Minnesota Vikings

WWE wrestler Roman Reigns' poppin' looks have been dominating the spotlight since 2010, and they are "spot" on!

Here's a 21-year-old version of the then broad-shouldered Minnesota Vikings player posing for his headshot in Minneapolis, Minnesota back in 2007 (left). This was just three years before signing with the WWE.

Looking sweaty and ready ... "The Tribal Chief" -- now 37 years old and a whopping 265 pounds -- recently took on Kevin Owens during the WWE Royal Rumble event in San Antonio, Texas (right).

The current Undisputed WWE Universal Champion will go up against 2023 Men's Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes at this year's WrestleMania 39 ... Take the reins, Reigns!

The question here is ...

MTV's "The Challenge" star Nelson Thomas' GoFundMe is getting some serious support after his car crash, and some of the donations are coming from fellow reality stars.

The charity campaign quickly picked up steam after going live earlier this week -- and reality TV fans will definitely recognize some of the names chipping in with funds. Nurys Mateo and Tori Deal, who both starred on "The Challenge," dropped $1K each ... while Mark Long and Corey Lay from the series also ante'd up donations.

Outside of Nelson's 'Challenge' crew ... Nicholas Maccarone from "Big Brother" chipped in $250, "Wild 'N Out" star Justina Valentine gave $500, as did Maria Menounos.

Zak Longo from MTV's "Are You the One?" gave $5K ... moving the campaign closer to its $200k goal.

As we reported, Nelson was injured in a fiery crash in Austin, TX earlier this month. Minnesota Vikings receiver K.J. Osborn and a few others were able to rescue him from the wreckage.

Nelson ended up in pretty bad shape -- he showed some of his cuts and burns from his hospital bed, saying he's doing better but has a ways to go.

It ain't Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams or Stefon Diggs -- no, according to Adam Thielen ... the best receiver in the NFL is Justin Jefferson!!

The Minnesota Vikings star showered his teammate with praise to TMZ Sports outside of the Super Bowl earlier this month ... saying Jefferson is, indeed, the top wideout in the game today.

"For sure," Thielen said.

The 32-year-old is a bit biased -- he's played alongside Jefferson the last three seasons and has gotten open numerous times due to coverage rolling the young star's way -- but there won't be too many people arguing against him.

Jefferson tallied 128 catches for 1,809 yards and eight TDs in the 2022 season ... more than any other receiver in the league. He also earned All-Pro honors ... and his third straight selection to the NFL's Pro Bowl.

A Jimmy John's employee hilariously trolled former Lions QB Dan Orlovsky for notoriously running out of the back of the end zone during a game 14+ years ago ... reminding him of the gaffe while the analyst simply attempted to order lunch.

It was 2008 ... Orvlosky was the quarterback in Detroit, and the Lions were on the road in Minnesota, playing the Vikings at Mall of America Field.

Orlovsky and the Lions were backed up in their own territory. Orlovsky dropped back to pass, but was pressured by star DT Jared Allen, who began chasing Dan.

Orlovsky panicked once he saw Allen pursuing, and proceeded to run out of the back of the end zone, resulting in a safety, and giving birth to one of the funniest plays in NFL history.

On Monday, ESPN's Laura Rutledge posted video of Orlovsky being trolled ... saying someone at the popular sandwich chain, Jimmy John's, rehashed the iconic (or painful, if you're Dan) moment.

"Watch out for the back of the end zone," the sandwich's packaging read, much to Dan's chagrin. "How they gonna do our guy like that," Laura asked jokingly.

Meanwhile, Dan's other colleague, Mina Kimes, seemed to think the troll job was hysterical.

To his credit, Orlovsky did crack a smile ... and also got the last laugh, clapping back ... "I like Subway better."

Several New York Giants players and the team's announcer were inside the Mall of America Friday night when a 19-year-old man was shot and killed -- forcing the mall into lockdown -- just hours before the team was scheduled to play the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday.

Thankfully, all Giants team personnel are safe.

The Giants are staying across the street from the famous mall ... and a group of players headed over to do some shopping Friday night.

According to Bloomington police, there was an altercation between two groups of men before gunfire erupted around 7:50 PM in Nordstrom. The teenage victim was hit multiple times and did not survive.

