Jacksonville Jaguars

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair is issuing a mea culpa to Trevor Lawrence over his controversial hit on Sunday ... saying he never intended to hurt the Jaguars quarterback -- and calling out "racist" and "Islamophobic" fans in the process.

The 27-year-old released the statement on X ... claiming while he always plays with intensity, he doesn't purposely try to take anyone out of competition.

"My goal is to hit you as hard as I can then I pray you're still able to get up and play the next play," he said. "And when the game is over go home to your family unharmed because it's not personal it's just competition!"

Trevor Lawrence suffered a brutal late hit during the game Sunday ... and, his teammates quickly leapt to his defense -- brawling with the other team mid-game.

With four minutes left in the second quarter of the Jacksonville Jaguars game against the Houston Texans, Trevor Lawrence scrambled out of the pocket and made his way toward the first down marker.

As he approached the line to gain, TL went into a slide ... but, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair didn't slow his momentum enough -- smashing through the QB.

Trevor Lawrence is having the BEST offseason ... just days after he inked a massive contract extension with the Jaguars, the quarterback and his wife revealed they're now expecting their first child together!

Trevor and Marissa -- who got married three years ago -- made the announcement in a joint statement on their Instagram pages on Thursday ... sharing pics of them holding a sonogram.

"A little Lawrence on the way 🤍," Marissa said in the caption.

People are convinced Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke let out a big ole fart during a news conference on Thursday ... and if ya listen to video from the event, it sure seems they might be right!

Baalke and Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson were meeting with media members to break down next week's NFL draft ... when, according to a whole bunch of fans online, Baalke let one rip.

The 60-year-old was talking about how deep this year's quarterback class is and how it might help them land a good, non-signal caller at pick No. 17 ... when he suddenly paused.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Zay Jones is off the hook in his domestic battery case -- the charge he was facing was dropped a day before he was scheduled to be arraigned, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to a disposition notice from the Florida Assistant State Attorney filed on Tuesday ... prosecutors declined to move forward against Jones after reviewing evidence from the alleged incident back on November 13.

As we previously reported, cops said Jones -- a 2nd round pick out of the 2017 NFL Draft -- and the mother of his child got into a heated argument that turned physical at a Jacksonville condo/apartment after she allegedly told him she was taking their child to Orlando.

Cops said in the report that they "observed several small scratches on the victim's neck, consistent with marks from a fingernail" ... and Jones was arrested for first-degree domestic battery causing bodily harm.

The team had no comment on the situation at the time.

Jones played college football at East Carolina, where he broke several school records including receptions in a game (22) ... and has suited up for the Bills, Raiders and Jags.

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper is going to have to bust out his check book -- he was just fined $300k for chucking his drink toward a group of fans during Sunday's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The billionaire hedge fund manager -- the richest owner in the league -- was spotted dumping his beverage in anger after an apparent exchange with a group of supporters amid the 26-0 blowout ... and the whole thing was caught on video.

The clip is short ... and it's unclear what led to the incident.

The NFL announced the punishment on Tuesday ... labeling the incident "unacceptable conduct."

Tepper -- who bought the Panthers in 2018 for $2.3 billion -- released a statement following the news ... saying, "I am deeply passionate about this team and regret my behavior on Sunday."

"I should have let NFL stadium security handle any issues that arose. I respect the NFL’s code of conduct and accept the League’s discipline for my behavior."

It's been a disastrous 2023 season for the Panthers -- they're 2-14 and will not have their first-round pick next season.

There's a really good explanation for why Trevor Lawrence didn't use a cart after he injured his ankle during 'MNF' ... he says he declined to get on one -- and now, he's explaining he regrets that decision.

ICYMI, the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback suffered a high-ankle sprain in the fourth quarter of their 34-31 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night ... and when he went into the locker room to get it checked out, he was seen limping the entire way to the X-ray room.

Many wondered why the Jaguars' franchise player didn't hop on a ride to avoid any further complications with his leg ... and on Wednesday, he revealed it was all his choice -- not the Jaguars'.

"I'm already on the sideline at that point -- the tunnel's right there -- I just want to get off the field, get out of there," Lawrence said. "I didn't know what was goin' on with my ankle."

"I felt like I could get off. I was like, 'Hey, you're good, just don't bring [the cart] out. I'm going in.'"

The 24-year-old, though, told media members he immediately had regrets once he realized how far the walk was going to be ... but he nonetheless kept it moving.

"They asked again if I wanted a cart, I'm like, 'No, we're going to make it the whole way,'" Lawrence said.

"I was the one that didn't choose to take one. So, you guys put that on me. Maybe that was dumb. Maybe I should've taken one. Whatever."

