New England Patriots

The Chargers are in last place and virtually everyone believes it's a foregone conclusion head coach Brandon Staley will lose his job ... and that'd be a mistake, according to Antonio Gates, one of the greatest players in franchise history.

TMZ Sports ran into the 8x Pro Bowler earlier this week in L.A., who spent all of his 16 seasons as a pro with the Bolts, and asked him whether it was time Staley got the ol' heave-ho after another disappointing season in SoCal.

"Ya know, I don't personally think [the coach should be fired]," AG told us.

The Hall of Fame candidate explained his reasoning ... "Just because of the relationship he has with the players. I'm big on, 'Can you get the guys to play for you?' I feel like Staley has a rapport with the players, and I believe in that particularly because I've been in that locker room."

Staley's been the HC since the 2021 season ... and while the squad is chock full of talent, including star QB Justin Herbert, the team has struggled to find any postseason success. Last season the 10-win Chargers lost to the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card round, and this year has been a disaster.

Things have been so bad for the 4-7 squad, there's near-constant talk about who could replace Staley after his all-but-guaranteed demise ... and Bill Belichick is often at the top of the list.

Things aren't exactly going smoothly for the 6x Super Bowl-winning head coach (8 total) on the other coast, either. Bill and owner Robert Kraft have reportedly had tension, and it's not crazy to think Belichick walks away or even gets fired after the 2023 season.

We asked Gates if he believed Belichick would be a good fit in Los Angeles.

"I think Belichick is a proven, historical winner. Why wouldn't he be good for any team? I don't know how the old-school coaching would transition now. I come from that old-school mentality, but I don't know if these guys can commit to that style of play. I'm not sure. I don't know.

"But we do know what we know is that he's a proven winner. I just don't know if his style of play is still considered valuable in the National Football League."

The Chargers have 6 games remaining … including a matchup with the Pats this Sunday.

It wasn't even a milestone birthday, but don't tell Patriots DT Davon Godchaux ... he gifted his fiancée Chanel Iman with a brand new Mercedes Benz G-Wagon for her upcoming 33rd birthday, and it literally brought the model to tears!

The 7-year NFL pro shocked Iman with the 4-wheeled gift on Tuesday -- three days before her actual birthday (December 1) -- and shared the surprise on his Instagram story.

You can see the bright blue whip, which starts around $140k, sitting in the driveway with a massive red bow on the hood ... as the Victoria's Secret Angel stood next to the Benz, smiling ear to ear.

"Thank you so much, honey!" Iman yelled. "This is the best gift ever! I love you!"

Chanel was super excited ... there was even dancing and some (very happy) screaming.

"She was crying lol," Godchaux said in the caption. "Big baby!"

Making the whole scene even sweeter ... the couple's little newborn daughter got to witness mom and dad's joy from the baby stroller.

"Happy early birthday to you baby! Thank you for always holding it down," Godchaux said.

"Real ones do real things."

Godchaux -- who signed an extension with the Pats last year -- and Iman went public with their relationship in 2022 ... before revealing they were having a baby in May.

The 29-year-old proposed to Iman shortly after the pregnancy announcement ... and the couple welcomed Capri in September.

"I never thought I would be getting down on one knee," Godchaux said in May, "but LOVE will make you do some amazing things in life!"

Tom Brady is going to bat for his old coach ... saying it's not Bill Belichick's fault the New England Patriots are having a terrible season right now.

TB12 addressed the state of his former team in an interview with Stephen A. Smith this week ... where he was asked whether it was time for BB to move on to a new team after more than two decades in Foxborough.

Brady -- who won six Super Bowls with Belichick -- had nothing but positive things to say about the mastermind ... and pointed the finger at other issues that could factor into the Pats being 2-8.

"I think he's an incredible coach," Brady told SAS. "He's the best coach, in my belief, in the history of the game."

"The thought of him not being in New England is hard for me to think about. He prepares the team really well. Ultimately, you got to have a lot of people around you to succeed. You got to have a lot of things in place for the organization to be successful."

In fact, Brady thinks BB is coaching just like he did when the Pats went undefeated during the 2007 regular season.

