LA Chargers

Ja'Marr Chase is NOT a lock to win the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year award ... so says Chargers D-lineman, Justin Jones, who tells TMZ Sports his L.A. teammate, Rashawn Slater, could easily rip away the trophy!!!

Jones made the claim to us at a Thanksgiving charity event earlier this week at SoFi Stadium ... saying the Bolts' left tackle could definitely take home the 2021 honor.

"He's the real deal in my opinion," said Jones, who goes against Slater daily in practices.

"I think if he keeps playing the way he's playing, the sky's the limit for him."

The feat would be a historic one -- Slater would be the first-ever offensive lineman to win the award. It would also be fairly miraculous, considering the year Chase has had so far.

The Bengals wideout has logged 47 catches, 867 receiving yards and 8 receiving TDs -- and is poised to add even more to those numbers considering the number of times Joe Burrow is targeting him.

But, Jones clearly thinks Slater has been that good -- telling us Slater is a "great guy" who's "an even better athlete."

As for Jones' quarterback, Justin Herbert, one of the Chargers' running backs, Josh Kelley, tells us that dude could take home some valuable hardware following the season too.

The AFC and NFC champs won't have to travel far for the Super Bowl this year ... 'cause Snoop Dogg tells TMZ Sports he thinks the Rams and Chargers will face off in the big game!!!

Of course, D-O-Double-G will be front and center at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13 -- he's headlining a massive halftime show alongside Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, Eminem and Mary J. Blige.

Since he's part of the party, we had to ask which teams will be duking it out on the field on Super Bowl Sunday ... and Snoop thinks it's gonna be a battle of the City of Angels!!!

As for the performance, Mr. Dogg doesn't reveal any secrets ... but we can already tell he's got some crazy stuff prepared.

BTW, Snoop was giving back to the community when we chopped it up with him -- the rap legend was handing out 2,500 turkeys in Inglewood alongside the Rams and Chargers.

Snoop was definitely into it -- he was dancing and hanging out with folks throughout the day ... while his own music blared in the background.

Jon Gruden clearly ain't pleased with L.A.'s new $5.5 BILLION stadium ... bashing the state-of-the-art facility for its not-so weather-proof design and complicated visitors locker rooms after losing on Monday Night Football.

The Chargers vs. Raiders matchup was off to a delayed start due to a rare lightning storm in the City of Angels before kickoff ... with action paused 35 minutes before teams were able to take the field.

Gruden had a hard time wrapping his head around the delay -- considering SoFi Stadium is technically an indoor-outdoor building -- and says the whole fiasco had an impact on the game.

"I've never had an indoor stadium with a lightning delay," Gruden told reporters after the game.

"I’m not an engineer, I have no idea. I have never heard that. I thought it was a joke. But, it affected both teams."

Gruden wouldn't go as far as to say the delay led to the Raiders losing 28-14 to Justin Herbert and Co., adding, "It didn’t have anything to do with it."

But, Chucky's complaints didn't stop there -- Gruden also took issue with the set-up for the visiting team's locker room ... calling it "the most bizarre thing I've ever seen."

"I mean you can’t see anybody," he added. "It’s like a maze. So whoever contorted this visiting locker room, I’d like to meet this guy, see what his idea was."

FYI -- HKS, Inc. has worked on some of the most iconic stadiums in the NFL ... including the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium and Minnesota Vikings' U.S. Bank Stadium.

To compare, this is what the Chargers' locker room looks like.

A Chargers fan was socked in the face repeatedly by Dallas Cowboys supporters in a wild, violent brawl Sunday ... and the insane scene was all captured on video obtained by TMZ Sports.

The crazy fight began in the parking lot area of SoFi Stadium following the Cowboys' win over the Chargers ... when two women got into a heated argument.

You can see in the footage -- the two screamed at each other ... and then nearly came to blows.

As the scuffle was escalating, though ... one Cowboys fan screamed to a man trying to break up the tiff to "control your bitch."

That's when the L.A. supporter lost it -- calling the man a bitch as well, before charging at him and yelling, "F*** you!"

Complete chaos then ensued ... with several Cowboys fans rushing the man and whaling on him.

