Football

Aaron Rodgers says he's not going to waste his time addressing the "ridiculous" narratives surrounding Robert Saleh's firing ... insisting he had nothing to do with the New York Jets giving his now-former coach the boot -- and that's all he's gonna say about it.

The four-time MVP joined "The Pat McAfee Show" minutes ago to discuss Saleh's recent unemployment ... and he had nothing but praise for the guy -- even claiming he was a big reason why he joined the Jets prior to the 2023-24 season.

Rodgers said they had a solid relationship for several years ... and he said he has a ton of respect for Saleh, so the news is a reminder of how tough the business side of football can be.

Jabrill Peppers will not be suiting up for the Patriots for the foreseeable future ... the NFL is placing the New England safety on the Commissioner's Exempt list in the wake of his recent arrest.

The league made the move official on Wednesday morning ... some four days after Peppers was jailed over allegations he roughed up his girlfriend during a dispute at a Braintree, Mass. residence.

According to court documents, a woman claimed Peppers got violent with her after they had gotten into an argument following intercourse ... putting "his hands on her neck and" pushing "her head against the wall."

Travis Kelce says he was quite the picky eater before Taylor Swift came around ... admitting his girlfriend has slowly gotten him to try out new food -- much to Jason's approval.

The Kelce bros. had a brief discussion about different edible options on the latest episode of their "New Heights" podcast ... when at one point, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end explained he stays away from any grub that looks "pooey."

Jason asked for Travis' thoughts on curry ... and he revealed Swift was getting him hip to Indian cuisine, to which the future Hall of Fame center praised the singer -- saying her influence on his meal choices was "one of the greatest things I've been happy about" with their romance.

Robert Saleh is opening up on the New York Jets' decision to go with a new head coach ... and he took the high road, expressing nothing but appreciation to the organization for giving him a shot.

Saleh released a statement Wednesday morning ... thanking the Jets for the opportunity "to work with so many incredible people."

"I will always be appreciative of the love and support from everyone at 1 Jets Drive," he said.

Taylor Swift's influence can do wonders for a small business ... Fazit Beauty happily learned this is true after the singer wore their brand at an NFL game.

Co-founder Aliett Buttelman tells TMZ ... she was always determined to get the glitter freckles in front of the pop star following Fazit Beauty's launch back in May. Per Aliett, she felt the trend fit Taylor's vibe on the 'Eras' tour ... which sees the chart-topper in a number of glittery outfits.

In an effort to get the glitter freckles into Taylor's makeup bag, Aliett confessed to sending a PR package to the agency that represents the pop star's makeup artist. Though, Aliett isn't 100% certain if this is how they got on Taylor's radar ... citing a few viral TikToks and Instagram posts as other possibilities.

The New York Jets shocked the NFL world Tuesday by firing head coach Robert Saleh after starting the season 2-3 ... and former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi tells TMZ Sports the move is too little, too late -- saying this should've been done LAST YEAR!

We asked the longtime front office exec for his thoughts on Gang Green owner Woody Johnson's decision to part ways with Saleh after just five games, and an overall record of 20-36 during his three-season tenure.

Lombardi says when an organization goes through something like this, it's a surefire sign of dysfunction.

Colbie Young -- a member of the University of Georgia football team -- was arrested early Tuesday morning on misdemeanor charges of battery and assault of an unborn child.

According to the incident report -- obtained by TMZ Sports -- Young's 20-year-old ex-girlfriend stated she went to his apartment in Athens around midnight so they could discuss their relationship.

The ex said the conversation grew heated after she learned he was on the phone with another woman ... and claimed there had been infidelity in the relationship.

Mrs. Taylor Swift Kelce?!

That's the moniker Troy Aikman gave the world-famous popstar while broadcasting Monday Night Football ... when cameras showed the singer after her man Travis Kelce made a play for the Chiefs.

After a two-game hiatus, Swift appeared in an Arrowhead Stadium suite to watch her BF and his Chiefs teammates beat the New Orleans Saints, 26-13.

