara appeared to be enjoying the moment ... as the 33-year-old signal-caller was checking something out on a laptop.

Knowing the competitor Russ is, it wouldn't be surprising if he was checking out some Tennessee Titans game footage as the Broncos look to improve on their 3-5 record next week.

The vacay comes at the perfect time for Russ -- Denver hasn't gotten off to the hottest of starts, but the team was at least able to defeat the Jaguars in London last week ... allowing the couple to go into their Mexico trip on a high note.

Of course, Russ has been getting some hate from diehard fans for the slow start to the season -- they even left rude comments on his romantic Instagram post for Ciara's birthday.

But traveling isn't new to the Wilsons -- in July, Russ and the "Body Party" singer hit up Lake Como in Italy, where Ciara popped a pimple on her hubby's face. Truly romantic stuff.

Russell Wilson turned into William Wordsworth for Ciara's birthday -- gushing over his wife in an emotional post on Tuesday ... and praising her as the perfect mother, businesswoman and partner.

"God blessed the world on this day with you," the Denver Broncos quarterback said on Instagram. "I love you so much. You inspire the world!"

"Every morning your mission is to make the world a better place and you have a perfect score."

Seriously ... dude poured his heart out for Ciara's 37th birthday, sharing some special moments of them together as well.

He continued ... "But most importantly, you are God's beautiful child and HE is wildly obsessed with you. Keep Shining my Love. Thank you everyday for loving me, encouraging me, and joining forces with me everyday to do what God called us to do! That’s to LOVE & SERVE."

"May this year bless you with all of your heart's desires! Happy Birthday my Queen."

While it was a really touching post, some trolls decided to take to the comments to rip the QB for his rough 2-5 start to the 2022 season ... telling him to focus on throwing touchdowns.

No, Subway did not pull Russell Wilson's signature sub from its menu over hate from online trolls ... the sandwich giant tells TMZ Sports it simply needed some space for newer dishes.

The Russ hoagie -- dubbed the "The Dangerwich" -- debuted on Subway's exclusive "The Vault" menu back in February ... and it seemed to initially be a hit.

There didn't appear to be any problems with the sammy -- which featured pepperoni, salami, ham, cheese, bacon and veggies -- but when the org. began releasing some ads with the Broncos QB in them, that's when the backlash began.

Russ looked super cringeworthy in the spots -- including one where he, decked out in sunglasses and a leather jacket, suggested a way to eat the meal with a fork and a knife.

The vids quickly became a meme on social media ... and after Wilson's awful start to the NFL season in Denver, the Internet hate grew exponentially.

This week, fans began to notice the sandwich had been removed from Subway's menu ... and many believed it was due to all of the trolling.

But, a spokesperson for Subway told us on Friday that was not the case -- and that the sandwich had actually been pulled in August, before the season began.

"Subway works with a variety of athlete partners, and The Vault is the perfect place to showcase their favorite sandwiches," the spokesperson said. "While The Dangerwich sub left The Vault in August to make room for some new, craveable options, don't worry, The Dangerwich will be back soon!"

Waka Flocka Flame is jumping to Russell Wilson's defense after the latest round of public Russ bashing, courtesy of Charlamagne Tha God and "The Pivot" podcast.

"The Breakfast Club" co-host was discussing his daughters' dating future with Channing Crowder when Russ' name came up in a backhanded compliment.

The whole group felt Russ was square, but they also agreed he'd be the perfect guy to bring home to the family. Former NFL star Channing added that Russ wouldn't be his ideal homie to hang with, though.

All the snickering at Russ' expense rubbed Waka the wrong way, and he called out the group on IG, posting ... "that s**t lame grown men talking bout grown men for views especially when y’all see Russ and his family happy smfh we gotta do better frfr."

This isn't the first time 'Pivot' has gone viral for making Russ the butt of a joke.

Back in April, Channing claimed Ciara wouldn't be married to Russ if he didn't have his $242 million dollar NFL contract, labeling him a "square" ... again.

Russ may have his hands full with critics this year ... his Denver Broncos are off to an awful 2-4 start, and fans think Future's guest spot on Boston Richey's "Bullseye 2," is the bad juju to blame.

F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton got a firsthand look at his new team on Monday ... hitting up the Broncos vs. Chargers game -- and he left with a souvenir!!

