New England Patriots

It doesn't matter what number Ezekiel Elliott is rocking on the field, 'cause he won't have to choose between digits off it -- the New England Patriots star just copped a diamond chain that reps both his old AND new look ... and we're told it's worth a whopping $260k!!

TMZ Sports has learned, Zeke wanted a new piece in honor of his new No. 15 with the Pats ... so he hit up celeb diamond setter Gabriel French for the job.

But, Elliott -- who inked a one-year, $3 million deal with the Pats this offseason -- isn't leaving his Cowboys career in the past ... 'cause the pendant's reverse side displays "21," the number he wore during his time in Dallas.

We're told the pendant was made with 70 carats of VVS emerald and brilliant cut diamonds ... and the Cuban chain consists of 70 carats of emerald and round cut diamonds.

Gabriel has worked with a ton of big names in the NFL over the years ... including Odell Beckham, Jr., Jalen Hurts, Amari Cooper and Aaron Donald.

Tom Brady and Irina Shayk are still on as a couple, even though lately it hasn't always looked that way ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the couple is, indeed, continuing to date and that they're still romantically involved. Obviously, we haven't seen much evidence of them canoodling in public the way we did in July and August ... but we're told they're an item.

It's unclear what the deal was with Irina's PDA post featuring her ex, Bradley Cooper, just a couple weeks ago ... but, clearly, it hasn't scared Tom off -- as he's still seeing her.

Remember, Irina threw everyone for a loop when she threw up a topless shot of herself and shirtless pic of BC as well ... where they certainly seemed to be getting cozy on the beach, which led folks to believe they might be getting back together. They share a kid, after all.

Unless she's in some kind of open relationship -- which isn't what we're hearing on our end -- then you can assume it was just a platonic thing ... and relatively harmless.

TMZ broke the story about Tom and Irina first linking up ... she spent the night at his pad here in L.A. for two days in a row -- and they were seen being affectionate in his car. After that, they were again spotted going in and out of the same London hotel a few weeks later.

There've been reports that Tom wasn't bothered by Irina's spotlighting of her baby daddy -- and there was even a claim they aren't necessarily in a committed relationship either.

Apparently, seven Super Bowl rings and 89,214 passing yards ain't enough to earn the label of "Best of All-Time" from Joe Montana ... 'cause the 49ers legend says Dan Marino, NOT Tom Brady, gets that title from him.

The Hall of Famer made the bold statement during a recent interview with Men's Health, explaining if Marino were playing in today's era of football -- he very well could have done what Brady did ... and maybe better.

"Put Marino into today’s game where he gets free release ... and his receivers, holy cow, weren't very big," Montana said.

"Now these guys are 6'4, 6'5. I think [Marino] is probably one of the most unsung heroes of the game. People don't talk enough about him or realize the numbers that he put up during the times that he put them up."

Montana also gushed about Marino's tangibles while naming him the B.O.A.T. ... adding, "He had a quick release. I had to step into a lot of things to get enough [force] on the ball."

"He had the perfect torque of his upper body and strength to deliver the ball quickly at a fast release with accuracy."

Now, don't get it twisted ... Montana did note there is a delineation between Greatest of All-Time and Best of All-Time -- though it sure did seem he still believes he holds that crown over Brady as well.

As for who could capture it going forward ... Montana dubbed Patrick Mahomes as the man with the most potential there.

Ex-NFL running back Stevan Ridley is finally sharing video of the race that ultimately put Kevin Hart in a wheelchair ... and you can see the comedian came up injured just as the guys were about to cross the finish line.

Per the vid, the race went down on a roadway somewhere outside of a home this week ... with the two not even putting on any sort of running gear for the face-off.

With Hart in a pair of sweats and Ridley in a white tee and short shorts ... the guys actually raced twice before Hart got injured.

In their first run ... you can see Ridley just beat out Hart by a few steps. In their second, Hart actually hung well with the former New England Patriots back -- that is, of course, before he tore a bunch of muscles in his body and had to pull up short.

Hart can be seen in the clip grabbing at his hip before coming to a stop. He ultimately shared on Thursday that he had ripped up his lower abdomen and adductors in the run and he's now in a wheelchair.

"Guys," he said in a video explaining the situation, "I blew all my s***."

For Ridley's part, he didn't rub too much salt in the wound while posting the clips to his social media page Friday ... writing only in the caption, "Gotcha?? Got whooo?!"

Kevin Hart says he needs to sit his butt down in a wheelchair because he can't walk anymore ... the result of trying to race an athlete and tearing some core muscles.