"I'm sure he's preparing the team the same way," he added. "The results are different. But again, that's why the sport's so challenging."

TB12 said there's other roles outside of the head coaching gig that have a greater impact on gameday performance -- like the quarterback and defensive coordinator -- but claimed he's not taking a shot at the Patriots' current situation with Mac Jones.

Of course, Brady's comments are interesting ... considering the belief is that Belichick helped usher him out of New England before he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.

If anyone in New England still had thoughts of cutting ties with Bill Belichick this season despite the Patriots' upset win over the Bills on Sunday ... Rob Gronkowski tells TMZ Sports they need to change that mentality ASAP.

Out at LAX just a day after his old team beat Buffalo on a last-second touchdown, Gronk said he's nearly positive Belichick will continue his squad's turnaround after improving its record to 2-5.

"They could definitely build off that momentum now," the former Patriots tight end said, "and do a little damage this year."

While never quite this bad, Gronk told us he saw some darker times with Belichick when he was with "The Hoodie" in New England ... and yet, he explained Belichick "always" found a way out of it.

"He'll keep it together, that's for sure," Gronk said. "If there's one thing that he taught us, it's to always black out the outside noise. So, I'm 100 percent sure that's what he's doing."

Of course, some fans aren't as convinced ... while the Pats' win over their divisional rival was a big one -- a loud portion of New England faithful still seem ready to move on from Belichick.

But, according to Gronk, there needs to be patience when it comes to the coaching GOAT.

Los fans de los Patriots que claman por la cabeza de Bill Belichick necesitan tomarse un calmante, o al menos eso piensa Jay Glazer, quien le dijo a TMZ Sports que el entrenador en jefe del New England no debería ser despedido a mitad de temporada.

"Así es la cosa con Bill", dijo Glazer en LAX esta semana. "Nunca se sabe. El tipo es un genio. Es un genio".

Belichick es sin duda el mejor entrenador de todos los tiempos. Ha sido 8 veces campeón del Super Bowl, seis como entrenador en jefe, ha ganado 299 partidos en su carrera, pero está pasando por una mala racha en Foxborough, desde la salida de Tom Brady.

Y las cosas se han puesto aún más difíciles. El equipo ahora es solo 1-5, y un fuerte contingente de aficionados de los Pats ha dejado claro que quieren expulsar a Belichick.

Glazer, sin embargo, instó a los partidarios del New England a tener paciencia, diciendo que ve a Belichick cambiando las cosas pronto.

"Todos en la NFL, las personas, solo quieren la cabeza de alguien", dijo Glazer. "Cada vez que tienes una mala semana o un mal comienzo... pero las personas cambian; mira a los Lions el año pasado. Empezaron muy lento y lo dieron vuelta".

No está claro si el equipo tiene suficientes estrellas para enderezar el rumbo, incluso si Belichick hace su magia. El propio Glazer lo reconoce, pero el famoso periodista asegura que lo ve hasta el final a pesar de todo.

Patriots fans clamoring for Bill Belichick's head need to take a chill pill ... at least, that's according to Jay Glazer, who tells TMZ Sports the New England head coach is a guy who should never be fired midseason.

"Here's the thing with Bill, man," the NFL insider said out at LAX this week. "You never know. Guy is a genius. He's a genius."

Belichick is undoubtedly the greatest coach of all-time -- he's a 8X Super Bowl champ, six as a head coach, who's won 299 games in his career -- but he's hit a rough patch in Foxborough ever since Tom Brady's departure.

And, things have gotten so bad recently -- the team is now just 1-5, and a loud contingent of Pats fans have made it clear they want Belichick ousted over it all.

Glazer, though, urged New England supporters to have patience ... saying he could see Belichick turning things around ASAP.

"Everything in the NFL, people just want someone's head," Glazer said. "Every time you have a bad week or bad start -- but people have started out; look at the Lions last year. They started off really slow and turned back around."

It's unclear if the team has enough stars to get the ship righted even if Belichick comes up with the magic touch -- which Glazer himself acknowledged -- but the famed journalist made it known he'd see it to the end regardless.

