Minnesota Vikings

Former Minnesota Vikings receiver Blake Proehl is going all-in on his music career ... and he's so serious about the new endeavor, he tells TMZ Sports he'd take a Grammy over a Super Bowl win!!

The 25-year-old blew the "American Idol" judges away during his audition on the 22nd season of the singing show ... even bringing Katy Perry to tears as he earned a golden ticket to Hollywood.

We caught up with Proehl fresh off the emotional performance ... and he said it's still hard to wrap his head around the fact it actually happened, but he hopes his journey inspires others to follow their dreams -- even if they lack experience or confidence in taking a leap of faith.

Of course, Proehl spent a few years in the NFL ... but he fell back in love with music when he was sidelined following an injury in 2021.

The time away from the field led to his decision to leave football in the past -- despite having opportunities to continue his career -- and now, it's full steam ahead in entertainment.

Proehl explained he understands the risk of switching professions -- especially considering it's rare to make it big in music -- but all that mattered was that he was doing what he loved.

Turns out, former NFL player Blake Proehl is good on the gridiron AND on the keys ... 'cause he performed so well on the piano during his recent "American Idol" audition -- he brought Katy Perry to tears!!

The ex-Minnesota Vikings wideout -- who's the son of longtime Panthers receiver Ricky Proehl -- sang his heart out in front of Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie on the famed talent show ... and when his segment aired on TV on Sunday, it wasn't hard to see the dude's got a bright future in music.

Playing Brett Young's "In Case You Didn't Know" with his grandma by his side ... Blake, who played for the Vikes from 2021 to 2023, belted out every verse perfectly -- wowing Perry the entire time.

She not only got goosebumps, she also at one point appeared to wipe away a tear. After he finished, she even asked for his autograph.

The other judges, Bryan and Richie, were just as impressed ... and the trio gave him a unanimous golden ticket to the show's next round.

It was all quite emotional for Blake ... as he explained that a knee injury he suffered during his NFL days had him wondering if he'd ever run again -- let alone become a music star.

Some of Blake's famous pals congratulated him on social media following the show ... including Kirk Cousins, who wrote, "Cousins fam will be pulling hard for him this spring."

Kareem Jackson has been suspended yet again ... this time, the NFL levied a four-game ban on the Denver Broncos safety after it says he illegally hit Joshua Dobbs during a violent play on Sunday night.

The tackle happened just seconds into Denver's tilt with the Minnesota Vikings, when Jackson launched himself into Dobbs' face while trying to bring down the QB.

Replays of the hit show Jackson tagged Dobbs in the chin area with the crown of his helmet -- a big no-no, according to the NFL exec Jon Runyan, who announced the suspension Monday afternoon.

"You had an unobstructed path to your opponent and the illegal contact could have been avoided," Runyan told Jackson when making the announcement.

"Illegal acts that are flagrant and jeopardize the safety of players will not be tolerated."

This is the second time Jackson has been slapped with a suspension for his play on the field ... back on Oct. 23, he was also banned four games for illegally hitting Packers tight end Luke Musgrave in the head and neck area.

Jackson, however, appealed the ruling ... and had the ban reduced to two games.

The NFL is giving unlikely Vikings hero Josh Dobbs the same love it showed Taylor Swift last month ... putting the quarterback all over its social media pages!!

The Shield leaned heavily into Taylor's presence at Kansas City Chiefs games amid her budding romance with Travis Kelce ... temporarily changing its bio and imagery to have fun with the whole ordeal.

The "Cruel Summer" singer had real estate on the NFL's pages for a bit ... but now it's Dobbs' turn to get the spotlight after leading Minnesota to its second win in two weeks.

Of course, Dobbs was thrown into the Vikes vs. Falcons matchup after joining the team days prior and didn't even know his teammates' names or plays, but was still able to come out with the 31-28 win.

His magic continued on Sunday ... when he helped Minnesota outlast the Saints, 27-19.

