Football

An embarrassing playoff loss suddenly got easier to swallow for Dallas Cowboys star Jake Ferguson ... 'cause he just received an adorable birthday shout-out from his smokin' hot GF, Haley Cavinder!!

One half of the famous Cavinder twins dropped the happy b-day wishes to the tight end on her Instagram page Thursday morning ... sharing a collage of pics of her snuggled up with her man to celebrate his 25th trip around the sun.

"Ocho siete day," she wrote with a party emoji. "Twentyyyy five oldhead!"

Ferguson, of course, could use the TLC from Cavinder ... after all, while he did ball out against the Packers in a playoff game on Sunday, his Cowboys team got smacked, 48-32.

Cavinder, meanwhile, seems to have no problem sharing her love for the football player ... after they took their relationship public a few months ago, she's been nothing but a loyal GF.

The 23-year-old TCU women's basketball player -- who's sitting out this season after transferring from Miami -- was at most of his games .... rockin' his jersey number loudly and proudly.

The Super Bowl's national anthem this year will have a little bit of a twang to it ... 'cause the NFL revealed Thursday it tapped none other than Reba McEntire to belt out the song!!

The league made the announcement just minutes ago ... adding that Post Malone will croon "America The Beautiful" just before the country music legend takes the stage on Super Sunday next month at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

The duo's performances will be preceded by a show from Grammy Award winner Andra Day, who's scheduled to sing "Lift Every Voice and Sing" to kick off the pregame festivities.

Of course, the acts will have some big shoes to fill ... as last year, Chris Stapleton's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" was so good, it brought Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni to tears.

As for halftime of this year's Big Game, the NFL announced a few months ago Usher will handle those duties.

Detroit Lions' first playoff win in forever has totally uplifted the city spiritually and financially -- and Icewear Vezzo, one of the town's top rappers, wants to see the underserved regions also reap some rewards!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Vezzo in NYC on a chilly Wednesday but he still had time to talk about the heat his team has been bringing.

The last game alone was projected to generate $20 million into Detroit's economy and Vezzo tells us he would love for the hoods to get turnt for the better.

Vezzo places responsibility on the city's rap population as well -- he's eager about his upcoming "Live From The 6" album and sneaker drive, where he and his fellow artists will be clearing out their foot lockers for the free.

The man apparently owns over 400 pairs of Nike AF1's alone ... sounds like a win-win for everyone.

This is awesome ... Jason Kelce (you thought the guy couldn't be any more likable?!) hooked a local McDonald's employee up in a supersized way, giving the fast food worker a signed Philadelphia Eagles jersey as a thank you!

36-year-old Kelce, who is mulling his football future, grabbed breakfast Wednesday morning -- 2 sausage, egg and cheese McMuffins with a coffee -- and also found time to spread some serious Brotherly Love!

Jason got to know Danielle Bonham through his repeated trips to the restaurant (hey, lineman's gotta keep on the size!), and with his playing career possibly over, he hooked the woman up with the autographed threads.

“To Danielle. Go Birds! Thank You!” JK wrote on the #62 jersey. The future Hall of Famer also found time to pose for a photo from his driver's seat.

As for Kelce's decision on his football future, while it sounds like he may be done ... it's not a done deal just yet.

In fact, on his New Heights podcast this morning, Jason said it was too soon to make a decision ... despite reports he told his teammates he was done playing.

Jason Kelce isn't ready to officially announce he's walking away from his Hall of Fame career just yet -- the Philadelphia Eagles star elected not to confirm whether he will hand in his retirement papers ... this after reports he told his teammates it was a done deal.

The 36-year-old Super Bowl champ addressed his NFL future in the latest episode of his "New Heights" podcast with his brother and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis on Wednesday ... and he explained he was really in his feels after his team was booted from the playoffs at the hands of Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"I just don't think you're in a position after a game like that to really make that decision," Jason told Taylor Swift's boyfriend.

The All-Pro center said he isn't trying to keep people on the edge of their seats with his vagueness ... but admitted he wasn't in the right mind space to reach a conclusion following the loss.

"There's too much emotion in the moment. There's too much going down in the moment to really fully grasp that decision."

Jason was adamant he isn't trying to be "dramatic" ... adding, "It's just something that I think, when it's time to officially announce what's happening in the future, it'll be done in a way that's definitive and pays respect to a lot of people and individuals that have meant a lot to me and what has led to the career I've had."

Jason was super emotional talking about his conversation with the Eagles' locker room after the game ... saying he told the players to embrace every moment.

The Colts released a statement on Jim Irsay's health ... saying he is still recovering from his "respiratory illness."

"We will have no further comment on his personal health, and we continue to ask that Jim and his family's privacy be respected."

Jim Irsay was found laying in his bed unresponsive, cold to the touch and gasping for air during a suspected overdose in December ... this according to police in Indiana.