The Mercedes driver hit up SoFi Stadium to catch his Broncos in action for the first time since joining the team's ownership group ... and while the game ended up being a dud, he clearly had a great time.

Sir Lewis -- who's in the U.S. leading up to the Grand Prix in Austin this weekend -- got the VIP treatment at the game ... and was on the field at some points throughout the night.

The team had a special present for Hamilton, too -- an honorary game ball!!

The ball says "Denver Broncos Football Club 2022" ... and "A New Chapter in Broncos History."

"First game being a part of this organization. Thanks for the warm welcome ❤️," Hamilton said on Twitter.

The Walton-Penner family -- which bought the team for a record $4.65 billion back in June -- announced Hamilton joined the ownership group back in August ... saying they're "delighted" to bring Hamilton on board.

The dude certainly seems to be fitting in with the team ... 'cause he also referenced Russell Wilson's viral battle cry.

Jerry Jeudy was so furious with Shannon Sharpe for criticizing his play on Sunday night -- he took to Twitter to fire away at the Broncos legend ... and his burn featured no chill at all.

Sharpe blasted the Denver wide receiver for dropping some passes in the Broncos' ugly win over the San Francisco 49ers -- at one point tweeting during the contest, "Jeudy does all this route running in the off season and can't catch a FCKING pass."

When Jeudy got wind of the criticism following the game -- he didn't take it lying down.

The 23-year-old quote-tweeted Sharpe's words ... and said, "And you be doing all that talking during the season while your breathe be smelling like your ass."

He added, "#BigWin."

Jeudy eventually deleted the tweet. He said in another post later Sunday night, "Lmao ima be the bigger man and let him have that lol good win today doe #GoBroncoz."

Sharpe has yet to respond -- but we're sure some sort of clap back from the now-polarizing TV personality is coming.

Jeudy, meanwhile, has not gotten off to the best start this season ... catching just seven of his 16 targets in three games for 130 yards and one TD.

Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett admitted Tuesday what everyone already knew -- he blew the ending of Monday night's game against the Seahawks.

Hackett got candid at his meeting with media members less than 24 hours after losing to Seattle ... revealing he should have, in fact, stuck with Russell Wilson on fourth-and-five instead of kicking a 64-yard field goal as the time ticked away on "MNF."

"Looking back at it," he said, "we definitely should have gone for it."

The Broncos were trailing the Seahawks, 17-16, but Wilson, who's no stranger to late-game magic, was driving the Broncos down the field with the hopes of winning in his much-anticipated return to Seattle.

The problem? When Russ' drive stalled near midfield -- Hackett elected to pull him from the game, and trot Brandon McManus to attempt to make a historically long kick.

Of course, he missed ... and the Broncos lost -- and Hackett made it clear he regrets the decision.

"It's just one of those things that's unfortunate, but that was our plan going into it," the rookie head coach said. "Obviously, looking back at it, if you missed the field goal, you're always going to wish you would've gone for it, and if you would've gone for it and not gotten it, you wish you would've given him a chance."

Hackett's decision was so questionable ... Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning, who was hosting the ManningCast during the game, was visibly dumbfounded over it all.

Seahawks defensive lineman Shelby Harris -- who was part of the blockbuster trade that made Russell Wilson a Bronco -- got the last laugh on Monday ... 'cause after his team defeated Denver in a 17-16 thriller, he trolled the star QB by using his viral "let's ride" slogan!!

Harris -- who spent five seasons with the Broncos -- was doing a postgame interview when he made it clear he hasn't forgotten about being shipped off to Seattle to make room for Russ in Denver.

"That's what happens when you trade one of your D-linemen to the other team," Harris told NFL Network reporter James Palmer. "We sit here and make plays, all of us. That's what happens when you get two goal-line stops, right there, a win. Can't draw it up any better than that, man."

You'll recall ... Russ was traded from the Seahawks to the Broncos in March in exchange for Harris, Drew Lock, Noah Fant and some first- and second-rounders in the upcoming drafts.

Harris admitted he had some extra motivation playing against his former team and their new $245 million man ... and took joy in knocking off Russ, who was booed heavily in his return to Lumen Field.

"We come out here, everyone doubted us, everyone made this about Russ," Harris added. "We made about the Seattle Seahawks. We came out here, played good ball for four quarters, come out with the W."

"Nobody expected us to win except for us. It’s always going to be us," he continued.

