Kevin Hart Shames Ex-NFLer Over Nudist Colony Hobby With Wife ... 'You Hear Whatchu Sayin'!?!'

Kevin Hart had a priceless reaction to ex-NFL player Channing Crowder's appreciation for nudist colonies ... going full roastmaster mode and clowning the dude on his own show!!

The ex-Dolphins linebacker opened up on his "The Pivot" podcast about how he and his wife of 11 years, Aja, like to take annual exhibitionist trips ... saying, "Once a year, we go to a nudist colony. We go to a place where like you walk in and everybody just gets naked and walks around."

Hart -- who was a guest on the podcast -- looked at CC in complete disbelief ... and asked, "You hear whatchu saying out loud, brother?!"

"Y'all just ... just hanging out, or y'all f***ing these people?"

Crowder admits there are some swingers around when they take their trips ... but explains they don't participate, they just "like being around naked people together."

When CC asks Hart if he's into that kinda stuff ... he shuts down the idea.

"To be honest with you, I have no desire to be around a bunch of people I don't know just sitting there naked," Hart said.

Hart then ends the funny convo with a joke, saying "I'm willing to bet a good number it ain't a lot of put-together people going through this little stage."

Hey, no shaming nudists over here -- to each their own ... but clearly, we aren't gonna see Kev in the buff anytime soon.

Teddy Bridgewater Calls Out NFL Players ... Stop Pretending To Be 'Gangsta'

Teddy Bridgewater is calling on his fellow NFL players to quit pretending to be hard and start acting like role models ... releasing a lengthy message to all the guys who act "gangsta," but are really only "football tough."

The Miami Dolphins QB shared his thoughts on the matter in a social media post on Monday ... explaining how he's annoyed with players who act differently when they reach the top level.

"Tired of seeing football players portray this tough guy image or pretend he's gangsta," TB said. "You went to school, attended those classes, and some even got their college degree."

"So, don't wait until you inherit this legal money from the league to decide you want to be tough or portray a 'street image' cause it's kids that's looking up to everything we do."

Bridgewater admits there may be a few in the NFL who are really about that life ... but, "98.5% are only football tough.'"

At the end of the day, Bridgewater -- who graduated from Louisville in 2013 -- just wants kids to understand they can play football, go to school, do right and still get love from the people back home.

"Look at me," Bridgewater added. "I'm far from perfect, but I chose the ball route but I still can go to the hood and post up and it's all love."

"My people accept me for making all the right decisions and not falling victim or being tricked by the false image you see on IG from a lot of ball players."

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Many NFL stars agreed with the Pro Bowler ... including Dalvin Cook, Stefon Diggs, DeSean Jackson and Micah Parsons who commented, "That's real 🔥🔥."

Bridgewater doesn't just preach to kids in the low-income areas ... the 29-year-old also spends time with the youth in his hometown and always gives back with charitable efforts.

Jaylen Waddle Henry Ruggs Is 'Good Person' ... Calls Arrest Shocking

Henry Ruggs' former Alabama teammate, Jaylen Waddle, says he was shocked by the ex-Raiders star's arrest ... calling Ruggs both a "good person" and a "good dude."

Waddle explained his feelings on Ruggs' legal situation to Pacman Jones and Omar Kelly on the the "I Am Athlete" show this week ... saying he never would have thought Ruggs would be in the situation he's currently in.

In fact, Waddle said out of the star 'Bama wideouts who went to school together -- which also included Devonta Smith and Jerry Jeudy -- Ruggs was perhaps the best guy in the meeting rooms.

"Out of all us," Waddle said, "that'd be the person that you least expect something like that to happen to."

Waddle told Jones and Kelly that Ruggs was such a good friend, the two still keep in contact with each other to this day.

As we reported, Ruggs is facing decades behind bars after he was accused of driving drunk and killing Tina Tintor after he crashed his pricey sports car into the back of her Rav4.

Ruggs is currently out on bond while he awaits trial.

Waddle didn't want to comment too much on the situation due to the pending legal case -- but he did say the incident has made him more aware of his surroundings and behavior.

"It can happen to anybody," Waddle said. "You got your antennas up. That's just eye-opening."

Tyreek Hill Dusts Women's Football Team ... Hilarious Video

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MOVES IN MIAMI
CBS Sports HQ

We might as well start giving Tyreek Hill speeding tickets at this point -- the former Chiefs wideout dusted an entire women's flag football team this week ... and the whole thing was caught on video.