Carmel Police Department documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, show cops were dispatched to Irsay's Carmel residence on Dec. 8 at around 4:30 AM ... after someone said they had found the Indianapolis Colts owner unconscious on a bathroom floor with a blue skin tone.

When police first arrived on the scene, they say Irsay had been moved to his bed ... where he was struggling to breathe and had a weak pulse and constricted pupils.

Police say in the docs an attempt to wake him with a sternum rub was unsuccessful. They added, though, that after administering one dosage of Narcan -- a drug commonly used to revive people in opiate overdose situations -- "he responded slightly."

Cops say they were prepared to attach an AED to Irsay -- but paramedics arrived and "took over lifesaving efforts." Irsay was eventually transported to a nearby hospital via an ambulance.

Officers noted in the documents that a caretaker provided them a list of the medications Irsay had been taking ... though they wrote in the report, "At this time, it is unknown what Mr. Irsay had ingested prior to our arrival." They classified the incident in the docs as both "overdose" and "overdose/poisoning."

Irsay had not been seen around his Colts' team in the weeks following the incident ... and on Jan. 9, the team announced he'd been dealing with a "severe respiratory illness." The Colts explained in a statement that he would miss a scheduled appearance in Los Angeles with his "Jim Irsay Band" while receiving treatment for the ailment.

"He is receiving excellent care and looks forward to returning to the stage as soon as possible," the Colts said. "We'll have no additional information at this time and we ask that you respect the privacy of Jim and his family as he recovers."

We do not know if Irsay's recent hospitalization is related to the December incident at his home.

Irsay -- who's been the owner of the Colts since 1997 -- said in an interview with Andrea Kremer back in November, he's battled addiction to alcohol and pain pills during his life, requiring at least 15 trips to rehab. He also told Kremer he previously suffered an overdose after he "was trying to detox myself."

"All of a sudden I started slurring my words and then code blue, I stopped breathing," he told Kremer of the OD. "And they revived me, and the doctor goes, 'Jim, you're one lucky man because I had signed, virtually, the death certificate.'"

We've reached out to Irsay, but no word back yet.

We're not even halfway through the week, and we've already got some big stories -- which you can catch up on in TMZ's recap.

Firstly on TMZ Live, Green Day told us they were sticking by their decision to change their O.G. "American Idiot" lyrics to "I'm not part of the MAGA agenda" at "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" gig.

They told us Monday at LAX they've got no regrets pissing off Trump supporters ... and it sounds like they think the USA's a lil' stupider since they first released the song in 2004.

Jumping over to TMZ TV, Taylor Swift's been knocked from Amazon's top spot... by none other than ... Glenn Danzig.

Yes, you heard that right ... the legendary punk and heavy metal Misfits singer dethroned TS cause of a glitch. The few actually buying Glenn's album were getting sent completely random albums -- all for a total bargain of 12 bucks.

Others began seeing what album they would bag if they tried to purchase Glenn's on Amazon. Our team also placed an order for Glenn's album ... check out the clip to see what we were sent instead!

Things were kicking off at TMZ Sports, where Michael Babcock and Mojo discussed WWE royalty Bill Goldberg's son Gage's exciting footballing future.

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.

Tom Brady and Irina Shayk are still seeing each other when they can -- 'cause they just grabbed dinner last night ... and wouldn't you know it, the G.O.A.T's a true gent.

TB12 and Bradley Cooper's ex got together Monday evening in NYC -- where they chowed down at a fancy shmancy place in Lower Manhattan ... kinda by the water, in fact. It's a French restaurant called Brasserie Fouquet's New York -- and they had a table to themselves.

Now, in terms of what went on and whether they were showing any PDA -- we're told they didn't put on explicit signs of affection during the meal ... but they were definitely cozy.

Tom and Irina were there for a total of 2 hours -- and we're told TB said something about the burger and how it good it was. If he did, in fact, grub on that ... he dropped a cool $30 for that bad boy, 'cause that's how much this joint charges for ground beef in a bun!

Anyway ... they walked out of there together, we're told, and lo and behold -- Tom paid.

Couple things ... nice to know Tom isn't one to go Dutch, even with somebody who's as loaded as Irina and who could presumably cover herself. They're both wealthy -- but when it comes down to it ... Tommy's old-fashioned, and willing to pick up the tab for his lady.

Also, this just goes to show Tom and Irina are still in one another's orbit -- not only evidenced in this outing ... but the fact they got together last month in Miami during Art Basel.

Remember, Tom and Irina were first spotted hanging out last summer ... and it seems they're keeping each other around as we go into 2024 -- suggesting they got a good thing.

Tom Brady e Irina Shayk siguen viéndose cuando pueden. De hecho, cenaron anoche y por si no lo sabían, el mejor de todos los tiempos es un verdadero caballero.