Following the shooting, the gigantic mall, busy with last-minute Christmas shoppers, was placed on lockdown.

"Everyone is back in the hotel and accounted for now," Giants PR man Pat Hanlon told the AP.

The identity of the players who were at the mall isn't known. It's also unclear how many Giants were on the premises when the shooting happened.

Bob Papa, longtime Giants radio announcer, was also at MoA Friday night.

Papa tweeted, "Scary here [at Mall of America]. Shooting in mall. On lockdown at #TwinCitiesGrill. Two gunmen at least one victim," before sending out an update about an hour later where Bob reassured his followers he was safely out of the mall.

Police have not yet made any arrests.

It's the most wonderful time of the year ... and Isaiah Rodgers is certainly ready for it -- 'cause the Colts defensive back has copped some amazing light-up Rudolph and Santa cleats!!

TMZ Sports has learned the Indy star wanted to be decked out for the Colts' game against the Vikings on Saturday ... and reached out to cleat artist Rodney Jackson to get some Xmas-themed feet heat made.

Jackson -- who's been Rodgers' go-to shoe guy for several seasons -- tells us they both decided to go with the two most iconic Christmas characters for the spikes ... and they came out great.

The left cleat, featuring Santa, is wrapped in red velvet with white fur all over it.

The right shoe -- which comes with jingle bells -- has Rudolph's face painted on the toe with the bonus of a very shiny nose that lights up.

It wasn't an easy project ... Jackson told us it took two days to put the Nike cleats together -- from wiring the lights into the spikes to making Santa's beard on his own.

Awesome gesture from the New York Jets' coaches ... several assistants on the roster will be wearing custom Air Force 1s this weekend against the Vikings -- to honor the late Greg Knapp.

The feet heat will feature a depiction of Knapp, who coached in the NFL for nearly three decades before he was tragically killed in a bicycle accident last July, in a headset, with his nickname, "Knapper," written on it as well.

The shoes will also have a website link to Knapp's foundation -- an org. set up following the coach's death to try to stop people from driving distracted.

Mike Jordan, the cleat artist who designed the kicks, tells TMZ Sports ... the Jets were the ones who initially tapped him for the task earlier this year -- and he was pumped to take on the job.

And, he said he was thrilled with how they ultimately turned out.

Jordan also designed several other custom cleats for Jets stars for this weekend's "My Cause, My Cleats" game ... including ones for Sauce Gardner, who will wear American Cancer Society-themed spikes.

Wide receiver Garrett Wilson also copped Jordan cleats representing the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) ... while cornerback DJ Reed got a pair for multiple sclerosis, something his father died from in September.

"To help these guys support these charities and organizations that are close to them for one reason or another, like DJ Reed whose father passed away due to MS, is special," Jordan said.

Jordan -- who's been crafting cleats for 6 years -- says he spent a ton of hours on all of the custom shoes for Week 13 ... but at the end of the day, it was all worth it.

NFL football on Thanksgiving Day is one of the best traditions there is -- but before we dive into the games (and food), let's meet the lovely wives and girlfriends of the athletes hitting the field on Thursday.

The Bills and Lions are set to kick things off in Detroit -- Josh Allen's GF, Brittany Williams and Stefon Diggs' GF, Tae Heckard, will certainly be rooting for their men to link up for some big plays.

Jordan Poyer's wife, Rachel Bush, will be hoping her man has a feast defensively against Jared Goff ... as he's cheered on by his fiancée, Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Christen Harper.

Dak Prescott has a lot to be thankful for this holiday season -- his GF, Natalie Buffett, will watch as her man's 7-3 Cowboys play the Giants at Jerry World on Thursday.

Saquon Barkley and the Giants will be hoping to spoil the Cowboys' Thanksgiving, which would assuredly put a smile on the face of Anna Congdon, his longtime girlfriend and mother of his kid.

Meanwhile, Mac Jones and his girlfriend, Sophie Scott, will have to wait to stuff their faces with Thanksgiving delights ... as the Pats QB plays the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in the late game.

They say the NFL is a copycat league, but Vikings defensive back Kris Boyd isn't trying to hear that ... especially when it comes to teams mimicking postgame celebrations.

Boyd unleashed on the Commanders and Taylor Heinicke ... after video surfaced of the QB iced out in chains, celebrating his team's stunning upset over the Eagles on MNF.