Hill -- who recently inked a 4-year, $120 million ($72.2 million is guaranteed) contract with the Dolphins -- is by far one of the fastest players in the NFL ... and has even called out Usain Bolt for a race.

"Cheetah" is living up to his rep ... 'cause he outran the entire Lady Warriors Flag Football team at Hebrew Academy Miami Beach Middle School.

In the wild clip, Hill waits for the entire squad to get as close as possible before he suddenly plants in the ground and makes a cut up the field -- and then it's off to the races.

At the end, Hill even slowed down to give the ladies a chance to catch up to him and pull his flags ... but no dice.

Now in fairness, Hill -- who ran a 4.29 40-yard dash when he participated in the NFL combine -- clearly has the wheels to beat pretty much anyone in a race ... so the Lady Warriors shouldn't hang their heads at all.

Hill routinely embarrasses defenders on Sundays ... so, no shame Lady Dubs!!

Tyreek Hill More Like Ty-Leak Hill!!! ... Bathroom Emergency Pauses Dolphins Intro

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DOODIE CALLS
Miami Dolphins

Tyreek Hill was super pissy before facing the media in Miami for the first time ... but it had nothing to do with his mood -- the guy just had to drain the snake!!

The hilarious moment went down right before the superstar receiver was set to be introduced as a member of the Miami Dolphins ... with Hill getting up and heading out of the room right after new teammate Terron Armstead was done talking with reporters.

Less than two minutes later, the All-Pro took the stage and walked to the podium to take questions from the journalists ... even joking about the whole ordeal.

"I feel a whole lot better," Hill said, laughing. "I just didn't wanna be rude. I'm like, 'Yo, I do not know what to do right now, y'all."

When a reporter made a clever remark about how Hill's speed on the field is reflected in the bathroom, the Super Bowl champ reminded everyone about his perfect nickname.

"Quick, baby. Cheetah."

Now, since the dude was back rather quickly, we're assuming it was #1. If it was the other option ... well, let's not go there.

Hill joined the Dolphins this week after shockingly getting traded from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for 5 draft picks.

The guy just inked a 4-year, $120 million deal with his new team ... so now he can get a big ass house with plenty of bathrooms!!

Brian Flores Hired As Steelers Assistant Coach ... Amid NFL Lawsuit

UPDATE

12:26 PM PT -- Douglas H. Wigdor and John Elefterakis tell TMZ ... "We congratulate Coach Flores on his new position with the Steelers and thank Coach Tomlin and the organization for giving him this great opportunity. While Coach Flores is now focused on his new position, he will continue with his race discrimination class action so that real change can be made in the NFL."

Brian Flores is suing the NFL, but he'll still be getting paychecks from the org. in 2022 ... 'cause the ex-Miami Dolphins head coach has been hired to join the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff.

As we previously reported, Flores is in the middle of a messy legal battle with the NFL ... claiming its hiring process is rooted in racism -- even using texts from Bill Belichick to make his point.

While the 40-year-old's priority is facing off against the league in court in hopes of bringing change, he'll also be setting his focus on the AFC North ... as Flores will be the senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach for the Stellers next season.

Mike Tomlin spoke about the hire ... saying, "I am excited about Brian Flores joining our coaching staff given his history of developing and teaching defensive players during his time in the NFL."

"Brian's resume speaks for itself, and I look forward to him adding his expertise to help our team."

Flores was 24-25 in his 3 seasons with the Dolphins ... but many were puzzled with his firing in 2021, as it appeared he was finally hitting his stride in Miami.

Originally Published -- 11:30 AM PT

Brian Flores Denies Rift With Tua Tagovailoa ... 'Wish Him All The Best'

Brian Flores is putting rumors to rest he and his former quarterback Tua Tagovailoa didn't get along ... saying reports they had beef are flat out wrong!

Flores -- who spent three seasons as head coach of the Dolphins -- reportedly didn't see "eye-to-eye" with the ex-Alabama QB during his tenure with the team.

But, the former coach recently sat down with Chad Johnson, Omar Kelly and Brandon Marshall for his "I Am Athlete" show and said that's just not true.

"I think we had a good relationship," Flores told the guys while reflecting on Tua.

"It was a player-coach relationship. And I think in a relationship like that, the coach challenges the player, and often times the player challenges the coach."

BF added, "There was a great deal of respect between the two of us. So you hear this crazy kind of narrative that's out there, but this is a young man who works, developed, and got better over 2 years and I think he's got a bright future."