Trevor Lawrence's wife says dozens of Jaguars fans have reached out to throw their support behind her and her hubby after the star QB was injured Monday night ... flooding her social media inbox with positive messages.

Marissa Lawrence shared a screen recording of some of the DMs she says she received just after Trevor appeared to badly injure his ankle in the fourth quarter of Jacksonville's home tilt against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Almost all of the messages seemed to contain some kind of prayer for Trevor ... something Marissa said she was super grateful for.

"Really overwhelmed by people's kindness and love," she said in the clip of the fans' messages. "Just wanted to share something positive and thank everyone truly for your prayers and support."

Trevor went down in a heap of pain as he was trying to lead the Jaguars to a win ... and on Monday, head coach Doug Pederson said his 24-year-old signal-caller was dealing with a high-ankle sprain.

7:27 AM PT -- According to a police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, Zay Jones was arrested after he allegedly got into an argument with the mother of his child that turned physical.

Cops say in the docs the incident took place at a Jacksonville-area condo/apartment at around 2:20 PM on Monday.

The report states a woman told officers on the scene she got into a tiff with Jones after she told the NFL player she was taking their child from Jacksonville back to Orlando.

Further details surrounding the alleged altercation involving the couple were redacted by cops ... though the report does state one officer "observed several small scratches" on the woman's neck "consistent with marks from a fingernail."

Jacksonville Jaguars star wide receiver Zay Jones was arrested in Florida this week for domestic violence ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to jail records, the 28-year-old was taken into custody on Monday in the Jacksonville area at around 6 PM ... and booked on a domestic battery causing bodily harm charge.

The records show he's currently still behind bars -- awaiting a court hearing on the matter later Tuesday.

Further details surrounding his arrest were not made immediately available ... though the Jaguars said in a statement late Monday night they are aware of the arrest and "are in the midst of gathering information."

"We will have no further comment at this time," the team added.

Jones has played in three games for Jacksonville this season ... and has been one of quarterback Trevor Lawrence's favorite targets while on the field, piling up eight catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns. He has, however, had to sit out of six of his team's games this year due to a knee injury.

Good news, bad news for Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne -- The good?? He played out of his mind on Sunday. The bad?? He was going up against himself in fantasy football.

The 24-year-old former Clemson star was all over the field against the Buffalo Bills, finishing with 136 rushing yards, 48 receiving yards and 2 rushing touchdowns in the win.

In fantasy football terms, that’s a helluva day -- earning 37.4 points, and pleasing any team owner who had him in their lineup.

The only problem for Travis -- he was racking up points for his opponent ... so there's a good chance the only win he's getting this week is the one with the Jags.

By the way, NFL players are permitted to partake in fantasy football ... as long as the potential earnings don’t exceed $250.

La NFL se puso animada este fin de semana, ya que la liga se asoció con nada menos que Disney para transmitir una versión simultánea de un juego en el que todos fueron reimaginados como juguetes.

Nos referimos al enfrentamiento entre los Jags y los Falcons en Londres, el cual comenzó muy temprano. Disney y ESPN estaban preparando una espectacular sorpresa relacionada con "Toy Story". Tan pronto como comenzó el juego, su propia transmisión animada comenzó en vivo.

Es exactamente como suena, básicamente, mientras el juego real se desarrollaba en la pantalla; otra parte de la pantalla mostraba lo mismo pero en el universo de Disney, donde se podía ver a todos los jugadores convertidos en juguetes.

La transmisión de "Toy Story" no estuvo en la pantalla principal todo el tiempo, al parecer la alternaban en diferentes momentos del partido, como en las repeticiones y momentos destacados, etc.

Fue bastante impresionante verlo, y las reacciones en línea ciertamente lo reflejaron. La gente quedó bastante cautivada por la tecnología, sin mencionar a todos los demás personajes de "Toy Story" incorporados en el fondo y en las líneas laterales.

Dicho esto, la nueva característica no estuvo libre de problemas; hubo momentos en los que "Toy Story" se trababa o no regresaba a la acción a tiempo, lo que molestó a algunos.

Aun así, hubo más cosas positivas que negativas y considerando cuánto se habló del tema de "Toy Story", casi se puede garantizar que la NFL intentará hacerlo de nuevo en un futuro cercano.

Por cierto, esta no es la primera vez que la liga hace algo así, en el pasado se asociaron con Nickelodeon y superpusieron imágenes de realidad aumentada en partes del juego, incluyendo momentos "slime" después de los touchdowns.

The NFL got animated this weekend -- the shield teamed up with none other than Disney to broadcast a simultaneous version of a game that saw everybody reimagined as a toy.

Of course, we're referring to the Jags facing off against the Falcons in London ... the kickoff for which was super early. That doesn't mean Disney/ESPN wasn't ready with their big "Toy Story" skin, though -- as soon as the game started, their own cartoon stream was live.