Given his surprising success story, the league decided it was time to hand Dobbs his flowers ... adding him to its banner and saying, "in Dobbs we trust" in the bio.

La NFL le está dando al improbable héroe de los Vikings, Josh Dobbs, el mismo amor que mostró por Taylor Swift el mes pasado, poniendo al mariscal de campo en todas sus redes sociales.

La NFL se apoyó fuertemente de la presencia de Taylor en los partidos de los Kansas City Chiefs en medio de su incipiente romance con Travis Kelce, y había cambiado la imagen principal de su biografía para divertirse con toda la experiencia.

La cantante de "Cruel Summer" estuvo en las páginas de la NFL por un tiempo, pero ahora es momento de darle el protagonismo a Dobbs después de que le otorgara su segunda victoria en dos semanas al equipo de Minnesota.

Por supuesto, Dobbs fue lanzado al partido de los Vikes vs Falcons después de que se uniera al equipo días antes. En ese momento, ni siquiera se sabía los nombres de sus compañeros o las jugadas, pero así y todo fue capaz de entregarles la victoria 31-28.

Su magia continuó este domingo cuando ayudó a Minnesota a superar a los Saints, 27-19.

Dada su sorprendente historia de éxito, la liga decidió reemplazar a Taylor y tirarle flores a Dobbs, eligiéndolo en su banner principal y biografía con el mensaje: "En Dobbs confiamos".

Kirk Cousins is in great spirits after going under the knife to fix his torn Achilles ... sharing a positive update from his hospital bed.

The Minnesota Vikings quarterback went down with the injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday's win over the Green Bay Packers ... officially ending his 2023 campaign.

Despite the circumstances, Cousins was all smiles following his procedure Wednesday morning ... giving a big thumbs up as he showed off his new purple cast wrapped around his right leg.

"Surgery was a success!" Cousins said on X ... adding he enlisted popular doctor J. Chris Coetzee of Twin Cities Orthopedics in Eagan, Minnesota for the job.

"Grateful for your prayers, Dr. Coetzee’s abilities, and our medical team. Would appreciate continued prayers! One day at a time…"

The Vikings -- 4-4 so far this season -- will now look to move past the injury ... trading for Josh Dobbs prior to Tuesday's trade deadline. Jaren Hall will get the start.

Cousins has been a trooper in the days following his ailment -- he even showed up to the team's trick-or-treat event and signed autographs for young fans on Monday.

The Chargers fan who blew up on social media for displaying a roller coaster of emotions during "Monday Night Football" is putting all speculation to rest ... adamantly denying she was a paid actress or AI bot -- she's just that crazy about her team!!

Merrianne Do achieved overnight fame for her animated expressions while supporting Justin Herbert and the Chargers during their 20-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium ... and many were quick to accuse her of being planted by the team or league for manufactured clout.

TMZ Sports spoke with the internet's newest celebrity ... and she says the truth is, she's your average fanatic who's super passionate about her squad.

"I wish I was being paid," Do tells us. "If [the skeptics] only knew this is how I am every day. My kids are like, 'Mommy this is how you are at my flag football game, why do they think you're getting paid?' I'm like. 'I know, but they don't know me.'"

As it turns out, it's true -- Do and her husband are truly diehard Charger fans -- the two have season tickets in the second row ... and if they aren't sittin' there, they're posted up in the cabana suites.

"We are diehard fans," she says. "It's always been like this. People that know me know that I've been this crazy football fan all my life."

The internet sleuths have been quick to try and poke holes in Do's explanation ... even posting pics of her in Minnesota Vikings gear -- but she has a reason for that, too.

"I grew up in Minnesota before moving to California almost 20 years ago," Do says. "I don't think you have to be a single-team fan. I love my Chargers and I'm not gonna deny my Vikings. At the end of the day, yes, I've been a Vikings fan, I've been through that journey as a Vikings fan and still am, but I'm here in LA for the past 20 years."

Long story short, Do didn't get a cent for her viral moment ... but knowing how internet fame works, that could all change.