Robert Saleh's time as Jets head coach is over ... the team just fired him.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported New York brass made the move Tuesday morning -- just two days after NY put up a clunker against the Minnesota Vikings in London.

The Jets -- who had Super Bowl aspirations heading into the season -- were just 2-3 under Saleh's leadership so far this year ... and to make matter worse for the guy, there were numerous reports that he and star quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn't see eye-to-eye.

Bill Belichick was clearly irked during his "Manningcast" appearance on "Monday Night Football" ... but while many believed it was a reaction to yet another Taylor Swift sighting, it actually seems like the guy was just fed up with what was happening on the field.

The legendary coach joined Peyton and Eli Manning during the second quarter of the Kansas City Chiefs' 26-13 win over the New Orleans Saints ... and in the final seconds before halftime, Patrick Mahomes and Co. drove down the field to set up a field goal.

BB let out a groan over the Saints defense's poor execution ... and the trio explained how they should have forced Kelce to the middle of the field after a catch -- instead of allowing him to get out of bounds and stop the clock.

Jason and Kylie Kelce shared some adorable PDA before the new ESPN talent started his "Monday Night Football" analyst gig -- getting in a smooch near a broadcast stage -- and the sweet moment was all caught on video!!

The ex-Philadelphia Eagles center -- who swapped out his Chiefs tailgate attire for a button-down shirt for ESPN's pregame show -- was gearing up to break down Kansas City's matchup with the Saints from the Arrowhead Stadium turf ... when Kylie grabbed him for a few seconds to seemingly wish him luck.

She planted a kiss right on his lips ... and then appeared to wipe something off his face.

Taylor Swift put to rest rumors she and Brittany Mahomes were on the outs during Monday night's Kansas City Chiefs game against the New Orleans Saints.

The pop star was strolling through a walkway at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City when she bumped into her pregnant buddy, Brittany, and the two embraced in a huge hug.

Check out the video ... after their warm greeting, Taylor and Brittany were all smiles as they briefly chatted before going their separate ways while the crowd cheered and shot cell phone footage of the encounter.

Kayla Nicole was put in a tough spot at her new job ... being forced to talk about her famous ex-boyfriend, Travis Kelce, when breaking down some sports betting -- and yeah, it's pretty awkward.

It all went down on the "I Am Athlete Daily Show" ... a program where Nicole discusses upcoming wagers with Brandon Marshall, Aqib Talib and Tad Prescott.

Naturally, "Monday Night Football" was a topic of conversation ... which means the crew chatted about the Week 5 matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs.

A lot more than a win was on the line when Ka'imi Fairbairn nailed a 59-yard field goal to help the Houston Texans beat the Buffalo Bills on Sunday ... 'cause one die-hard fan vowed to free the nip if her team came out on top -- and she stayed true to her word!!

X user @sourpatchkidsx made the X-rated promise during the first quarter of the matchup ... when C.J. Stroud and Co. held onto a 7-3 lead.

"if texans win i’ll show t**s," the passionate backer said.

Bill Belichick's clearly smitten with his girlfriend -- the legendary coach cracked a rare smile with Jordon Hudson in a recent social media post ... showing he's not just a grumpy guy after all!!

The 23-year-old cheerleader took to Instagram to recap her summer ... with multiple pics featuring the eight-time Super Bowl winner grinning from ear to ear alongside his boo.

In one of the snaps, you see the 72-year-old rocking a piece of Taylor Swift merch alongside Hudson ... with a beautiful sunset and lighthouse serving as the backdrop.

Jabrill Peppers was arrested on Saturday after his girlfriend told cops he roughed her up, according to court documents obtained by TMZ Sports ... but the NFL player is adamant the claims are untrue.

Officials wrote in the docs that Peppers' GF alleged the New England Patriots safety got violent with her at around 4 AM ... after she got a phone call during intercourse with him that he didn't like.

Authorities say she stated he demanded she leave his apartment -- and pushed her out of the bedroom while they were both naked. Moments later, she claimed he "put his hands on her neck and pushed her head against the wall." The whole time, she said he appeared "out of his mind and had a serious expression."