Denver Broncos

No deal in the history of the NFL has been more awful than the one the Broncos made to get Russell Wilson ... at least, that's according to ex-NFL general manager Michael Lombardi, who tells TMZ Sports Denver's trade for the QB "is going to go down as the all-time worst."

The former Cleveland Browns decision-maker didn't mince words when discussing Wilson's benching with us this week ... explaining he believes the Broncos' 2022 swap with the Seahawks will now go down as a historic blunder.

"When you add the contract and the trade," Lombardi said, "it's the worst of all time."

The Broncos gave up a bevy of picks -- including a first-rounder and a second-rounder -- plus three other players in the move to acquire Russ before the '22 season. They then signed the 35-year-old to a massive $245 MILLION contract extension.

But, Russ played terribly in 2022 ... and wasn't all that much better in 2023 -- which forced Sean Payton to sideline him this week for Jarrett Stidham.

The head coach's decision likely signals the end of Wilson's Denver tenure -- and with it all but over, Lombardi's ready to dub it the most disastrous NFL deal ever.

Lombardi said prior to the Broncos' move, there had been other historically bad ones -- including the Vikings' infamous 1989 trade with the Cowboys for Herschel Walker -- but he said "none of those trades had contracts attached to them that impact the salary cap in future years."

"Russell will move from Denver," Lombardi said. "But his cap problems will remain for two more years."

Russell Wilson has been sidelined in Denver ... the Broncos are benching the future Hall of Famer.

Head coach Sean Payton made the decision this week, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, informing his team Wednesday that backup Jarrett Stidham will now be the starting signal-caller going forward.

Wilson has been largely a disappointment since Denver traded a bevy of picks and players for him prior to the 2022 season ... but, per Schefter, the move also has a lot to do with the 35-year-old's contract.

Schefter reported Wednesday that leaving Wilson on the bench will ensure he won't get injured -- and therefore $37 million of his contract will not become guaranteed in 2024.

The former Super Bowl champ had arrived in Colorado with huge expectations, but he was one of the worst QBs in the NFL in '22 -- throwing just 16 TD passes to 11 interceptions.

His 2023 campaign, however, had seen far more ups -- he's thrown for 26 TDs and just 8 INTs this season -- but the Broncos are still just 7-8 ... and have lost three of their last four.

Complicating matters further for Wilson, Payton was seen screaming at him on the sidelines during Denver's blowout loss to Detroit earlier this month.

The Wilson family just got bigger ... 'cause Ciara and Russell Wilson have welcomed their new baby girl into the world -- revealing her name is Amora Princess!

The Denver Broncos quarterback and the singer announced on their social media pages their daughter arrived on Monday ... sharing an adorable photo of the newborn.

"Amora Princess Wilson," the couple said in a caption on the IG post. "9lbs 1oz. We Love You so much!"

Their friends -- and millions of fans -- were stoked by the wonderful news ... with Serena Williams writing in the comment section on the post, "Omg i love her already."

Ciara -- who married Russell in 2016 -- broke the news that she was expecting back in August ... showing off her baby bump in a video while dancing to her hit single with Chris Brown, "How We Roll."

This is Ciara and Russ' third child together ... she had their daughter, Sienna Princess, in 2017 and their son, Win Harrison, in 2020.

Ciara also has a son from her previous relationship with rapper Future.

Former NFL running back Willis McGahee is opening up on the dark place he was in after his career ended in 2013 ... revealing he contemplated taking his own life "a couple times" as he struggled to find his purpose off the gridiron.

42-year-old McGahee -- who played in the NFL from 2003-2013 -- detailed his issues adjusting to life after football in an interview with The Athletic on Thursday ... saying, "When it’s gone, you really have nothing to fall back on."

"It’s just a lot coming at you, man, and it gets mentally tough."

McGahee was a stellar running back, but his career was plagued by countless injuries. Despite his recurring ailments, he managed to earn more than 8,400 yards and 65 touchdowns on the ground ... adding over 1,300 yards and another five touchdowns receiving.