TB12 y la ex de Bradley Cooper se reunieron el lunes por la noche en Nueva York, para comer en un lugar elegante de Lower Manhattan, cerca del agua, de hecho. El lugar se llama Brasserie Fouquet, es francés y ambos tenían una mesa para ellos solos.

Ahora, en términos de lo que pasó y si se pusieron cariñosos en público, nos dicen que no hubo signos explícitos de afecto durante la cena, pero estaban definitivamente amorosos el uno con el otro.

Tom e Irina estuvieron allí 2 horas y nos dicen que Tom Brady dijo algo sobre la hamburguesa y lo buena que estaba. Si lo hizo, de hecho, le costó unos $30 porque eso es lo que cobra el restaurante por un beef en el pan.

De todos modos, nos dicen que salieron de allí juntos y que Tom pagó.

Un par de cosas. Es bueno saber que Tom no es de los que prefiere que cada uno pague, incluso con alguien tan forrado como Irina, quien presumiblemente puede cubrirse. Ambos son ricos, pero cuando se trata de eso, Tommy es un hombre chapado a la antigua y dispuesto a pagar la cuenta de su dama.

Además, esto solo demuestra que Tom e Irina siguen estando en la órbita del otro. No solo se evidencia por esta salida, sino porque también se reunieron el mes pasado en Miami durante Art Basel.

Recuerden, Tom e Irina fueron vistos por primera vez saliendo el verano pasado y parece que siguen en contacto a medida que avanza el 2024, lo que sugiere que tienen una buena cosa.

Deion Sanders' sons, Shedeur and Shilo, just proved yet again they've got game both on the field and off of it ... killin' it as models at the Louis Vuitton Men's Fall-Winter 2024 Show!!

The two University of Colorado football stars hit the runway in Paris on Tuesday to show off some of the pieces Pharrell designed for the luxury brand this year ... and they performed just as well at the show as they usually do on the gridiron.

Shilo walked first ... donning a graphic puffer jacket with a plaid shirt underneath. Shedeur followed seconds later, wearing an orange vest and an over-the-shoulder bag.

The two clearly took the gig seriously ... sportin' some stoic model faces as they made their way around the room.

Pharrell, of course, had some time to chat with the bros before they had their big moment ... and he praised them for the "amazing" work they've been doing.

Then, he doled out some wisdom ... telling Shilo both he and his brother have already proven they're way more than just college football stars.

"If I were you, I would change that language," the singer told Shilo after the Buffs defensive back said he wanted to be multidimensional. "'I am multidimensional.' You know what I'm saying? Let them know you're already that!"

Odell Beckham Jr. believes the New York Giants were trying to sabotage his career by shipping him to the Cleveland Browns in 2019 ... revealing he felt his old team made the trade just to "f*** me over."

OBJ spoke his mind on his Ravens teammate Marlon Humphrey’s "Punch Line Podcast" earlier this week ... when he opened up on his eventual departure from the organization that drafted him in 2014.

"There’s a semi bit of me that feels like the Giants sent me off, I’ve said it before, sent me off to Cleveland to die," Odell said ... adding he felt there were better deals on the table with contenders, but NY chose the less favorable destination.

"You can't tell me this was the best trade package we could have got for you ... no, your desire was to kind of f*** me over a little bit."

Beckham and defensive end Olivier Vernon were traded to The Land in exchange for safety Jabrill Peppers, guard Kevin Zeitler and a first and third-round pick ... the former eventually becoming Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, a staple for the franchise.

Beckham Jr. started off hot in the Big Apple ... but things quickly turned sour. He became just as famous for his on-field success as his antics off it, including sideline outbursts.

The current Ravens receiver believes the team didn't like the way he handled himself in the latter part of his Giants tenure ... which is why he thinks they screwed him over when he asked to be traded.

"You feel like I made a fool of you or the organization and that was never truly my intention ... I'm just that competitive," OBJ added. "I wanted to win, I always wanted to win. I’m tired of being 6-10, we haven’t done anything to make changes."

Odell said his urgency to win also had to do with his quarterback at the time, Eli Manning ... who was on the backend of his career.

"Eli's going out, I'm texting Eli like, 'You're 7th on the list for the greatest of all time.' I want to see Eli go out with another Super Bowl. We're not putting the pieces around him ... I feel like I was being wasted as well."

Odell also revealed how he found out he was traded ... saying he was overseas at the time, and the whole situation was "a lot" for him.

"To me, whether that's right, wrong or indifferent, it felt like a move that had a bit of spite a bit of like ... you're not finna go somewhere else and shine and make us look bad."

Former NFL linebacker Ronald Powell -- the No. 1-ranked high school recruit in the 2010 class -- has tragically died at 32 years old.