Flores and Tua missed the playoffs this season, though, Miami won 8 of its last 9 games after starting the season 1-7.

Despite the late season success, many believe Flores was fired because of friction between him and the star QB ... whom the organization selected with the 5th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Flores knows rumors of the beef likely won't be squashed ... even with the coach addressing the issue with Marshall. But, he says he doesn't care what people believe, 'cause he knows the truth.

"Yeah, the world can think what they want to think. Ask Tua, you know, I think he'd say the same thing."

As for Flores' future, the coach filed a lawsuit against the New York Giants, the NFL, and others ... alleging discriminatory practices rooted in racism when it comes to hiring minority head coaches.

Cornel West NFL 'Has Been Functioning Like A Plantation' ... I Stand With Brian Flores

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SHAME ON YOU, NFL!
TMZSports.com

Cornel West stands with Brian Flores ... telling TMZ Sports he agrees with the former Dolphins head coach that the NFL has a systemic racism problem.

We spoke with the philosopher just a few days after Flores filed his bombshell lawsuit -- one in which he alleged teams are racist when it comes to making hires across the league -- and the former Harvard and Princeton professor told us he couldn't agree more with the allegations.

"The NFL ought to be ashamed of itself," West said. "It's been functioning like a plantation."

West tells us, though, that he believes Flores' suit could be the start of a big change in the league.

"Now," he said, "the chicken's coming home to roost."

West tells us he admires Flores -- lauding the coach for having vision, integrity, courage and humility -- and he says if the NFL focused more on those traits in Black coaches, they wouldn't need the Rooney Rule in the first place.

"Well, the problem is that if they were concerned about quality they wouldn't have to worry about a rule," West said.

"Any time you talk about Black folks -- you're talking about low quality. They got to quit lying about black people."

He continued ... "Quality and Blackness go hand in hand in terms of the best of Black folk ... the basic tendency of Black folk is high quality."

NY Giants on NFL Lawsuit Fire Back At Coach Brian Flores 'Disturbing & Simply False'

The Giants are adamant Brian Flores is flat out wrong -- insisting they did NOT decide to hire Brian Daboll before the ex-Dolphins coach was interviewed -- and claiming Bill Belichick had no idea who NY was hiring.

"After we interviewed six exceptional and diverse candidates, the decision on who we would hire as head coach was made on the evening of January 28, one day after Mr. Flores spent an entire day in our offices going through his second interview for the position, meeting with ownership and other staff members, and receiving a tour of our facility," the team said in a statement.

The date's important because the crux of the lawsuit is ... did Flores have a legit shot at landing the G-Men job, or was he given a sham interview to satisfy the NFL's Rooney Rule (it says teams must interview a minority candidate in person prior to making a hire.)

The 40-year-old former Dolphins head coach filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, alleging the league's hiring practices were racist.

And, Flores says he has proof ... a text from Belichick.

We broke the story ... BB sent a message to Flores on January 23, telling his former assistant coach the NYG liked him for the job.

Unfortunately for BF, Bill either texted the wrong person (he meant to send to Daboll, the man who was ultimately hired), or he misunderstood the info he was told.

"The allegation that the Giants' decision had been made prior to Friday evening, January 28, is false. And to base that allegation on a text exchange with Bill Belichick in which he ultimately states that he 'thinks' Brian Daboll would get the job is irresponsible."

The team continued ... "The text exchange occurred the day before Coach Daboll's in-person interview even took place. Giants’ ownership would never hire a head coach based only on a 20-minute zoom interview, which is all that Mr. Daboll had at that point."

Not to mention, the Giants say Belichick has no affiliation with the organization, and played no part in the hiring process.

"Mr. Belichick does not speak for and has no affiliation with the Giants. Mr. Belichick’s text exchange provides no insight into what actually transpired during our head coaching search."

In other words, it doesn't matter what Bill texted, according to the team.

Bottom line -- the Giants are adamant they did absolutely nothing wrong.

"Our hiring process and, most certainly, our consideration of Mr. Flores was serious and genuine. We are disappointed to learn that Mr. Flores was under the mistaken impression the job had already been awarded."

Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross Fires Back At Brian Flores ... Allegations Are 'False, Malicious & Defamatory'

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is breaking his silence on the Brian Flores allegations ... calling his ex-head coach's claims "false, malicious, and defamatory."

In Flores' bombshell lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday, the 40-year-old alleged that Ross had offered him cash to tank in his first season as coach of the team in 2019 -- saying Ross was willing to give $100,000 per loss.

