Football

Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets are stumbling out the gates in 2024 ... but ex-NFL QB Mark Sanchez says the last thing they need to do is make a change on the sidelines -- telling TMZ Sports they need to ride it out with Robert Saleh.

We caught up with the Fox Sports commentator at LAX amid Gang Green's 2-2 start ... and asked what he felt about folks saying NY's head coach should be on the hot seat following a 10-9 loss to the Denver Broncos.

"This past game was just an ugly game, they would had to win ugly," Sanchez said. "And they lost by a point, or whatever it was. In a rainy game like that, you need one ball to bounce your way; you need to make a field goal, something."

Travis Kelce's "Grotesquerie" character was a stripper back in the day, but he's now getting opportunities to bring Ed Lachlan's past back to the present ... with several male revues telling TMZ Sports they would love "Big Peter and His Banana Splitter" to make a special appearance!!

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar made his debut on the Ryan Murphy show this past week ... and in one scene, his role was revealed as a former dancer at a male strip club in Juneau, Alaska, where he was "jiggling it for horny mamas coming off of cruise ships."

Unfortunately, there weren't any flashback scenes.

Atlanta is really rubbing off on Kirk Cousins -- the Falcons quarterback celebrated his huge "Thursday Night Football" win by chowing down at Waffle House ... but not before doing an interview in the parking lot!!

The 13-year vet joined "The Dan Patrick Show" on Friday to talk all about the Falcons' 36-30 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in overtime ... but before they broke down the game, the broadcasting legend inquired about his backdrop for the virtual convo.

Cousins explained he wanted to take advantage of his day off from work, so he asked his 7-year-old, Cooper, what they should do.

Pro Bowl defensive end today ... UFC heavyweight champ down the road?!?

Maxx Crosby sure seems to think that's possible ... telling TMZ Sports he could see himself stepping into Dana White's Octagon at some point in the future.

Crosby, of course, is fully dedicated to his NFL career at the moment ... but he says he trains to be a beast on Sundays with daily boxing exercises -- and it's clear, it all could lead to a professional tilt later on.

Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield are doing their part to make sure individuals affected by Hurricane Helene can get the assistance they need -- the two NFL stars donated $50k each to a relief fund.

The Falcons and Buccaneers quarterbacks made the combined $100k contribution to Team Rubicon -- a veteran-led humanitarian organization -- to help people who dealt with the impacts of Helene after its landfall back on September 26.

"We stand with those who have been affected," Mayfield said. "Honoring the lives lost and the families that are still in distress. Together, we can make a difference."

Some moms of celebrities are stepping out from their famous kids' shadows and snagging A-list love of their own -- landing the cover of a national magazine!

Glamour Mag’s special "Women of the Year" issue is shining a spotlight on the powerhouse mothers of Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Selena Gomez, and the Kelce brothers ... teaming up for a stunning photoshoot.

Tina Knowles, Donna Kelce, Maggie Baird, and Mandy Teefey are in their element for the shoot, striking poses and flashing smiles like the queens they are -- after all, they’re the proud mamas of some of the biggest stars in entertainment.

Turns out, there's not many NFL players who are hate hate hating on Taylor Swift's newfound presence in the league ... as a recent poll of pros revealed she has their support.

The Athletic asked over 100 NFLers earlier this season about Swift-mania -- which kicked off in September 2023 after she sparked a romance with Chiefs star Travis Kelce -- and for the most part, the guys said she's been great for business.

The outlet -- which granted the jocks anonymity so they could speak their minds freely -- reported a whopping 74 out of 102 players "viewed the singer’s interest in the game (and the coverage that stemmed from it) as a positive."

Travis Kelce's not losing his mind over his stat line like the rest of the world ... saying despite having the best outing of his season on Sunday, the only number he gives a damn about is the one in the win column.

The All-Pro tight end addressed his seven-catch, 89-yard performance in a win over the Los Angeles Chargers on the latest episode of his "New Heights" podcast with brother, Jason, on Wednesday ... which was surprisingly the strongest performance of the 2024 campaign for the usually dominant force.