"To anybody that thinks this is paid, I am not paid, I'm still eating my ramen noodles."

Un aficionado de los Bears fue golpeado tan fuerte durante una pelea en el partido de Chicago el fin de semana, que pareció perder momentáneamente el conocimiento.

La pelea ocurrió durante el partido de los Bears contra los Vikings en el Soldier Field el domingo, cuando un grupo de hombres se enfureció tanto que comenzaron a pelear.

En un momento durante la acción, un hombre con una camiseta de Walter Payton recibió un golpe certero de un fan de de Justin Fields. Se puede ver en el video que el puñetazo fue un KO momentaneo.

Sin embargo, se levantó, antes de ser empujado de nuevo al suelo unos segundos más tarde.

Mientras otros aficionados de los Bears se peleaban, un hombre propinó a otro una fuerte patada en la cabeza. La violencia parecía haber parado parada.

Nos hemos puesto en contacto con la policía para ver si se hizo alguna detención, pero hasta ahora, no hay noticias.

A Bears fan was hit so hard by a haymaker during a fight at Chicago's game over the weekend, he appeared to momentarily lose consciousness right in the middle of a stadium concourse.

The wild fracas happened at some point during the Bears' tilt with the Vikings at Soldier Field on Sunday ... when a group of men became so enraged with one another, they started brawling.

At one point during the action, a man in a Walter Payton jersey was absolutely leveled by a Justin Fields supporter ... and you can see in video from the scene, the punch seemed to briefly KO the man.

Somehow, however, he got up -- before he was pushed back to the ground just seconds later.

Meanwhile, as several other Bears fans were scuffling, a man kicked another man hard in the head. The violence then appeared to mercifully stop.

We've reached out to cops to see if any arrests were made, but so far, no word back yet.

Some football fans are convinced Travis Kelce went down with an injury Sunday all because Taylor Swift wasn't in the crowd.

In case ya missed it, TK lost his footing on Sunday while the Kansas City Chiefs were up against the Minnesota Vikings ... injuring his ankle after catching a short pass from QB Patrick Mahomes.

While Travis later returned -- and even secured a touchdown -- fans couldn't help but point out Taylor's absence as the reason why he got hurt mid-game.

Folks online chimed in on the so-called "Taylor Swift Curse," with some even calling her impact on Travis the new Madden curse -- a reference to the bad luck that would come to the player who ends up on the cover of the Madden video game each year.

BTW, Swifties quickly came to Taylor's defense, saying the singer wasn't to blame for Travis' ankle mishap ... claiming the artificial turf might've been the culprit instead.

That seemed to get sports fans back on board with Taylor's impact -- with some hoping the uproar would result in the removal of artificial turf on the field.

2:16 PM PT -- Está confirmado, Taylor se ha saltado el partido de hoy. Jim Nantz acaba de decir: "En caso de que te lo estés preguntando, las siete palabras que nunca pensé que saldrían de mis labios en mi carrera, "Taylor Swift no está en el partido". Acabo de ver a algunas personas con el corazón roto en las gradas. Hubo especulación sobre si Taylor iba a asistir hoy, pero parece que oficialmente podemos darla por ausente".

Taylor Swift no voló a Minneapolis este fin de semana para ver jugar a Travis Kelce.

El ala cerrada de los Chiefs está jugando contra los Vikings y es un partido en otro estado, por lo que él y sus compañeros disfrutarán de la brisa de Minnesota. La emisión comenzó y no había señales de Taylor en ningún lugar.

No hay registros de ella en ningún palco privado (como ha sido habitual el último par de semanas). En otras palabras, ella no está allí Swfties.

Eso no impidió que los locutores mencionaran a TayTay de todas formas. Una vez que Travis se mostró en el campo, dijeron que su puntal se asemejaba al de un "paseo Swift" y la mencionaron una vez más un poco más tarde durante el calentamiento.