The owner, though, strongly denied the claims in a statement Wednesday night ... calling them a bunch of BS.

"With regards to the allegations being made by Brian Flores, I am a man of honor and integrity and cannot let them stand without responding," Ross said.

"I take great personal exception to these malicious attacks, and the truth must be known. His allegations are false, malicious and defamatory."

Ross added that he will cooperate with investigators -- but noted he doesn't anticipate them finding any validity to Flores' accusations.

"I welcome that investigation," Ross said, "and I am eager to defend my personal integrity, and the integrity and values of the entire Miami Dolphins organization, from these baseless, unfair and disparaging claims."

Ross fired Flores following the 2021 season ... and said at the time the decision was made due to the coach's "collaboration" issues with others in the Dolphins' org.

The team, meanwhile, had previously released a statement prior to Ross' ... denying that they operated in any matter that would compromise the integrity of the game.

Brian Flores Still Wants NFL Coaching Job ... Knows Lawsuit Could Torpedo Career

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WORTH THE RISK
CBS
UPDATE

11:47 AM PT -- Flores' attorney, Michael J. Willemin, joined Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" ... and said the main goal is to change how the NFL is operated -- whether that's via trial or settlement.

UPDATE
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THIS IS ABOUT CHANGE
TMZSports.com
UPDATE

"Mr. Flores wants change in the NFL," Willemin said. "That could be achieved through resolution if the NFL is willing to take real steps to try to change the face of its ownership in the league, the color of its general managers, the color of its head coaches, color of its coordinators, etc."

UPDATE

"So, if the NFL is prepared to take real steps -- not just give lip service to diversity and inclusion and equal opportunity -- that can be part of a resolution."

Ex-Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores is adamant he still wants a job in the NFL ... but understands his scathing lawsuit against the league could damage his chances at ever getting a gig again.

Flores -- who's suing the NFL and 3 teams over alleged racist hiring practices -- opened up in an interview with "CBS Mornings" on Wednesday ... saying his legal action is about much more than his career.

"I love coaching, I'm gifted to coach, I know that," Flores said. "The relationships I built with players, coaches, support staff, I'm gifted to coach, I love coaching and I want to coach ... This is bigger than coaching. This is much bigger than coaching."

Flores said he contacted the other 2 teams he's still interviewing with for an HC job -- the Texans and Saints -- and gave them a heads up about the lawsuit ... and added if given the opportunity, he would still happily lead an NFL team again.

"I understand the risks, and yes, it was a difficult decision," he said. "I went back and forth."

When asked about comparing the NFL to a "plantation" ... Flores explained he knew it was time to leave a lasting impact on the league.

"We didn't have to file a lawsuit for the world to know that there's a problem from a hiring standpoint in regards to minority coaches in the National Football League. The numbers speak for themselves. We filed a lawsuit so that we could create some change and that's important to me."

"I think we're at a fork in the road right now -- we're either going to keep it the way it is, or we're going to go in another direction and actually make some real change where we're actually changing the hearts and minds of those who make decisions to hire head coaches, executives, etc."

As we reported, Flores filed his lawsuit after he said he received texts from Patriots head coach Bill Belichick that revealed the New York Giants decided to hire Brian Daboll before ever giving him the chance to interview for the job.

Flores felt like he was only being interviewed to satisfy the league's Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview a minority candidate when a head coaching job opens up.

Flores also appeared on ESPN's "Get Up" just minutes ago ... saying he's willing to sacrifice his career to make a serious difference in the league.

"If I never coach again and there's change," he said, "it will be worth it."

Originally Published -- 11:51 AM PT

Brian Flores Sues NFL, Giants Claims Coaching Search Was Racist & Belichick's Texts Prove It

UPDATE

2:35 PM PT -- The NFL also addressed the claims inside the suit ... calling them "without merit."

UPDATE

​"The NFL and our clubs are deeply committed to ensuring equitable employment practices and continue to make progress in providing equitable opportunities throughout our organizations. Diversity is core to everything we do, and there are few issues on which our clubs and our internal leadership team spend more time. We will defend against these claims, which are without merit."

UPDATE

2:33 PM PT -- The New York Giants have responded to Flores' lawsuit ... and they're standing by the hiring process.

UPDATE

"We are please and confident with the process that resulted in the hiring of Brian Daboll. We interviewed an impressive and diverse group of candidates. The fact of the matter is, Brian Flores was in the conversation to be our head coach until the eleventh hour.  Ultimately, we hired the individual we felt was most qualified to be our next head coach."