Even though he felt like he could still play following the 2013 season, the league felt otherwise ... and he was forced to move on -- something he said he really struggled with in the years following.

McGahee said he has gotten better with his mental health struggles by going to therapy and focusing on his 10 children -- but his physical pain continues to this day, and he claims the NFL is abandoning players like him who need help through its disability benefits.

While McGahee said he is receiving line-of-duty benefits for substantial disability due to NFL activities, he said he is continuously getting shut down from collecting any sort of assistance for neurocognitive impairment -- which led to a lawsuit.

"It’s not benefiting the players who are really, actually hurt and going through stuff in life," McGahee said. "They’re not taking care of us. It’s a sham. I’m tired of it. Somebody has to step up and do something about it."

McGahee explained he would do it all again if he could ... but ultimately, a decision he'll have to deal with moving forward.

"I don’t regret it," McGahee said. "But it’s something I’ve got to deal with now."

Kareem Jackson has been suspended yet again ... this time, the NFL levied a four-game ban on the Denver Broncos safety after it says he illegally hit Joshua Dobbs during a violent play on Sunday night.

The tackle happened just seconds into Denver's tilt with the Minnesota Vikings, when Jackson launched himself into Dobbs' face while trying to bring down the QB.

Replays of the hit show Jackson tagged Dobbs in the chin area with the crown of his helmet -- a big no-no, according to the NFL exec Jon Runyan, who announced the suspension Monday afternoon.

"You had an unobstructed path to your opponent and the illegal contact could have been avoided," Runyan told Jackson when making the announcement.

"Illegal acts that are flagrant and jeopardize the safety of players will not be tolerated."

This is the second time Jackson has been slapped with a suspension for his play on the field ... back on Oct. 23, he was also banned four games for illegally hitting Packers tight end Luke Musgrave in the head and neck area.

Jackson, however, appealed the ruling ... and had the ban reduced to two games.

Las luchas de los Bills en el campo aparentemente han frustrado tanto a los aficionados de Buffalo, que ahora se han vuelto unos contra otros. Esto fue lo que pasó en una violenta pelea a puñetazos en el partido del lunes por la noche.

La salvaje pelea ocurrió durante la derrota de Buffalo ante Denver en el Highmark Stadium cuando varios aficionados claramente se molestaron con un hombre con una camiseta de Josh Allen.

Se desconoce lo que provocó la conmoción, pero se puede ver en el video filmado por alguien a pocas filas de distancia de todo, que los puños comenzaron a volar pocos segundos después de que se intercambiaron palabras.

Échale un vistazo al clip; el fan de Allen recibe un jab en la cara y se defiendo con un empujón, luego de eso, se desató la batalla.

En un momento dado, un hombre con una camiseta de Thurman Thomas saltó para tratar de ayudar al fa de Allen que estaba peleando solo, lo que llevó a un caos aún mayor.

Afortunadamente, parece que las cabezas más frías prevalecieron después de algunos unos segundos de lucha.

The Bills' struggles on the field have apparently frustrated Buffalo fans so much, they've now turned on each other -- getting into a violent fistfight at the game on Monday night.

The wild scrap happened at some point during Buffalo's loss to Denver at Highmark Stadium ... when several fans clearly became upset with a man in a Josh Allen jersey.

It's unknown what sparked the commotion ... but you can see in video shot by someone a few rows away from it all, fists started to fly just seconds after words were exchanged.

Check out the clip ... after the Allen fan got tagged in the face by a jab, he threw some haymakers -- which led to an all-out melee.

At one point, a man in a Thurman Thomas shirt jumped in to try and help out the Allen fan, which led to even more chaos.

Thankfully, it appeared cooler heads prevailed after just a few moments of fighting.

Haters really ARE gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate -- the Denver Broncos told Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs to "shake it off" after their shocking upset loss on Sunday ... by trolling the hell outta them with a Taylor Swift jam session.

The Broncos stunned the Super Bowl champs in a 24-9 home win in Week 8 ... and right after the game clock hit zeroes, the Mile High Stadium speakers started blaring the tight end's new lady's hit song, "Shake It Off."