Kris' issue ... Heinicke's celebration was reminiscent of Kirk Cousins', when the Vikings signal-caller rocked a bunch of big chains, topless, on the plane after beating the Commanders (Taylor's team) in Week 9.

Cousins, typically a mild-mannered guy, was an entirely different person on the plane, and social media couldn't get enough.

Well, Boyd wasn't fond of Heinicke and the Commanders seemingly imitating them ... and he didn't hold back, calling out the team and player for seemingly copying his squad.

"Stop trynna f***ing be us…Lames…He couldn’t hold Kirk jockstrap!! Find your own trend!…Y’all shit don’t even look like y’all having fun enjoying it," 26-year-old Boyd tweeted.

Sheesh!!! 😲😲😲

Kris isn't apologizing for what he said, either, explaining ... "I go hard behind my team man….There is no other way around it. These guys are like my brothers. A huge family from all corners. And it’s nothing but major love!! Minnesota Vikings is my family and I don’t play when it come to us!! Point blank period!💜💛💜💛"

Unfortunately, the Vikings and Commanders already played each other ... but with Minnesota at 8-1 and Washington at 5-5, there's an ever-so-slight chance the two could meet in the playoffs.

And, if they do play ... Boyd has a prediction for how the game will go.

"Idgaf! We gone whoop both they ass they cross our path again!😤💜💛💜"

Christmas came early for a nurse in Minnesota ... 'cause Adam Thielen surprised her at work -- naming her 2022 Vikings Fan of the Year, and gifting her TWO Super Bowl tickets!!

The heartwarming moment was caught on video, showing the 2-time Pro Bowler walking to the health center's courtyard with a custom 22 jersey for Shirley Bowden.

The nurse -- who's worked at the hospital for nearly 20 years -- is a huge fan of the purple and gold team ... and was in complete shock when she saw the wide receiver at her job.

"Oh my God!" she yelled while surrounded by her colleagues.

Thielen gave her the presents ... and told her he hoped he and the Vikes would be the NFC team playing in the Big Game.

"You will be!" Bowden quickly said.

Bowden says she's been a fan of the Vikings fan since she was a little kid ... and goes to every game -- adding, "If you look at my row, I guarantee you I'm standing up."

The Vikings are known for this cool gesture ... just last year, Justin Jefferson surprised a female youth football coach -- who's also a nurse -- at practice.

Kirk Cousins decided to lose his shirt, throw on some comically large jewelry, and then dance his face off on the team plane following the Vikings' big win Sunday ... and video of the hysterical scene could not be better!

Cousins' Minnesota teammates filmed the QB's plane ride party just a couple hours after they came back to beat the Washington Commanders, 20-17 ... showing Kirk letting loose after pulling the Vikes to a 7-1 start.

In his seat, Cousins ditched his top and snagged some chains from his fellow Vikings ... before he gyrated and jiggled around as everyone giddily filmed him on their phones.

The normally buttoned-up 34-year-old revealed he's got a smokin' hot bod during the festivities too -- check out that full-on six-pack!

Of course, Cousins had every right to get down while 30,000 feet in the air ... he's been a big reason the Vikings are running away with the NFC North this year.

If Karl-Anthony Towns was trying to be a leader for publicly criticizing Anthony Edwards' diet, it had the complete opposite effect -- so says Chandler Parsons, who's calling the star's comments "super wack."

As we previously reported, KAT told reporters he wants to help change what the 2020 #1 overall pick is putting in his body after a bad loss on Monday ... saying, "I know y’all think it’s funny up here when he talks about Popeyes and all that s***. That doesn't make me happy to hear."

Parsons got wind of KAT's statements ... and he's completely against how he went about it.

"It's just super corny for him to say that," Parsons said on FanDuel TV's "Run It Back."

"I don't know if it's his attempt of trying to be a leader, but leaders don't do that in public. Leaders privately pull their player or their teammate over there and they talk about that or they get with the training staff, they get with the chef, they get with whatever they have to get  to to address this issue."

He added ... "You do not air that out after a bad loss when emotions are already high. Doing that to another star player on the team, I just think that's completely out of bounds. That's not how you lead. That's not how you get things done and I just think that's super wack."