Brian Flores is going scorched earth on the NFL and New York Giants ... filing an explosive lawsuit where the former Dolphins head coach alleges the team's hiring practices were rooted in racism, and he claims a text from Bill Belichick proves it.

The 40-year-old coach filed the class action lawsuit through attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor, Michael J. Willemin, David E. Gottlieb in district court in New York on Tuesday ... and it's shocking.

Flores says he received a text from his former boss and Patriots head coach days before he interviewed with the Giants. During the conversation, Flores says BB congratulated him on landing the new gig.

BF was confused by the comment because he had yet to go in for his scheduled interview, and asked Bill if he had an inside track to their decision.

Belichick eventually admits he misread the information he received ... and tells Flores it was actually a different Brian -- Brian Daboll -- who landed the Giants job.

Flores insists this is proof he was only brought in for an interview to satisfy the Rooney Rule -- which requires teams to interview a minority candidate when a head coaching job opens up.

FYI, Flores and Daboll both worked together under Belichick in New England.

BF claims he was then "forced to sit through a dinner" with new Giants GM Joe Schoen despite "knowing that the Giants had already selected Mr. Daboll."

And Flores says this wasn't the first time he's been subjected to a "sham interview that was held only in an effort to comply with the Rooney Rule."

The fired coach says he interviewed with then-Broncos general manager John Elway and other Denver execs in 2019 ... however, Brian says "it was clear from the substance of the interview that Mr. Flores was interviewed only because of the Rooney Rule."

Flores also claims Elway and the other Broncos execs showed up an hour late for the interview and "looked completely disheveled, and it was obvious that they had drinking heavily the night before."

Brian -- who points out there's only 1 Black head coach (Mike Tomlin) and 6 GMs -- is suing on the behalf of all prospective Black coaches and front office employees.

Flores is asking the court to fix the NFL's alleged discriminatory hiring practices, in addition to damages.

There's more ... Flores also accuses Dolphins owner Stephen Ross of offering to pay him $100K per loss -- in an effort to tank the season and get a better draft pick.

Flores says when he refused to play ball, he was labeled as being difficult to work with, and ultimately fired.

"This is reflective of an all too familiar 'angry Black man' stigma that is often casted upon Black men who are strong in their morals and convictions while white men are coined as passionate for those very same attributes," the lawsuit reads.

Flores -- who is currently without a coaching gig -- understands the lawsuit could possibly prevent him from landing a job in the future.

"God has gifted me with a special talent to coach the game of football, but the
need for change is bigger than my personal goals," Flores said in a statement released by his lawyers.

Brian continued ... "In making the decision to file the class action complaint today, I understand that I may be risking coaching the game that I love and that has done so much for my family and me. My sincere hope is that by standing up against systemic racism in the NFL, others will join me to ensure that positive change is made for generations to come."

Will Smith Rips Fart During NFL Workout ... 'You Have Showers In Here?'

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ONE IN THE CHAMBER
@willsmith / Instagram

Will Smith ripped a fart so hard during a workout with the NFL's Miami Dolphins he asked if there was a shower around ... and the hilarious chain of events is all on video.

The actor was getting stretched out for a training session with the Dolphins when he seemed to relax just a tad too much, suddenly breaking wind with a loud fart ... and drawing tons of laughs from everyone in the room.

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Will's chalking it up to what was in his cup, saying ... "training with the Miami Dolphins was going great until that morning coffee snuck up on me."

Yes, we've all been there ... only difference is, Will had an entire camera crew capturing his every move.

Will was pretty polite about it all ... saying "sorry" and "excuse" me ... then he drew more laughs with his shower joke.

NFL's Reshad Jones 911 Call ... He's 'Looking Like He's About To Kill Somebody'

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911 AUDIO
UPDATE

11:32 AM PT -- 11/19 -- Jones' attorney, Michael A. Gottlieb, tells TMZ Sports he does not believe his client committed a crime Wednesday ... saying, "It's not illegal to possess a gun."

UPDATE

Gottlieb says Jones was just trying to get gas ... adding, "I think it's an unfortunate misunderstanding. I'm sure it will be resolved hopefully before court."

UPDATE

10:52 AM PT -- 11/19 -- A 911 caller told cops he was worried Jones was going to seriously hurt somebody prior to his arrest Wednesday morning ... saying the ex-Dolphins star was straight-up "looking like he's about to kill somebody."

UPDATE

It's all in new police audio obtained by TMZ Sports ... in which you can hear a man spell out the scene.