"I'm never going to stick a fork in that guy during the middle of a season," Glazer said.

Rob Gronkowski está tratando de hacer su fiesta anual del Super Bowl extra increíble este año, ¡diciendole a TMZ Sports que quiere a la pareja más popular del mundo allí!

Y, escucha esto, él espera que la estrella del pop cante ¡mientras Kelce se luce en la pista de baile!

"¡Ella puede interpretar una canción contigo bailando en el escenario!" le dijo en un mensaje a la estrella de los Chiefs.

Por supuesto, muchas cosas pueden suceder de aquí a que se realice la fiesta anual de Gronk "Gronk Beach" del Super Bowl de esta temporada en Las Vegas. Kelce y Swift podrían no seguir juntos y Travis podría estar participando en el Gran Juego, lo que le impediría salir de fiesta de todos modos.

Pero Rob dejó claro que si ese no es el caso, él quiere a la pareja allí, sobre todo después de que él y el tight end de Kansas City realmente congeniaron en una fiesta "Gronk Beach" en el Draft de la NFL 2022.

¡De hecho, Gronk nos explicó que allí es donde supo que Kelce realmente puede moverse, algo que cree que atrajo a Swift en primer lugar!

"¡Tiene unas caderas increíbles!" Dijo Gronk.

Rob Gronkowski's trying to make his annual Super Bowl party extra lit this year ... telling TMZ Sports he wants the hottest couple on the planet right now -- Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift -- to be there!!

And, get this ... he's hoping the pop star will sing -- while Kelce cuts a rug on the dance floor!!

"She can perform a song with you dancing on the stage!!" he said in a message to the Chiefs star.

Of course, a lot can happen between now and Gronk's annual "Gronk Beach" bash at this season's Super Bowl in Las Vegas -- Kelce and Swift might not be a thing ... and Travis could be playing in the Big Game, preventing him from partying anyways.

But Rob made it clear if that's not the case ... he wants the couple there -- especially after he says he and the Kansas City tight end really hit off at a "Gronk Beach" party at the 2022 NFL Draft.

In fact, Gronk explained to us that's where he learned Kelce can really move -- something he thinks attracted Swift to him in the first place!

"He's got unbelievable hips!" Gronk said.

Rob Gronkowski podría estar de vuelta en 2028 y le dice a TMZ Sports que se retiraría del fútbol si eso significaba que podía jugar la versión de la bandera de la misma para el equipo de EE.UU. en los Juegos Olímpicos.

La leyenda de los New England Patriots no se anduvo con rodeos a la hora de hablar de este deporte y su posible inclusión en los Juegos del 28, diciendo: "¡Cuenten conmigo ya!".

"Ojalá no haya pruebas y simplemente me acepten", dijo el ex tight end, que se alejó definitivamente de la NFL en 2022. "Pero estoy dentro. Voy a por ello si hay espacio para el football de banderas en los Juegos Olímpicos de 2028. Estados Unidos va a por todas".

Gronk tendría 39 años cuando los Juegos Olímpicos comiencen oficialmente en Los Ángeles, pero dice que ha estado cuidando de su cuerpo durante este tiempo y que ahora está de vuelta al 100 por ciento y parece anticipar que las cosas seguirán así.

De hecho, dice que si la NFL creara un espacio para las Olimpiadas, él estaría ahí.

"Te puedo decir esto", dijo, "Si hubiera una liga de fútbol bandera de la NFL, yo estaría jugando en estos momentos".

Por supuesto, este deporte aún no se ha añadido oficialmente a los Juegos. Se espera que el Comité Olímpico Internacional vote sobre él y algunos otros en los próximos días.

Aunque si se añade oficialmente, Gronk podría tener a un gran compañero corriendo junto a él en cuatro años más. Tyreek Hill dijo a principios de esta semana que también estaría feliz de participar.

Mientras tanto, cuando Gronk no está ocupado en mantenerse en forma, está tratando con su multitud de empresas de negocios, incluyendo su última idea, Voomerang.