At one point, you can see in the clip, a man in a Troy Aikman jersey brutally tagged the Chargers fan in the face with a flurry of punches.

Eventually, the combatants separated ... and witnesses tell us the aftermath was bad, with blood all over one car -- while another car's side mirror was busted.

We're also told despite bystanders calling for cops and security ... nobody showed up until the fight was long over.

The brawl was far from the only altercation at the stadium following Dallas' big win ... with one scrap escalating so heavily, it ended up with people inside the stadium's water feature.

Don't give up hopes yet, Bolts fans ... Hunter Henry tells TMZ Sports he could still re-sign a long-term deal with L.A. despite hitting the open free agency market later this month.

"I will say I'm not ruling out the Chargers," said the star tight end, who's caught 196 receptions for L.A. since his draft in 2016. "I'm not ruling out the Chargers and I won't rule out the Chargers."

As for why ... it's pretty simple -- Henry just loves the team's young superstar quarterback, Justin Herbert!

"My favorite quarterback?" Henry told us. "Shoot, I love Herbie. That's my guy!"

Of course, Henry admits a lot of his decision will also come down to finances ... and if the Chargers can't make a compelling offer, it's clear the 26-year-old could end up elsewhere.

As for where that might be ... Henry said he's got no clear favorites at the moment, and is willing to listen to all offers when they come at the beginning of free agency.

Henry, though, does know what he's going to buy when he lands his new contract -- telling us a house is the first priority.

How'd Tyrod Taylor get over an embarrassing 45-0 loss on Sunday??

DATE NIGHT WITH DRAYA MICHELE, BABY!!!

Just hours after the Chargers were pummeled by the Patriots at SoFi Stadium ... Taylor decided to date the pain away by hitting up an Orange County hotspot with his model GF.

The two were all smiles as they strolled into Lido Marina Village in Newport Beach ... and yeah, doesn't seem like L.A.'s backup QB was too hurt about his team's horrendous loss earlier in the day.

Then again ... how could you NOT smile on a night out with Draya?!?!

Michele posted about the evening on her social media page ... sharing a video of the couple's cocktails and writing, "Last night to dine out in LA."

Michele and Taylor have been linked for the past couple months now ... and it seems the two are going strong despite the global pandemic and the Chargers' abysmal season.

WHOA!!!

Los Angeles Chargers rookie Justin Herbert just chopped it ALL off on top ... with the QB debuting a brand-new look on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old signal-caller has made a name for himself since his Oregon days for his skills on the field ... but was just as attention-grabbing when the helmet came off.

Matter of fact, the guy had such great flow ... he got an endorsement deal from Head and Shoulders!!

But, that is all a thing of the past ... with Herbert straight-up buzzing it all off.

So ... why?!

"No particular reason," Herbert told reporters. "It was just time and it was getting too long, so it was time to cut it."

JH added it had nothing to do with the Chargers' 3-game losing streak ... saying he's not a superstitious guy.

"Honestly, it was just getting long and time to cut it."

Dr. Oz says L.A. Chargers QB Tyrod Taylor's lung injury is really unfortunate, but likely nothing to freak out about ... telling TMZ Sports these accidents happen!!

Taylor was a late scratch prior to last weekend's game against the Chiefs ... after the 31-year-old suffered a punctured lung while receiving a painkiller injection for a cracked rib.

This isn't an everyday injury, so we hit up the Doc to make sense of it all ... and he gives a great explanation of what exactly happened.

But, the REAL question on everyone's mind -- is TT gonna be okay?? Oz is optimistic.

"Every doctor who has ever numbed someone's ribs knows it's a potential complication," Oz tells us.

"I don't think Taylor is gonna be getting many more injections in there, I suspect, and I'm hoping the hole is a very small one because the needles we need and use to numb up the nerves are very small."

"So hopefully it recovers on its own and by game 3 or 4 rather, it will be forgotten

As for the doctor responsible for the mishap, Oz thinks it'll be a learning experience moving forward, saying, "I mean, doctors make mistakes. The key for us is that we own it and improve from it."

Terrible news for L.A. Chargers QB Tyrod Taylor ... he reportedly suffered a PUNCTURED LUNG while getting a painkiller injection from a team doctor before Sunday's game.