Powell's former college football teammate, Junior Galette, announced the sad news on his X page ... saying he's heartbroken over the death.

"I Love You Forever till we meet again," Galette wrote on the social media app on Monday night. "An EXCELLENT FATHER. Respected Brother and a Loving Son."

"I am saddened to share with the rest of the world that Ronald Powell Transitioned Earlier today. REST IN POWER RONALD POWELL."

Galette did not reveal a cause of death.

Powell started his football career at Rancho Verde High School in California ... playing defensive end, linebacker and tight end. In his senior year, he logged 13 sacks and 28 tackles for losses ... and became a five-star college recruit who was ranked as the top player in his class.

The California native ultimately committed the Florida Gators ... though injuries -- which included two torn ACLs -- slowed his career down. Still, he was able to log 11 sacks, two pass deflections and a forced fumble in three seasons.

In 2014, the New Orleans Saints selected him in the NFL draft ... but he only went on to play in 14 games.

Powell also recorded time in the Alliance of American Football in 2018 ... playing for the Orlando Apollos.

Title this one "The Gang Ignores The Emmys To Watch The Eagles Lose."

"It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Rob McElhenney wasn't gonna let a silly awards show get in the way of watching his beloved Eagles' playoff matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday ... 'cause the actor tuned in to the game from his phone in the middle of the ceremony.

Rob's costar and wife Kaitlin Olson captured the scene in a selfie posted to social media ... with a caption that read, "Who schedules the Emmys the same night as the @eagles #gobirds #FlyEaglesFly."

Unfortunately for Rob, the action on the field wasn't a pleasant experience ... as Baker Mayfield led the Bucs to the 32-9 upset win, booting the reigning NFC champs out of the postseason.

The game also had to be a big bummer for Rob, as it appears to be the last one of future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce's stellar career.

While the Eagles won't bring home the Lombardi Trophy in 2024, at least Rob was able to snag some hardware this awards season -- his "Welcome to Wrexham" show received five Emmys off six nominations.

As for 'Sunny,' the gang took the stage to present during the event ... and took the opportunity to bash the fact the show hasn't been nominated in its 16 years on the air -- despite its massive popularity.

The Philadelphia Eagles lost their playoff game Monday night, and then they appeared to lose their Hall of Fame center for good too.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Jason Kelce told his teammates following the defeat to the Buccaneers in their wild card game in Tampa Bay he's retiring.

Kelce has not yet confirmed the news publicly -- he declined to speak with reporters after the loss -- though his emotions on the sidelines as the clock ticked down to zero seemed to say everything for him.

Cameras caught the 36-year-old on the verge of tears as the Birds were officially bounced from the postseason ... and moments later, he was seen emotionally walking back through a stadium tunnel as well.

If it is the end, Kelce's career will officially go down as one of the best ever by a center. He played for 13 seasons and was named a Pro Bowler seven times. He also earned All-Pro honors five times ... and won one Super Bowl championship.

He also developed a persona that transcended football ... becoming a fan favorite off the field -- while recording a podcast, "New Heights," with his brother, Travis Kelce, that has quickly risen to the top of the charts.

Jason, of course, still has time to reverse his mind. You'll recall, he was seemingly done following the Super Bowl loss last year -- and he ultimately came back.

Bill Goldberg's son Gage was this close to playing for the Crimson Tide ... but the high school football player tells TMZ Sports he changed his mind once Nick Saban retired!

Cue Gage's WWE legend dad, who called Deion Sanders -- his former teammate with the Falcons in the early 90s -- and next thing ya know, Goldberg's on his way to Colorado!

Gage, a 205-pound middle linebacker out of Boerne Champion High School in Texas, spoke with us days after he announced he'd be playing for the NFL Hall of Famer as a preferred walk-on with the Univerisity of Colorado.

GG revealed his commitment came down to the wire ... as he was very close to committing to Alabama until Saban unexpectedly retired last week.

"My top schools were Alabama, Duke, UCF, NC State. Those were my four," the 17-year-old said.

"Then [dad] reached out to Deion and then the coach called him. The opportunity came up for a [Preferred Walk-On] at Colorado and I committed on that."

It's a significant change for the Goldberg family. In fact, Bill was already looking at property in Tuscaloosa.

But, things have changed, and despite Goldberg having wanted his son to play for Saban (arguably the greatest CFB coach ever), he's happy he'll be coached by Prime.

"Deion and I are great friends. I love the man like he's my brother," Bill said.

"It's just a huge decision. It's not based on who's got the coolest uniforms. It's based on who's gonna take care of you the most and where you have the best opportunity, both on and off the field."

Bill added, "I'm gonna continue to sing his praises but after I speak so highly of this person, why would I not want this person to be the head coach of my son?"