Rob Gronkowski could be back on a gridiron as soon as 2028 ... telling TMZ Sports he'd unretire from football if it meant he could play the flag version of it for Team USA in the Olympics.

The New England Patriots legend didn't mince words when talking about the sport and its potential inclusion in the '28 Games ... saying point-blank Thursday, "Count me in already!"

"Hopefully there's no tryouts and they just accept me," said the former tight end, who walked away from the NFL for good in 2022. "But I'm in. I'm going for that if there is flag football in the Olympics in 2028. USA going all the way!"

Gronk would be 39 years old when the Olympics officially kick off in Los Angeles ... but he says he's been taking care of his body so well in retirement, he's now back to 100 percent -- and he seems to anticipate things staying that way if and when it comes time to put the flags on.

In fact, he says if the NFL created a league of its own prior to any sort of Olympic action, he'd be down to lace up his cleats ASAP for it.

"I can tell you this." he said, "If there was a flag football league -- an NFL flag football league -- I would be playing in that currently as we speak."

Of course, the sport has not yet officially been added to the Games -- the International Olympic Committee is expected to vote on it and a few others in the coming days.

Although if it does get officially added, Gronk could have some serious firepower running alongside him in four years ... as Tyreek Hill said earlier this week he'd be all-in for it as well.

In the meantime, when Gronk isn't busy staying in shape ... he's dealing with his multitude of business ventures -- including his latest one, Voomerang.

Police are looking to charge three men who they say played a role in an altercation at a Patriots game last month that ended in the death of one fan.

The Foxborough Police Department tells TMZ Sports ... it has submitted criminal complaints to prosecutors seeking assault and battery and disorderly conduct charges against a trio of Rhode Island men.

While cops did not reveal the names of the men nor any further details of the evidence ... they did say they believe the men were somehow involved in the altercation that resulted in Dale Mooney's death at the Pats vs. Dolphins game at Gillette Stadium.

According to the FPD, officers came to the conclusion after interviewing witnesses at the game as well as reviewing videos of the incident.

As we reported, Mooney was involved in the scuffle at some point during the Sept. 16 contest ... and he collapsed and later died. Officials did say, however, that they believe a medical issue -- not a traumatic injury -- led to the death.

A medical examiner's investigation into the final cause and manner of death remains ongoing.

La policía está buscando acusar a tres hombres, que según ellos, jugaron un papel en el partido de los Patriotas el mes pasado que terminó con la muerte de un fan.

El Departamento de Policía de Foxborough le dice a TMZ Sports que ha presentado denuncias penales a los fiscales por asalto y agresión y cargos de conducta desordenada contra un trío de hombres de Rhode Island.

Aunque no revelaron los nombres ni mayores detalles de las pruebas, dijeron que piensan que estos estuvieron involucrados en el altercado que resultó en la muerte de Dale Mooney en el partido contra los Dolphins en el Gillette Stadium.

Los oficiales llegaron a esa conclusión luego de entrevistar a diversos asistentes al juego y de revisar videos del incidente, según cuenta el departamento de Policía.

Como informamos, Mooney estuvo involucrado en la pelea en algún momento durante el encuentro del 16 de septiembre, y se derrumbó y falleció minutos más tarde. Las autoridades dijeron, sin embargo, que creían que su muerte se había debido a un problema médico y no a una lesión traumática.

La investigación del médico forense sobre la causa final sigue en curso.

Donald Trump just lowkey dissed his friend Bill Belichick, hilariously roasting the NFL coach's struggling football team during a speech ... admitting they suck while taking a shot at President Joe Biden!

#45 was in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire this week (deep in Pats country), speaking with supporters ahead of the 2024 presidential race ... when he likened Biden negotiating with Chinese President Xi Jinping to a high school football team playing a great NFL squad.

Cue the shade.

"Let’s see, what’s a good football team nowadays?" Trump asked.

"I used to say New England. I used to say the Patriots," Trump said. "I’d love to be able to say the Patriots. I’d love to be able to say the Patriots. [Belichick's] a great guy, great coach, but they’re having a little hard time."