The movie star and comedian posted a hilarious video detailing his latest injury ... a torn lower abdomen and adductors ... which he says he suffered as a 44-year-old man running the 40-yard dash.

Kevin says he thought he could beat his friend in a race ... but the guy he was up against is former NFL running back Stevan Ridley, and now he's regretting even entertaining the thought he could actually outrun a pro athlete.

Sitting in a wheelchair on his porch, Kevin says the injury is one of the dumbest things he's ever done in his 44 years on earth ... and he says it's a sign he needs to slow down and act his age.

Kevin's hilariously questioning why he even raced Stevan in the first place ... joking he was trying to be the fastest man at the BBQ, and the comment section is filled with celebs chiming in.

The fact Kevin's laughing about it makes it seem like he's not too concerned with his torn muscles ... after all, he's had serious back issues from a near-fatal car crash and went through a grueling rehab.

Ezekiel Elliott's got a new home and a new number ... the former Dallas Cowboys star said Monday he's signing with New England -- and he'll wear No. 15 when he gets there!!

Elliott announced the move on his X page just minutes ago ... writing, "One Five, all the way live ! @Patriots."

Adam Schefter reports Zeke's getting a 1-year deal with his new team that could be worth up to $6 million.

The tailback had been one of the best runners in the league after Dallas took him with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft -- leading the NFL in rushing yards twice and earning three Pro Bowl selections.

His production, though, waned over the past couple years ... and following Tony Pollard's emergence as a lead back in the 2022 season -- the Cowboys parted ways with Elliott this past offseason.

But the 28-year-old seems very open to the new start -- he even revealed Monday he's going back to the short hairdo he rocked during his rookie year in Dallas for the occasion.

Gisele Bündchen says her divorce from Tom Brady has been no cakewalk ... admitting the recent split has been hard on her, but she's getting through the rough patch by shifting her focus elsewhere.

The supermodel went into detail about ending her 13-year marriage with the seven-time Super Bowl champion in an interview with Vogue Brazil this week ... where she opened up about finding the silver lining, despite how much of a toll it has taken on her.

"I've always believed that every situation, no matter how challenging, teaches us something and helps us grow," Gisele said.

"Breakups are never easy, especially when the media is speculating every step of the way."

Of course, there was a lot of speculation at the time about why Gisele and Tom were calling it quits -- many believed it was about Brady's return to football, but as we previously reported, that was simply not the case.

Gisele added she is keeping her kids, health, career, and aspirations the priority after the divorce ... as she now has a better understanding and acceptance of herself.

Tom Brady is racking up teams like Super Bowl rings -- the retired NFL superstar has become part owner of yet another sports organization ... this time, it's the Birmingham City Football Club.

The G.O.A.T. announced the business move in a hype video on Thursday ... saying "he's officially coming on board" the English Football League Championship squad.

"And maybe you're asking what do you know about English football, Tom?" Brady said in the clip. "Well, let's just say I've got a lot to learn. But I do know a few things about winning, and I think they may translate pretty well."

Brady -- who joins the club's current owners, Knighthead Capital Management LLC -- will also serve as chairman of the advisory board.

"I know success starts with the work put in when the world isn't watching," Brady added. "I know a team is nothing without the city that shows up and stands behind it."

"Most importantly, I know I like being the underdog. The road's been long for Birmingham, but these fans have never stopped believing."

The Blues will hope Brady's winning will rub off on them ... 'cause the team finished 17th in England's second-tier league last season.

Birmingham City also addressed the move in a statement ... saying Brady will work directly with the team's sports science department to share his knowledge on "health, nutrition, wellness, and recovery systems and programs."

"I'll see you at St Andrew's soon," TB12 added. "It's time to get to work."

Brady has clearly found a new hobby in sports ownership after retiring in February -- his collection now includes Birmingham City, the Las Vegas Raiders, the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces, a Major League Pickleball team, and, most recently, an E1 World Championship electric boat racing franchise.

Despite being critical of both Bill Belichick and Sauce Gardner, Asante Samuel tells TMZ Sports he's got absolutely "no beef" with either guy ... explaining his comments were simply him just giving his opinions -- and nothing more.

"I'm a critic just like y'all," he said. "Y'all wake up, man. Y'all stop actin' like clowns."

Samuel took aim at Belichick's resume this week during an interview with ex-NFL player Bryant McFadden ... saying he didn't believe the Patriots head coach was the best ever.