UPDATE

The caller told dispatch, "there's a black man with a gun in his hand walking down the street."

UPDATE

The caller later added, "I don't think he's right in the head right now, man."

UPDATE

The caller described Jones as "a black male with a beard, black shirt, red sneakers. You can't miss him. The gun is -- he's right there with it in his hand. Going down the street with something on his mind."

UPDATE

The caller explained to the officer he was so concerned about the situation, he wasn't going to go remotely near Jones.

UPDATE

"There's a man with a gun looking like he's about to kill somebody," the man said in the call. "Police need to get here quickly."

Reshad Jones -- a former Pro Bowl safety for the Miami Dolphins -- was arrested in Florida on Wednesday after cops say he was illegally carrying a loaded firearm.

According to a police report, obtained by WPLG Local 10, cops made contact with Jones at around 4 a.m. after witnesses say the NFL free agent was walking around Davie, Fla. gas stations carrying a gun.

In the report, officers say when they began questioning the 32-year-old former Miami defensive back ... they noticed the firearm sticking out of his pants.

Cops say Jones told them he did NOT have a concealed weapons permit ... and initially complied with their arrest orders for him to get on the ground.

Officers in the report, though, noted Jones later became combative ... and "appeared to be on the influence of an unknown substance."

Cops in the report also say Jones reeked of booze.

Jones was eventually arrested and booked. Jail records show he's since been released.

Jones had a great career for the Dolphins after being picked by the team in the 5th round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played in Miami for 10 seasons, starting 113 games and recording 21 interceptions.

Jones was released by the 'Fins after the '19 season ... and he's yet to latch on with another team.

Originally published -- 11/18 10:13 AM PT

Dolphins' Ryan Fitzpatrick 'Heartbroken' Over Benching ... 'Hurt All Day'

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"I'M HEARTBROKEN"
Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was CRUSHED to hear he'd been benched in favor of Tua Tagovailoa ... telling reporters Wednesday, "My heart just hurt all day."

Fitzmagic had the 'Fins rolling the past few weeks ... dude was 3-1 in his last 4 starts with 10 total TDs -- but the team decided to hand the keys over to Tua this week regardless.

And, when 37-year-old Fitzpatrick was asked how he felt about the decision ... he couldn't hide his pain.

"It was heartbreaking for me," Ryan said, before admitting he knew this day was coming eventually after the team had drafted Tagovailoa in the 1st-round last April.

"It still, just, it broke my heart yesterday," Fitzpatrick said, "and it's a tough thing for me to hear and to now have to deal with but I'm going to do my best with it."

Ryan learned of the decision Tuesday ... and he said having to head into meetings Wednesday was tough as hell for him.

In fact, Fitzpatrick straight-up said it felt like he had been fired by head coach Brian Flores.

"I basically got fired yesterday and today my day consisted of zoom meetings with the guy that fired me and sitting in a room with the guy who replaced me for four hours."

Fitzpatrick added, "I felt like it was my team."

The Dolphins are on a bye this week ... and have said Tua will take over the starting QB reins in Week 8 against the Rams.

Fitz says he'll continue to be a mentor to Tua -- "I have to separate my feelings and be a professional. I want Tua to play well."

Miami Dolphins Get 'Full Capacity' Approval from Gov. ... for 65,000 Seat Stadium

This could be a huge problem ...

The Miami Dolphins have been granted permission from the governor of Florida to allow full capacity at Hard Rock Stadium.

You read that correctly. We're talking 65,000 seats. In the middle of a pandemic.

The green light comes by way of Gov. Ron DeSantis -- whose spokesperson told Andy Slater the team is now allowed to pack their stadium as part of statewide removal of COVID-19 stadium restrictions.

That doesn't mean the Dolphins will rush to allow 65,000 people to watch the team at their next home game ... Slater says the org. still plans on limiting the number of fans to 13,000 at the next home game on Oct. 25.

The news comes on the heels of an announcement from the Green Bay Packers -- which just pressed pause on the possibility of opening up Lambeau Field to fans any time soon.

"Due to the concerning increase of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the Green Bay area and across Wisconsin, the Green Bay Packers today announced that the organization has put an indefinite hold on hosting fans for games at Lambeau Field this season," the team said in a statement.

Plus, with NFL teams like the Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, K.C. Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders dealing with possible COVID outbreaks among the players ... it just doesn't seem like the best time for a team to pack a stadium with people!!

Please be safe, everyone.