It's a clear shot at the hype surrounding Tayvis ... with many accusing NFL broadcasts of going overboard with coverage every time the pop superstar attends games.

Swift was nowhere in sight for the shocking loss ... so the theory that she's Kelce's good luck charm is starting to sound pretty legit.

TK had six receptions for 58 yards in the contest ... less than half the production he had a week prior with Swift watching from a suite.

Kelce was in great spirits prior to the loss -- rocking out to his boo's biggest songs following his appearance at Game 1 of the World Series in Texas on Friday.

Taylor Swift ha estado presente en un montón de juegos de Travis Kelce esta temporada, pero eso no se repetirá este fin de semana, pues su multimillonaria gira está a punto de volver a comenzar.

Fuentes con conocimiento directo nos dicen que Taylor no viajará a Denver este domingo cuando los Kansas City Chiefs se enfrenten a Russell Wilson y los Broncos, porque tiene que volver a concentrarse en sus actuaciones.

El primer show de Taylor está programado para el 9 de noviembre en Buenos Aires, Argentina, así que podrán imaginarse que tendrá algunos ensayos y reuniones antes de ello.

Taylor ha estado en un descanso de tres meses de su gira The Eras Tour, cerrando la primera etapa de conciertos en EE.UU., con 6 noches en el SoFi Stadium en agosto. Pero ahora va a estar de gira durante todo el próximo año en el extranjero con fechas en Brasil, Japón, Suecia, Australia, Canadá, Francia, Italia y un montón de otros países.

Como informamos, también acaba de conseguir el estatus de multimillonaria. Según Forbes, la cantante vale 1,1 mil millones de dólares gracias a su gira Eras y también destacan el hecho de que es una de las pocas artistas que ha logrado un hito así, únicamente con sus grabaciones y ventas de entradas para sus conciertos.

Por supuesto, también es probable que le haya hecho ganar un montón de dinero a la NFL esta temporada, en cuestión de nuevos espectadores y ventas de camisetas. Todo, gracias a que fue a un montón de juegos de su novio Travis Kelce, animándolo desde la suite privada con amigos, desde Sophie Turner hasta la esposa de Patrick Mahomes, Brittany.

Taylor Swift has been a fixture at a bunch of Travis Kelce's games this season, but that's not gonna happen this weekend ... cuz her multibillion-dollar tour is about to start back up.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Taylor won't be making the trip to Denver Sunday when the Kansas City Chiefs take on Russell Wilson and the Broncos because she's gotta get back into tour mode.

Taylor's first show back from hiatus is slated for November 9 in Buenos Aires, Argentina -- so you gotta imagine there will be some serious rehearsals and meetings before then.

Taylor's been on a 3-month break from her 'Eras' tour -- closing out the first leg of U.S. shows with 6 nights at SoFi Stadium back in August -- but she'll now be touring off and on for the next year internationally with dates in Brazil, Japan, Sweden, Australia, Canada, France, Italy and a whole bunch more.

As we reported, she's also just hit billionaire status -- Forbes says she's worth $1.1 billion thanks to the "Eras" tour -- and credits her for being one of the only artists to hit the milestone solely off touring and recording sales.

Of course, she's likely made the NFL a bunch of money this season in new viewership and jersey sales ... attending a bunch of her boyfriend Travis' games and cheering him on from a private suite with friends from Sophie Turner to Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany.

Forget nightclubs and fancy restaurants ... Russell Wilson took Ciara to a Waffle House for her birthday -- and she loved it!!!

The NFL star rented out the entire eatery on Wednesday night to celebrate his wife's 38th trip around the sun ... dolling up the chain food place with a red carpet, balloons and much more.

The bash was clearly a surprise for Ciara -- who couldn't believe Wilson put in the extra effort to make her cake day that special.

"Oh, my gosh," she said in a highlight video of the evening. "Babe! This is like next level. This is like top, top!"

"My honey knows how much I love Waffle House!"