Trump's remarks came a day after the Patriots were whooped 34-0 at home against the Saints, the worst loss in Belichick's era. The Pats lost to the Cowboys the week prior, 38-3.

The team is currently 1-4 record and in last place in the AFC East.

"What’s going on with the Patriots?" Trump said. "But he’s a great coach. He’ll figure it out somehow. He's gonna figure it out but that was not a good game last night, was it?"

Even though Donald and Bill are cool, some Patriots fans didn't take the jabs lightly ... one of 'em used Will Smith's Oscars outburst quote to respond on X, writing, "Keep my team's name out your GD mouth lol."

Another fan wrote ... "We’re getting bantered by Trump, it’s so over."

It doesn't get any easier for NE -- who play the division rivals Bills and Dolphins (they have a combined record of 7-3 and are one of the best squads in the AFC) -- over the next three weeks.

Asante Samuel says if Tom Brady came out of retirement and rejoined forces with the New England Patriots ... he'd almost certainly win his eighth Super Bowl this season.

"This terrible team that everybody sees is a terrible team," Samuel told TMZ Sports on Monday, Brady "can come right now, today, and win a Super Bowl for the New England Patriots. Because that's Tom Brady."

Samuel made the bold claim while discussing the state of the 2023 Patriots -- who, with a 38-0 loss to New Orleans on Sunday, are now just 1-4.

The former All-Pro said the bad losses are all further proof that Bill Belichick has largely been a failure when Brady is not under center for his teams. In fact, he said it's all showing that TB12 was the one most responsible for the Patriots' dynasties.

"I don't understand why is it such a big drop off when one man leaves the 53-man roster -- why is it such a big dropoff and you can't replace it but you're supposed to be a great coach?" Samuel said.

Samuel, who played for Belichick and alongside Brady from 2003 to 2007, added that he thinks Brady could solve all of this team's woes ... if he just simply showed up.

"I compare this team to the 2015 Super Bowl champions," Samuel said. "I see the same exact team -- it's only minus Tom Brady is the difference. And I can see Tom coming and leading this to the Super Bowl."

He continued, "My point in saying that is Belichick is a guy there that's not providing much for the team. And it's showing over and over and it's getting worse and worse."

Former New England Patriots Pro Bowl tight end Russ Francis, along with another man, were killed Sunday when the small plane they were flying in crashed in Lake Placid.

Francis was 70 years old.

The crash, according to police, occurred a few minutes after 4 PM near Lake Placid Airport in New York.

The plane was a Cessna 177 Cardinal ... a light, single-engine aircraft that was first introduced in the late '60s. The Cessna "experienced an emergency after takeoff" and "attempted to return to the airport but failed to make the runway," according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).

The second passenger who died alongside Francis was Richard McSpadden, a Senior Vice President for the AOPA. McSpadden was a very accomplished pilot, commanding the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds during his military career.

It's unclear if Francis, also a pilot, or McSpadden were flying at the time of the crash.

On the football field, Francis was one of the best at his position.

Russ was drafted with the 16th overall pick in the 1975 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots after starring at Oregon. He played 13 total seasons with the Pats and San Francisco 49ers, making 3 Pro Bowls and 2 All-Pro teams. Francis played in 167 games, catching 393 balls for 5,262 yards and 40 yards.

The Patriots released a statement on Francis' death.

"On behalf of the entire New England Patriots organization, we extend our sincerest sympathies to the family of Russ Francis, who tragically passed away yesterday," said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft in a prepared statement.

Tom Brady gave hundreds of kids a day to remember Saturday, by not only hitting up a sports trading card event but also getting in on the action!

Brady was the surprise guest at the Fanatics and Topps Hobby Rip Night in Linwood, New Jersey.

There were some big stars front and center, including Travis Scott, Kevin Hart, who hosted the event, and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin.

Fanatics is the biggest sports merchandizer in the game.

The Linwood store has a capacity of 100, but so many people showed hundreds more descended onto the parking lot.

Brady was all in, trading cards with fans and the kids went nuts. Fact is ... Brady owns tons of football cards.