Just a couple weeks prior, he took issue with Gardner's resume too ... writing on his Twitter page that he believed Seahawks star Tariq Woolen had a better year than the Jets corner -- while adding that he thought Sauce's status was being buoyed by the New York media.

Both hot takes were widely panned -- and most felt they were actually personal attacks on Belichick and Gardner.

But when we spoke with Samuel about it all on Thursday -- he said that couldn't be further from the case.

"Y'all stop it," the former New England Patriots cornerback said. "It's not a beef. If y'all want to cover it, y'all cover it. But it's not a beef."

He insisted giving his takes on the NFL is something he's done repeatedly over the years -- and it's never once been personal.

"I've been doin' this," he said. "I'm sick of it!"

The best NFL coach ever ain't Bill Belichick ... at least, that's according to his former player, Asante Samuel, who said this week the Patriots head man is "absolutely not" the league's GOAT.

Samuel made the claim during a recent interview with ex-NFL player Bryant McFadden.

"Are you crazy?" the ex-New England cornerback said into the microphone when the topic was brought up.

As for why ... Samuel said it has everything to do with how Belichick has performed without Tom Brady.

"Look at his record without Tom," Samuel said. "You've got to win without Tom."

Belichick and Brady were an unreal team together during their 20 years with the Pats ... winning more than 200 total games -- as well as six Super Bowls.

But, after Brady left for Tampa Bay prior to the 2020 season ... Belichick hasn't found too much success, going just 25-25 -- with no playoff wins. Tom, on the other hand, won another ring without Belichick in his first year with the Bucs.

It all, according to Samuel, means Belichick simply cannot be called the best ever.

"One thing I learned about being great is you got to be great in different situations," said Samuel, who played under Belichick for five seasons. "It was all Tom. I was there. I saw it. It was Tom."

"Everybody know it. Tom know it, but he ain’t gonna admit it because he wants to be politically correct. That’s why I’m here, and I’m going to tell the truth."

Samuel hasn't shown much of a filter when it comes to his dislike for Bill ... in fact, the Pro Bowl cornerback even advised Lamar Jackson not to play for the guy when there were rumors swirling this offseason that the QB wanted to play for the Patriots.

Jay-Z and Robert Kraft are on a mission to thwart the rise of book bans by launching programs to reinstall teachings of slavery, the Holocaust and gender equality back into society.

TMZ Hip Hop has learned both Jay and Robert's organizations -- the Shawn Carter Foundation and the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism -- have donated $1 million to provide pro bono legal services to educators and librarians who've been targeted by local policies banning books.

The American Library Association reportedly documented nearly 1,300 demands last year to remove books -- most highlighting the Black and LGBTQIA+ communities, as well as religious minorities.

We're told the New England Patriots owner and Jay laid down the framework for underserved students to obtain scholarships and financial grants, and hopefully have their works turned into movies, plays, audiobooks, etc. to further the message.

There's also a plan to reprint banned books and have them circulated in adjacent learning centers.

The Brooklyn Public Library launched "Books Unbanned," a nationwide campaign that provides free books to kids, hassle-free, back in April 2022 ... and it's been wildly successful.

The BPL also unveiled Jay's new exhibit "The Book of HOV" on Friday, which showcases the Roc Nation rapper's legacy and written history in an elaborate fashion.

Ryan Mallett's death does not appear to have been the result of violent riptides in Florida waters ... according to authorities, the belief is the tragedy was all simply a freak accident.

Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said in a video statement Wednesday there was "no indication of dangerous conditions" in the Destin area where Mallett drowned on Tuesday.

"We were under a yellow flag," Aden said, "which is a just swim with caution."

"It just seems to be just a tragic accident and not something to do with the conditions of the surf or tides or currents."

Initial reports said Mallett was among a group of swimmers who had been out in the ocean struggling to make their way back to shore. Mallett, authorities said, went underwater while fighting to return to safety -- and when he was eventually pulled out, he was unresponsive. He later was pronounced dead at a local emergency room.

Many had believed dangerous and unseen riptides were what caused the tragedy ... but Aden insisted those were "misperceptions out there."

"There were no indications of any 'riptides,'" Aden's office added in a written statement.

Authorities also released some body cam footage Wednesday from the incident ... showing the beach's conditions as officers raced to the scene.

Mallett's death rocked the sports world ... everyone from Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski to Bill Belichick mourned his passing in the hours after the news broke.