Taylor was receiving treatment for a cracked rib prior to kickoff before the Bolts' game against the Kansas City Chiefs ... when he started to experience chest pains.

The 31-year-old was taken to a nearby hospital to get checked out ... and rookie QB Justin Herbert became the last-minute starter for L.A.'s 23-20 loss to the defending world champs.

Now, ESPN's Adam Schefter is revealing Taylor's condition was all caused by a team doc who accidentally punctured the quarterback's lung while giving the injection.

Taylor -- who suffered the cracked ribs in Week 1 against the Bengals -- has been listed as "week-to-week" while he recovers from the punctured lung ... but ESPN reports doctors are saying Taylor should sit indefinitely while he recovers.

Whenever Taylor DOES get back to 100%, Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn says he'll get the starting gig back from the rookie.

L.A. Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn revealed he was diagnosed with COVID earlier this year -- and only got tested after hearing about a golfer with similar symptoms.

51-year-old Lynn spelled it out on the season premiere of HBO's "Hard Knocks" -- and though he didn't specifically say WHEN he tested positive.

"I can't promise you you're not going to get infected," Lynn told his players during a video chat meeting ... "I got infected."

He continued, "What I want to do is limit your exposure, but then when that whistle blows, let's go kick somebody's ass and play some football."

Later in the show, Lynn was asked about his symptoms -- and how he realized he had coronavirus.

"I’m coughing a little bit, then my body started aching a little bit. I couldn’t get comfortable in my bed," Lynn said.

Lynn then explained that he was watching a golf match and saw that a golfer had pulled out after experiencing similar symptoms -- and laster tested positive for COVID.

"I said, 'sh*t. My body kinda felt like that.'"

"If I hadn't been watching the golfing game and saw that golfer complain about backaches and soreness ... I never even would have gotten tested And I would have had this and never even known it. And probably got people infected."

Lynn says he was more worried about being branded an "outcast" than batting the virus itself.

"All the sudden, I'm the problem. I'm used to fixing the problem, now I'm the problem."

Lynn was eventually cleared to return to work -- where his players are staff are tested for COVID every day.

Move over, Jerry Jones ... there's a new king in the scoreboard world -- the Rams and Chargers just officially hung their video beast, AND IT'S 2.2 MILLION POUNDS!!!

The L.A. NFL squads made the joint announcement Wednesday ... saying their one-of-a-kind jumbotron is now fully functional at the new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

And, according to the teams ... it's gaudy.

The board is the largest EVER in sports history (yes, even bigger than the one at Jerry World in Dallas) ... coming in at 120 yards long and featuring 70,000 square feet of LED technology.

The teams also say it's hooked up with 260 speakers ... and holds enough power to keep 1,500 home theater systems running!!!

Unclear if any fans will be able to watch it this season -- coronavirus cases are spiking like crazy in California and with the regular season's kickoff set for only 2 months from now, things ain't looking promising.

Could Colin Kaepernick's return to the NFL start in Los Angeles?

Chargers coach Anthony Lynn told reporters Wednesday it's certainly a possibility ... saying, "Colin definitely fits the style of quarterback for the system that we’re going to be running,"

Of course, Lynn -- who has yet to speak with Colin about a potential tryout -- says the Bolts have a pretty full QB room already ... so a signing seems unlikely at the moment.

But, Lynn insinuated if something should happen to one of their top quarterbacks ... Colin would be one of the first guys they call for a workout.

"It would be crazy to not have him on your workout list," Lynn said ... before adding, "I’m very confident and happy with the three quarterbacks that I have but you can never have too many people waiting on the runway."

Colin -- who's been out of the league since 2016 -- has yet to have any truly serious offers since he last played ... even despite a workout in front of several NFL scouts in 2019.

Kap's made it clear he feels he's been blackballed because of his kneeling protests ... but in an interview with ESPN this week, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he's now encouraging teams to sign the QB.

Melvin Gordon didn't hold back when he was asked about the possibility of playing in fan-less stadiums in 2020 ... saying it used to happen to him all the time in his Chargers career!!

"Bro, we didn't have fans anyway!" Gordon said with a laugh.