Uno de los locutores dijo: "Basta de hablar de Taylor Swift, ¿de acuerdo? Este tipo es el mejor tight end en todo el fútbol y está mostrando ser un excelente jugador cada semana".

El propio Travis ha dicho que ya era suficiente de todo este alboroto y que la NFL necesitaba parar.

2:16 PM PT -- It's confirmed, Taylor skipped today's game. Jim Nantz just said, "In case you’re wondering, the seven words i never thought would leave my lips in my career, 'Taylor Swift is not at the game.' There are some broken hearted people I just saw in the stands. She was questionable all week, but it looks like it’s officially inactive for today."

Taylor Swift wasn't about to fly to Minneapolis this weekend to see Travis Kelce play -- which is now obvious in the fact that she's apparently nowhere to be found in the stands.

The Chiefs tight end is playing against the Vikings Sunday, and it's an away game ... so him and his teammates are out in breezy Minnesota here. As the broadcast began, there was no sign of Taylor anywhere -- nor was there any reporting of her being at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Of course, once kickoff got underway ... no cameras panned to her in a private box the way they've been doing for the past couple weeks. In other words, she ain't there, Swfties.

That didn't prevent the announcers from name-dropping TayTay -- they just couldn't help themselves. Once TK was shown walking onto the field, they said his strut resembled that of a "Swift walk" ... and they mentioned her once more a bit later during warmups.

One of the broadcasters said, "There's Travis Kelce, enough of the Taylor Swift talk, ok? this guy is the best tight end in all of football and he's showing up big for his team every week."

That's a little shady -- but by the same token, it reflects what Travis himself has said about all the hubbub ... namely, that it was enough already and the NFL needed to give it a rest.

Many might feel the same ... but the league's been loving all the hype, as have the TV networks that were lucky enough to carry her games. CBS kinda got screwed today ... darn.

Taylor Swift tiene la oportunidad de hacer tres viajes consecutivos para ver los partidos de Travis Kelce, y el alcalde de Minneapolis está liderando la campaña para que eso se haga realidad este próximo fin de semana, según ha indagado TMZ.

El alcalde Jacob Frey nos dice que él y la ciudad están listos para recibir a TayTay con los brazos abiertos este domingo, que es cuando los Kansas City Chiefs enfrentan a los Minnesota Vikings en un partido por la tarde. Él incluso tiene un mensaje para animarla.

Frey dice: "Todos sabemos muy bien el positivo impacto que tiene Taylor Swift en las ciudades que visita. Minneapolis no es una excepción".

El alcalde tiene buenos recuerdos de su presentación en Minneapolis a principios de este año y añade: "Sus dos conciertos agotaron entradas en el U.S. Bank Stadium en junio y nos llevaron a tener un récord de turistas ese fin de semana, con hoteles y restaurantes del centro repletos, impulsando nuestra economía más allá de lo que imaginábamos".

Por ese motivo, Frey tiene los dedos cruzados: "Si Taylor decide volver a Minneapolis (a veces conocido como Swiftieapolis) este fin de semana, estaremos listos para recibirla. Es posible que tenga que consolar a Travis Kelce después de que los Vikings le ganen a los Chiefs, pero hay un montón de sitios para salir en la ciudad y subirle el ánimo".

Que conste que lo de Swiftieapolis es real. La ciudad literalmente cambió de nombre, aunque solo haya sido por un corto tiempo, así que sí... con su claro conocimiento de la discografía de Taylor es justo decir que el alcalde es un verdadero Swiftie.

La verdad es que cada ciudad de la NFL se sentiría de la misma manera. Taylor ha demostrado que puede atraer audiencias masivas, en términos de atención de los medios y el gasto de los consumidores a través de múltiples industrias, lo que por lo general se traduce en más tráfico y, a menudo, más dinero también.

Los dos partidos de la NFL en los que ha asistido han sido un éxito de audiencia para Fox y NBC, las cadenas que los han televisado. La próxima semana es el turno de la CBS y parece que el alcalde Frey quiere entrar en acción también.