Travis admitted the narrative of his struggles on the field leading up to the Week 4 contest were true ... but only in one area.

Buffalo Bills defensive end Von Miller was just suspended for four games ... after the NFL says he violated the league's Personal Conduct Policy.

Miller -- who won't be paid for the next month while on suspension -- will be eligible for reinstatement on October 28 ... following the team's matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.

While it's unclear exactly what led to the suspension of the 35-year-old future Hall of Famer, the punishment comes almost a year after authorities issued an arrest warrant for Miller for allegedly assaulting a pregnant woman -- later identified as his GF.

Former NFL star Eddie Lacy was thrown behind bars in Arizona on Monday night ... after cops claimed he was driving while wasted.

According to the Scottsdale Police Department, the ex-Green Bay Packers tailback was pulled over at around 10:40 PM -- after officers said they saw him committing several traffic violations.

He apparently elicited signs of being intoxicated during the stop ... as an SPD spokesperson tells TMZ Sports Lacy was ultimately arrested and booked on four separate DUI charges, including "Extreme DUI -- BAC .20 or more."

Antonio Brown has found himself in the crosshairs of the masses once again ... this time, people are dragging the former NFL superstar over a misogynistic social media post he made about Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.

The ex-Steelers wideout pressed send on the message on X on Sunday afternoon ... as Kelce and the Chiefs were competing against the Chargers in Los Angeles.

In his eight-word note, Brown appeared to imply Kelce would play better if he dumped Swift for a Black woman -- while using some offensive language in the process.

Travis Kelce put his hosting skills on display in the latest look at the new "Are You Smarter Than A Celebrity?" game show ... complete with a jig and a joke about staying out of the slammer -- but whether it's enough to keep the project from flopping is up for debate.

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar's first foray into the genre was revealed on Tuesday ... showing him explaining the rules of the fresh twist on the old Jeff Foxworthy-led show, interacting with contestants and pointing at the camera quite a few times.

Taylor Swift's boyfriend certainly doesn't lack energy ... using a few touchdown celebration-esque moves while on set -- and poking fun at his own smarts (or lack, thereof) in the trailer.

More proof Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are totally fine despite her glaring absence from his last two NFL games ... he's never expected his girlfriend to attend every contest, and even said so himself.

Travis voiced his expectations for his girlfriend in an interview back in 2016, and now the clip is resurfacing in light of Taylor being MIA at Chiefs games for two straight NFL Sundays.

In the clip, Travis tells WhoSay ... "If you're dating a professional athlete, I do not believe, at least for me, that you have to go to all the games."

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are still going strong despite her noticeable absence at his last two NFL games.

Sources familiar with the couple tell TMZ … Taylor and Travis remain a couple, even though she hasn't been able to make it to his last two games in Atlanta and Los Angeles.

Taylor was at Travis' first two games this year, both in Kansas City, but she's been MIA since ... including a game at SoFi Stadium, where she had a bunch of concerts last year.

Good news surrounding Denver Broncos running back Tyler Badie -- he is reportedly doing well following the medical scare he experienced during the team's 10-9 win over the New York Jets.

While the team has not officially provided an update on the 24-year-old's status ... multiple reports have come out saying he is "doing OK" and is "going to be alright."

Brandon Krisztal of KOA Colorado also said on X Badie even flew back to Denver on Sunday night, claiming he was on the same commercial flight as the running back and a member of the Broncos' medical staff.

Baker Mayfield says he's got no issues with Tom Brady ... denying the two are beefing after the G.O.A.T. torched him during Sunday's broadcast of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Mayfield previously made comments about the Bucs' locker room being "stressed out" during the seven-time Super Bowl champ's tenure with the team ... claiming he was brought in to "bring the joy back to football" for the players.

When Brady was asked about Mayfield's words, he had one of the strongest takes of his short career on the mic.