Shelby is right -- the Seahawks, led by Russ' former backup Geno Smith, were massive underdogs against the Broncos.

In the end, a questionable decision by rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett to attempt a 64-yard field goal instead of going for it on 4th and 5th cost the Broncos the game.

Russell Wilson's wife, Ciara, showered her man with love, calling him her "greatest inspiration," after the QB received a massive 9-figure contract extension from the Denver Broncos!!

Ci tweeted, "Baby @DangeRussWilson, I am so proud of you! You’re the most dedicated and hardworking person I know! It’s been so beautiful to see you become a Bronco!"

"So excited for the journey ahead!" she added

Wilson -- who was a part of a blockbuster trade that sent him from the Seahawks to the Broncos -- agreed to a five-year, $245 million extension on Thursday ... which includes $165 million guaranteed, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Russ tweeted Thursday morning before his extension was announced, "ALL THE GLORY TO JESUS!!! #HEisKING."

The couple has fully leaned into being a Bronco. In fact, Ciara teased that Russ got her an adorable puppy as a Mother's Day gift, and fittingly, they named it "Bronco."

The pup joined Russ, Ci, and their three children in a new $25 million home in Englewood, Colorado in April ... which sits on 5.34 acres..

The Wilson's new 20,060 square foot crib has four bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, a nine-car garage, and a large fireplace.

Even before they became local homeowners, the power couple made an immediate impact in the Denver community, visiting patients at the Children's Hospital in Colorado.

It's nothing new for Russ ... who has been one of the most charitable athletes in the world since joining the NFL in 2012 -- whether it be in Seattle or the Mile High city.

Byron Allen is callin' dibs on the next available NFL team -- telling TMZ Sports that after losing out on the Broncos this year, he's "highly confident" he'll "get the next one."

We got the TV mogul out in Beverly Hills just days after he officially lost his bid to buy Denver's NFL franchise to Rob Walton, and he told us he ain't sad about it at all.

In fact, Allen was in a playful mood about missing out on the $4.65 billion purchase ... saying, "When you lose to the richest family in the world, it's not a bad day in the office."

Allen says he's now already turned his sights onto the next available team -- explaining he's absolutely undeterred by how the Broncos sale ended up.

"Listen," the 61-year-old said. "Buying an NFL football team is a process and we had the pleasure of being a part of that process. We didn't get this one, but I'm highly confident we'll get the next one."

Allen said owning a team is very important to him -- telling us that becoming the first-ever Black controlling owner in the league is a huge goal of his.

Allen credited Robert Kraft and Roger Goodell for giving him the tools necessary to one day accomplish that feat ... and added that he's in no hurry whatsoever to give up on the dream.

Former NFL star Aqib Talib's brother, Yaqub Talib, is a wanted man in Texas -- this after cops say he was involved in a fatal shooting at a youth football game this weekend.

The Lancaster Police Department fired off an announcement Sunday saying that they were looking for Yaqub in connection to the death of an adult male Saturday ... who was shot and killed during an argument at the conclusion of a match that parents were angry about.

The man is said to be a coach for one of the teams ... there's a name circulating online, but we'll refrain from ID'ing him at this time until the family and/or cops confirm. In any case, he succumbed to his injuries ... which police say was a direct result of a discharged firearm.

There's video of the alleged shooting which eyewitnesses claim shows a man pull out the gun and fire. We're told people in the crowd identified the man wearing all-black and a bucket hat as possibly being one of the Talib brothers -- but it's hard to make out who this person is, or if they have a weapon at all. What is depicted ... a scuffle/apparent shooting.

Lancaster PD says they've identified the suspect in this case as Yaqub, and note there's an active warrant for his arrest. It's unclear what charge, exactly, they wanna bring him in on ... but some say this looks to be outright murder. We've reached out to LPD for clarification.

A former mugshot of Yaqub was attached to the press release, and Lancaster is asking for any and all help in finding him. BTW, Aqib was also there for this tragic killing.

His attorney tells TMZ ... "Aqib was present when this unfortunate incident occurred and is very distraught and devastated over this terrible loss of life. He would like to convey his condolences to the family of the victim and to everyone who witnessed this unfortunate tragedy."

Aqib famously played for the Bucs, the Broncos (with whom he won a Super Bowl ring) and several other teams over the years. He was not named in Lancaster PD's release.