The two sat down in a booth for CiCi's bday dinner ... and it seems Ciara's order featured hashbrowns, cheese, a sandwich and some pickles. And, of course, later in the night, it was all washed down with a platter of birthday donuts.

Wilson noted in Ciara's video that he knew she'd be a fan of his big plan ... saying he had an inkling her pregnant belly "wanted some waffles and eggs."

Wilson's perfect birthday for his wife didn't just begin at night, though ... earlier in the day, he penned a mushy note to her on Instagram, writing that she's truly "Heaven sent, the perfect mother to our children, and God’s blessing to me."

Russell Wilson continues to remind everyone he's madly in love with Ciara ... sharing a mushy post on his Instagram page on Wednesday in honor of her 38th birthday.

The Denver Broncos quarterback threw up several photos of his singer/dancer wife ... all while using her latest hit song with Chris Brown, "How We Roll," as background music.

The pics showed the former Super Bowl champ with Ciara at football practices, on vacations, date nights and more.

"Happy Birthday to my Queen, @ciara ❤️," the 34-year-old signal caller wrote. "You truly are Heaven sent, the perfect mother to our children, and God's blessing to me as we get to do life together as Husband & Wife."

"We are all truly BLESSED!! I'm so grateful that God put you into my life and we've been able to create an amazing (growing) family."

Wilson married Cici in 2016 and the family of five moved to Denver when the Seahawks traded the 9-time Pro Bowler to the Broncos last year. The two announced in August they're expecting a third baby together ... something Wilson begged her for on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" last year.

He's also a proud stepfather to Ciara's first son, Future Zahir.

"God has so much in store for you this year of life and I can’t wait to see how much good will come from your presence and joy!!!" Wilson said.

"I Thank Jesus for you every day! I Love You Mrs. Wilson."

The NFL was quick to punish Kareem Jackson for his hit on Musgrave ... suspending him four games for "violations of unnecessary roughness rules" against the Packers.

In a letter to Jackson, the NFL's VP of football operations Jon Runyan explained the decision ... saying, "On the play in question, you delivered a forceful blow to the head/neck area of a defenseless receiver, when you had the time and space to avoid such contact."

"You could have made contact with your opponent within the rules, yet you chose not to."

Runyan also pointed out it wasn't Jackson's first offense ... as he was hit with several personal fouls for violating player safety-related rules.

Jackson can appeal ... but as it stands right now, he is slated to miss the Broncos' matchup against Kansas City, Buffalo, Minnesota and Cleveland.

Broncos defensive back Kareem Jackson received a racist message following his ejection from the Packers game Sunday ... and he was so angry with the comment, he called out the sender publicly.

The DM was sent to Jackson's Instagram account just after he was booted from Denver's 19-17 win over Green Bay for illegally hitting Luke Musgrave in the head and neck area.

The message, apparently sent from a man named Philipp, read, "Stop behaving like a f***ing n** 🤡"

Minutes later, the 35-year-old safety -- who was actually ejected from the Broncos vs. Commanders game earlier this season as well -- reposted the message ... and was clearly fuming over its content.

"I wanna make sure you get the attention you're looking for," Jackson said. "I want your friends and family to know what type of racist person you really are over a game."

"I'll repost all this week so it doesn't go unnoticed. Don't worry, IG tough guy."

Jackson later revealed he got another inappropriate message on the app ... one he was also furious about.

"Another IG tough guy," Jackson wrote after reposting the DM to his 120,000 followers. "This what we deal wit because we are athletes on a regular. Disgruntled fans that hide behind social media knowing it wouldn't end well in person. Enjoy this fame Daniel."

This is the second time a high-profile player has called out fans for their messages on Instagram this season ... earlier this year, Vikings star Alexander Mattison said he got over 60 hate notes from fans, with some including the N-word.

Jerry Jeudy is now taking the high road in his beef with Steve Smith ... saying Thursday he has "no hate toward" the former All-Pro while adding that if he had acted differently, he thinks none of their drama would have ever gone public.