It's exactly how it sounds ... basically, while the real game was playing out on everyone's TV, a different part of the screen was showing Disney's carbon copy universe -- where all the players were turned into toys and their on-field play was translating moment-for-moment.

The "Toy Story" stream wasn't on the main screen the entire time -- it sounds like they cut away to it during different parts of the match ... including replays/highlights, etc.

It was pretty cool to see, and the reactions online certainly reflected that ... as people were somewhat mesmerized by the technology -- not to mention all the other "Toy Story" characters being incorporated into the background and on the sidelines.

With that said, the new feature wasn't without its issues -- there were moments when the "Toy Story" would glitch up and/or not cut back to the main action in time ... and it PO'd some.

Still, it was way more good than bad ... and considering how much the "Toy Story" stuff got talked about, you can almost guarantee the NFL will try doing this again in the near future.

BTW, this isn't the first time the league has done something like this ... they've partnered with Nickelodeon in the past and had AR visuals superimposed over portions of the game -- including "slime" moments after touchdowns.

Jacksonville Jaguars associate strength coach Kevin Maxen just came out as gay ... in what is believed to be a first for a male coach in major men's pro sports in the United States.

The Jags staffer made the announcement in an interview with Outsports on Thursday ... saying he's ready to live his truth without worrying about revealing his sexuality anymore.

"I want to be vocal in support of people living how they want to live, but I also want to just live and not feel fear about how people will react," Maxen -- a former strength coach with Baylor and Vanderbilt football -- said.

Maxen added he consulted NFL free agent Carl Nassib -- who came out 2021 -- for some advice about the process ... explaining he wanted to help build acceptance of LGBTQ+ members in sports.

The former college football linebacker also revealed he is happily in a relationship ... saying he has been seeing his partner, Nick, for more than two years.

"It wasn’t until recently -- and with the immense love and support of my family, my friends, colleagues and peers, and the courage and sacrifice from my partner -- that I realized I have the right and responsibility to love and be loved, and that maybe sharing this will hopefully give someone else the strength to accept their own life and take control of their own story."

As for how his team will react, Maxen believes it will not be an issue as long as he continues to do his job.

Chris Claybrooks' domestic assault case has been dropped ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According to court records, prosecutors dismissed the two misdemeanor charges against the Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back on Monday morning.

It's unclear why -- we've reached out to the Davidson County District Attorney's office and Claybrooks' lawyer for comment ... but so far, no word back yet.

Claybrooks was initially hit with one count of domestic assault with bodily injury and one count of vandalism under $1,000 after authorities claimed he got into a dispute with a woman in a movie theater parking lot in Nashville on April 14.

During the alleged incident, prosecutors said Claybrooks grabbed the woman's phone from her hand and destroyed it. Authorities added in court documents that the altercation resulted in bruises and abrasions on the woman's hand.

TMZ Sports spoke with Claybrooks about the alleged incident ... and he's adamant he never put his hands on the woman.

Claybrooks says she showed up at the movie theater with a wig on and confronted him about money ... and he only threw her phone after he feared for his son's safety.

At the time, the Jaguars said in a statement they were aware of the allegations and were in "the process of gathering information."

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Chris Claybrooks was arrested in Nashville over the weekend ... after officials say he destroyed a woman's phone during a wild dispute at a movie theater.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, the alleged altercation between the football player and the woman went down at around 8 PM on April 14 in the parking lot of the Opry Mills establishment.

Prosecutors say Claybrooks had been there watching a movie with his girlfriend, when a woman showed up and attempted to inform the GF that she and Claybrooks had been together the night before "and that she had proof they were together on her phone."

In the docs, authorities say the woman told them Claybrooks then "grabbed her hand that was holding the phone and ripped it from her grasp." Claybrooks then allegedly chucked the device into the ground, destroying it.

According to the docs, the woman suffered bruises and abrasions on her hand from the incident. Officials say cops also observed that her phone was, indeed, broken.

The 25-year-old defensive back was arrested over the incident on April 15 ... and eventually hit with two criminal charges -- misdemeanor domestic assault causing bodily injury and misdemeanor vandalism of $1,000 or less. He's due in court for a hearing on the matter in May.

Claybrooks' attorney declined to comment on the case when reached on Wednesday.

The Jaguars, meanwhile, said in a statement they were "aware of a recent incident in Nashville, Tennessee involving Chris Claybrooks and are currently in the process of gathering information."

"We will have no further comment at this time," the team added.

Claybrooks, a former Memphis Tigers star, was a 7th-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft who went on to sign a 4-year rookie contract with the Jags worth a little over $3 million.