Of course, MG ain't really wrong ... Chargers games over the past few seasons became famous for being overrun by opponents' fan bases -- but hearing Gordon say it so bluntly was still SAVAGE!!

"We didn't have many Chargers fans, I'm going to be honest," Gordon explained in an interview this week with his former Wisconsin teammate, Marcus Cromartie. "We didn't have many Chargers fans at the game."

Don't worry, L.A. faithful ... Gordon still praised the few of you out there, saying, "Much loyalty, love, but we didn't have many!"

Gordon added, "I ain't really missing out on much!"

This isn't the first time the running back has taken a shot at the Chargers' lack of support at their own games ... remember, he was publicly pissed at his former squad for playing the Steelers' rally song during their own HOME game in 2019.

Gordon doesn't have to worry about any of that anymore if the COVID-19 pandemic subsides ... he's in Denver now -- where fans are notorious for being loud as hell at games.

And here ... we ... go!!!!

Tom Brady might really be on his way outta Foxborough ... 'cause his agents have been busy meeting with potential suitors while in Indy for the NFL Combine, this according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Talks of TB12 leaving the Patriots intensified on Thursday ... with ESPN's Jeff Darlington going as far as to say he'd be very surprised if the 6-time champ returned to New England.

Now, the NFL Network is naming names ... with Rapoport saying the Colts, Raiders and Chargers have met with Brady's longtime agents, Don Yee and Carter Chow, about their superstar client.

In fact, TMZ Sports spoke with Brady's old teammate, Willie McGinest, who also believed the 42-year-old QB could either retire or end up elsewhere ... so don't be shocked if it actually happens.

As for Brady ... he's probably gonna troll the hell outta everybody until he makes his decision -- whether it be Hulu ads or triggering comments on Keenan Allen's IG posts.

Take a deep breath, Pats fans ... and remember the man brought you 6 rings.

Also, if you think Pats owner Robert Kraft is simply going to let Tom walk out the door without making a solid effort to re-sign him, you clearly didn't watch our shaky, hard-to-hear 12-second BOMBSHELL clip from a few weeks ago.

Originally Published -- 1:12 PM PT

Cam Newton believes Tom Brady will be an L.A. Charger next year ... this according to Shawne Merriman, who says the Panthers QB predicted it to him at the Super Bowl this month!

"He thinks that Tom is going to come to the Chargers," Merriman tells TMZ Sports.

Of course, it really could happen ... L.A. just gave Philip Rivers the boot, and TB12 is a free agent.

Merriman, though, says he doesn't see it going down that way -- the Chargers legend jokingly says he HATES Tom -- and tells us the right fit to replace Philip is actually Cam himself!!!

"Tom's a great quarterback, he's just not a great quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers," Merriman says ... "I think if you're going to move from a different direction from Phillip, you go in and get somebody that could do a little bit more -- a little more athletic."

Merriman added, "I just brought up one name, I think Cam Newton is a -- could be a really good choice. Even for the short term. And, you can still go draft."

But, the ex-Bolts superstar doesn't see either Brady or Cam ultimately coming to the Chargers ... telling us he doesn't see the Panthers letting Newton go.

The L.A. Chargers are moving on without Philip Rivers ... the team just announced it's parting ways with the QB, saying it was time to "turn the page."

"As we talked through various scenarios," Bolts GM Tom Telesco said Monday, "It became apparent that it would be best for Philip and the Chargers to turn the page on what has truly been a remarkable run."

38-year-old Rivers -- who's been a Charger since 2004 -- is coming off arguably his worst season as a starter ... throwing 20 INTS to just 23 TDs.

And, with L.A. having a top 6 pick in this spring's NFL draft ... Telesco and the Bolts made it clear they won't be looking to re-sign the guy this offseason.

"We agreed that making this decision well before free agency would allow everyone to put themselves in the best position for success in 2020," Telesco said.

For his part, Rivers was classy about the exit -- saying in a statement, "We had a lot of great moments ... I wish my teammates and coaches nothing but the best moving forward."

As for Rivers' future ... it seems retirement could be an option, although Telesco said he believes Philip could still be a starter somewhere in the league.