Minnesota Vikings safety Lewis Cine has officially begun his road to recovery after suffering a horrific leg injury in a game on Sunday -- the team just announced he's undergone successful surgery to fix his compound fracture.

Cine sustained the gruesome injury while playing against the Saints in London -- and it was bad. He came down awkwardly on his left leg while trying to make a block ... and a bone in his lower leg snapped in half.

WARNING -- video of the play is hard to watch.

The injury was so bad ... Cine stayed overseas to receive medical care, but on Tuesday, the Vikings said the Cleveland Clinic London's Dr. Aswinkumar Vasireddy operated on him -- and, thankfully, everything went smoothly and he should return home soon.

"We look forward to welcoming Lewis back to Minnesota to be around his teammates and coaches," the Vikings said in a statement, "and begin the rehabilitation process with the Vikings medical staff in the very near future."

Cine was the Vikings' first-round pick in this year's NFL draft. He had played in three games for the team this season.

Adrian Peterson's transition from the football field to the boxing ring is clearly going just fine -- the former Vikings star showed this week he has a NASTY right hand, flattening a guy with it during a recent sparring sesh.

The 37-year-old posted a video of the impressive KO on Monday ... showing him crushing his opponent with a right that caught the man square in the jaw.

In the clip, you can see the dude hit the canvas almost as soon as the punch landed -- and he was so dazed from the blow, he couldn't immediately take Peterson's offer for help up.

Peterson seemingly threw up the vid as a message to Le'Veon Bell -- 'cause he captioned it, "September 10," AKA the date he and the former Steelers star will square off in the Social Gloves boxing event at Banc of California Stadium.

Bell got wind of the footage late Monday night -- and posted a tongue-in-cheek response, appearing to joke about how he was scared to fight Peterson now.

Of course, Bell has looked more than ready for the challenge in the last few weeks -- posting impressive sparring footage of his own.

Le'Veon Bell's football career is over -- at least for now -- the NFL star says he won't play this season ... and it's all 'cause he wants to now focus on his boxing career.

The running back made the announcement just minutes ago at a promotional event for his upcoming fight with Adrian Peterson -- revealing he's going to try to take this year to begin his formal transition from football player to full-time fighter.

"Last year, I almost sat out the whole year to try to focus on boxing, because I kind of knew that's what I wanted to transition to," Bell said.

"This year, I know I'm not going to be playing this year because I want to focus on boxing."

Bell -- who played eight total games last season for the Baltimore Ravens and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- has been slowly making the move into the fight world, incorporating mitts into his workouts routinely.

But, at 30 years old, most thought he'd still try to extend his NFL career.

Bell, though, made it known he believes he can carve out a real niche in boxing -- and he said he's hoping a win over Peterson during their match later this month kick starts all of that.

"This is my introduction to kind of showing what I've been doing," Bell said, "and how I've been going about myself."

In case it wasn't already clear, Justin Jefferson's good friend let everyone know the Vikings star is indeed the King of the Griddy ... by gifting the wideout a custom pair of 'Griddy' cleats last week!!!

"Jets" was given the awesome spikes by cleat artist I Am Luke Dangler at the receiver's first-ever Jets Youth Football Camp on May 28 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

TMZ Sports has learned Dangler brought the items -- which took around 40 hours to make -- as a thank you gift to Jefferson after the 22-year-old football player had extended him a special invite to the camp.

"How could I not show up with some show-stopping Griddy cleats?!" Luke told us this week.

The blue-painted Under Armour shoes are awesome -- they feature Jefferson in his #18 Vikings gear doin' the hip-hop dance on both sides.

They also have 'Get Griddy!' and 'Got Griddy?' inscribed on them ... and judging by the way Jefferson danced with kids at the camp in them, it sure seems like he loved 'em!!

"The cleats quickly became the center of attention," said Luke, who's made cleats in the past for Las Vegas Raiders stars Josh Jacobs and Johnathan Abram. "The kids went nuts for them ALLL DAYY LONGGG!"

"The Griddy is just so big," Luke added, "and it's all because of Justin Jefferson."

Jefferson wasn't the only one getting gifts at the camp ... the youngsters also got limited-edition Justin Jefferson Camp t-shirts, a group camp photo, and Chick-fil-A!