Taylor Swift has a chance to make it 3 consecutive trips to see Travis Kelce's games, and the Mayor of Minneapolis is leading the cheers for her to do so this coming weekend ... TMZ has learned.

Mayor Jacob Frey tells us he and the rest of the city are ready to welcome TayTay with open arms this Sunday, which is when the Kansas City Chiefs play the Minnesota Vikings for an afternoon match-up -- he even has an on-the-nose message to encourage her.

Frey says, "We know All Too Well the positive impact Taylor Swift has on the cities she visits -- Minneapolis is no exception."

The Mayor has fond memories of her tour stop in Minneapolis earlier this year, adding ... "Her two, sold-out concerts at U.S. Bank Stadium in June led to a record-setting tourism weekend including booked-up hotels and packed downtown restaurants... boosting our local economy beyond our Wildest Dreams."

Here's how you know Mayor Frey has his fingers crossed ... "If Taylor chooses to come back to Minneapolis [sometimes known as Swiftieapolis] this weekend, we’ll be Ready For It. It’s possible she will have to console Travis Kelce after the Vikings beat the Chiefs, but there are plenty of great spots across town for them to go on a date and lift their spirits!"

FWIW, the Swiftieapolis thing is real ... they literally changed city's name (if only for a short time), so yeah -- with his clear knowledge of Taylor's catalog -- it's fair to say Hizzoner's a full on Swiftie.

Fact is, every NFL city would feel this way ... as Taylor's proven to have massive appeal in terms of media attention, and consumer spending across multiple industries, that usually translates to more traffic ... and oftentimes, more moolah, too.

The 2 NFL games she's attended have turned out to be a ratings bonanza for Fox and NBC, the networks that televised them. Next week, it's CBS's turn and it sounds like Mayor Frey wants to get in on the action as well.

Vikings star Byron Murphy says he's got a plan to get inside Travis Kelce's head this week ... and it includes Taylor Swift trash talk!!

The Minnesota cornerback told ESPN he's going to use some Swift quips when Kelce and the Chiefs come into town on Sunday in order to rile up the K.C. star tight end.

"I'm going to say something to him to get him going," Murphy said on Monday.

The 25-year-old, though, was otherwise complimentary of the "Love Story" singer ... saying he actually hopes she's in attendance for the big game.

"We're locked in, but that would be something," he admitted. "I've been watching her since I was a kid. That would be cool for sure."

But, if she does show, Murphy reiterated he's going to try to make things extremely difficult for her new beau on the field.

"We're going to try to get our hands on him in front of her," Murphy said.

It's not yet clear if Swift has plans to hit U.S. Bank Stadium to watch Kelce play ... although it's certainly not out of the realm of possibility, considering she traveled to Kansas City last week to catch his game before heading out to New Jersey on Sunday night to see him play against the Jets.

Vikings star Alexander Mattison says over 60 people sent him disturbing messages following his game Thursday night ... revealing some contained disgusting racial slurs.

The Minnesota tailback said the notes poured into his Instagram message box shortly after he had a down game in the Vikes' 34-28 loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia.

He shared screenshots of two of the DMs on his IG stories -- and, in both, you can read he was called the N-word. The writers also told Mattison he should die by suicide.

The 25-year-old said the words really affected him ... writing in a caption on the screen grabs "this s*** is unacceptable."

"Under my helmet, I am a human," he said. "A father.. A son. This is sick. SMH."

Mattison took over the Vikings' starting running back reins this year following Dalvin Cook's offseason departure ... but through two games so far, he's totaled just 83 combined receiving and rushing yards -- and in Thursday night's defeat, he lost a fumble.

Mattison explained on his social media page that he's OK with people telling him "you suck" over his play on the field ... but he said the latest batch of messages just simply crossed a line.

"SMFH," he wrote. "This is not OK."

Since he shared the screen grabs, several fans have rushed to the comment section on his most recent post to send words of encouragement.

Mattison and the Vikings play next on Sept. 24 against the Chargers.