You'll recall, Smith unloaded on Jeudy prior to the Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs "Thursday Night Football" game last week ... going off after he said the Denver star wouldn't accept his apology for some words he had previously said about the wideout on his podcast.

Smith, while live on-air for the NFL Network, called Jeudy "just a guy" ... adding that he believed Jeudy was "a tier three" player.

The harsh comments quickly went viral -- but when Jeudy was asked to go in-depth about them in front of his locker this week, he didn't throw any barbs back.

Instead, he explained that he didn't initially accept Smith's apology because he didn't realize one was coming.

"One thing I do agree on, I feel like I should have just listened to what he had to say," the 24-year-old former Alabama star said. "But at the same time, I'm going back to my roots, and once someone talks bad about you behind your back, you can't talk to -- don't expect to come to them in person and think everything's going to be OK at the end of the day."

"But, like I said, if I would've known he would've came and apologized and stuff like that, it would have been a whole different story or reaction and he wouldn't have said what he said."

It's been a rough year for Jeudy outside of the Smith drama -- he started the season injured ... and has tallied only 20 receptions since he's returned to the field.

Russell Wilson may not be winning on the football field, but off it is a different story ... the NFL star and his wife Ciara donated $1 million total to a bunch of organizations around Denver!

Russell and Ciara revealed the amazing contribution on Tuesday ... saying they gave ten different nonprofits in Denver $100k each.

The 9x Pro Bowler and Ciara -- who is pregnant with their third child -- hand over massive checks to "deserving organizations"  ... in partnership with their Why Not You Foundation and Common Spirit Health.

"We are forever grateful for the opportunity to impact our youth!" Wilson said.

"Today, we celebrated 10 deserving organizations which will each receive $100,000 to support their remarkable work in health equity, education, food security, social justice, and support for children and youth."

Of course, the gesture comes days after the Broncos lost a close Thursday Night Football game to the Chiefs, bringing their record to 1-5 record, putting them in last place in the AFC West.

Fans had high expectations when they landed the Super Bowl champ in a trade back in March 2022 ... giving him a 4-year, $245 million extension.

But, the 34-year-old quarterback hasn't been good ... he's 5-16 as the starter, and was sacked 55 times last season, the most in his NFL career. This year hasn't been much better.

However, Broncos' new head coach Sean Payton says the blame shouldn't be entirely on Russ.

"We got to be able to throw it better to win in this league, and that wasn’t directed at one player," Payton said after the TNF loss, "It was directed at all of us on offense."

Despite the struggles in Broncos Country, Wilson hasn't let the on-field struggles slow down his philanthropy.

Steve Smith Sr. went all the way in on Jerry Jeudy before Thursday Night Football ... calling the Broncos wide receiver average in front of millions of people!

Smith, a retired, 5x Pro Bowler, revealed he was involved in a pregame incident with 24-year-old Jeudy ... as the receivers came face-to-face, and it didn't exactly go smoothly.

“The word that I’ve used to describe him in the past was a J.A.G. -- Just A Guy. When I saw him, he’s playing well. I wanted to say to him face-to-face, ‘Hey, I know I said some things in the past I probably shouldn’t have and 'I’m sorry.’ That’s what I wanted to say to him. His response was, Ninja, I don’t mess with you. And, it was a curse word. So I was like, ‘All right.’ And, then he repeated it,” Smith told the NFL Network audience.

That's when the gloves came off.

"I'm sorry I said you were a JAG, 'Just A Guy' who is an average wide receiver [the Broncos] used a first-round pick on that isn't doing anything. I hope today you actually show up in a way that you haven't shown up in the last couple years since they drafted you."

Steve continued ... "So if you ever got a problem with Agent 89, I'm sorry for saying that you are an average wide receiver that they will eventually move on from. When teams call me to ask if they should trade for you, I will say 'No, don't trade for Jerry Jeudy because he is mentally unable to handle constructive criticism who watch specifically if you can be a wide receiver. He's a tier three."

Remember, this was all before the game even started.