Tom Brady sent a heartfelt message to Ryan Mallett and his family after the former quarterback tragically died on Tuesday ... writing in a sweet note, "We lost a great man."

The Patriots legend -- who was teammates with Mallett in New England from 2011 to 2013 -- posted the message to his Instagram page ... adding, "Thank you for everything Ryan."

"Praying for the Mallett family and all their loved ones tonight."

The post went up only hours after cops say Mallett drowned while swimming in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday afternoon.

According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, Mallett was part of a group of swimmers who had been "struggling to make their way back to shore" after getting in the water at around 2:12 PM

Cops say Mallett went under ... and when he was finally pulled from the ocean, he wasn't breathing. He was later pronounced dead at a local emergency room.

The passing shocked the NFL world ... in addition to Brady, several other stars penned tributes to the ex-QB on their social media pages, including J.J. Watt -- Mallett's former teammate in Houston -- who wrote, "Gone way too soon. Rest in Peace brother."

Dez Bryant and Rob Gronkowski added messages of their own to Mallett on their Instagrams as well.

Mallett was just 35 years old.

Former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett -- a third-round pick in 2011 NFL Draft -- has passed away. He was 35 years old.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... Mallett tragically drowned in Florida. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Mallett was a star prospect out of Texas High in Texarkana ... where he was one of the top-ranked signal callers in his class. He went on to play at the collegiate level from 2007-10 for the Michigan Wolverines and Arkansas Razorbacks ... and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2010.

He was the offensive MVP of the Liberty Bowl in 2010 ... and was named All-SEC second team in 2009 and 2010.

Mallett was the 74th-overall pick to the New England Patriots in 2011, serving as a backup to Tom Brady for three seasons.

He was traded to the Houston Texans in 2014, where he would start two games before going down with a season-ending injury. He remained with Houston for six games the next season ... before being traded to the Baltimore Ravens.

Mallett played two more seasons with the Ravens ... taking his last NFL snap during the 2017 season.

The former standout took up coaching after his pro career ... joining White Hall High School's coaching staff in Arkansas.

Willie McGinest has been sued yet again ... this time, a man is alleging the ex-NFL star and three other people beat the hell out of him during a dispute over weights at a gym two years ago.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, the altercation happened back on June 21, 2021 ... inside of a 24 Hour Fitness in Long Beach, Calif.

The plaintiff, Andrew Cortez, claims he was using the bench press ... when someone walked up and took one of his plates.

Cortez says he told the person he was not done with the weight ... but he claims McGinest, the former New England Patriots pass rusher, overheard the exchange and said "the f*** you mean?"

According to the lawsuit, McGinest then socked Cortez in the face with a closed fist.

Cortez alleges three other men then jumped in ... and, along with McGinest, proceeded to strike him in the head and back "30 to 40 times."

According to the suit, 24 Hour Fitness personnel eventually separated the parties -- though Cortez claims he was left bloodied and injured.

Cortez says he's been suffering from emotional distress since the attack ... and is still reeling from the wounds he sustained.

He's asking for unspecified damages in his suit.

"Blessings keep pouring" in for supermodel Chanel Iman ... just weeks after announcing she's pregnant with Davon Godchaux's baby, the NFL player proposed with a massive diamond ring.

And, she said yes!!

The New England Patriots defensive tackle got down on one knee while the couple was enjoying baecation in Italy ... and the special moment was captured on camera.

"First of all, I can’t even lie I was nervous ahh hell😂," the 28-year-old said in an Instagram post on Tuesday. "I never thought I would be getting down on one knee but LOVE will make you do some amazing things in life!"

"Chanel I love you so much and I wouldn’t have rather spend this moment with no one else by my side!"

Godchaux added, "From the moment we met I knew it was something about you and how much you value having a FAMILY that was really important to me! We are in this together and will always be, I love you from the bottom of my heart! My love, My fiancé, My everything!!❤️❤️🇮🇹💍"

Iman, 32, was in complete shock when Godchaux asked for her hand in marriage ... and she said she can't wait for the next chapter with her "soulmate, protector and best friend."

"Baby moon in Capri turned into the perfect engagement 🎉 I love you so much @chauxdown ❤️," Iman said in her own IG post of the proposal.

"You promised me the world and so far you have given me that and so much more!"

The Victoria's Secret model started dating Godchaux -- who signed a 2-year extension with the Patriots last year -- shortly after New York Giants WR Sterling Shepard filed for divorce in 2021.

Sterling and Chanel have two daughters together. In May, Iman and Godchaux announced they were expecting a baby.