New England Patriots

A textbook on logic helped bring Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson together ... and the man who wrote it tells TMZ Sports he couldn't be happier!!

We broke the story ... the literary piece -- titled "Deductive Logic" -- was what first drew Belichick to Hudson way back in 2021 -- when they had their initial encounter on a plane ride from the Boston area to Florida.

Our sources say the ex-New England Patriots head coach was intrigued by the work that Hudson was studying on the flight ... and sparked up a conversation with her over it all.

Bill Belichick was grinning ear-to-ear the day he first met his now-girlfriend Jordon Hudson ... check out a photo TMZ Sports has obtained from their first encounter -- the ex-New England coach was clearly giddy.

The pic was taken at some point during a February 2021 flight -- after the future Hall of Famer had sat next to Hudson as they were both headed from the Boston area to Florida.

Our sources say at one point during the trip ... Belichick leaned in to inquire about some school work Hudson -- a college student at the time -- had been working on, and they hit it off.

Bill Belichick has a new love interest in his life ... TMZ Sports has learned he's dating 23-year-old former competitive cheerleader Jordon Hudson.

Sources close to the situation tell us the two have been romantic for a while now -- becoming an item shortly after the ex-New England Patriots head coach called off his longtime relationship with Linda Holliday.

According to one of Hudson's former cheerleading teammates, Hudson first met the 72-year-old on a flight from the Boston area bound for Florida way back in 2021 ... and bonded over a philosophy project the student-athlete had been working on.

Tom Brady's getting a statue at Gillette Stadium ... Robert Kraft announced Wednesday night the Patriots are erecting a 12-foot bronze sculpture of the ex-quarterback this season!

The New England honcho revealed the big news at Brady's Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Foxborough ... when he told a packed house the former signal-caller will be the first player in franchise history to receive the honor.

Kraft also said Brady's No. 12 jersey will be retired -- the first Patriot since Bruce Armstrong in 2001 to garner that accolade.

TGIF TMZ fans ... now, start your final workday off right with the best clips TMZ has to offer.

On "TMZ Live," Charles and Charlie talk Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian getting boycotted on Instagram by pro-Palestine protesters.

Give Julian Edelman an Oscar right now -- the former Patriots receiver showed off his acting chops in New England's schedule release video on Wednesday ... and he had help from his good buddy, Rob Gronkowski!!

The Pats went all-out ahead of the 2024 season ... doing their own spin on the classic 1997 film, "Good Will Hunting," to reveal their slate of opponents -- calling it "Good Jules Hunting."

Edelman plays Matt Damon's genius janitor role in New England's version ... deciphering a complicated algorithm to figure out the team's schedule. Gronk was picked to portray Ben Affleck's Chuckie, the not-so-bright right-hand man.

It's been a week since the 'Greatest Roast Of All Time,' but Tom Brady is still taking a beating ... 'cause Drew Bledsoe just fired off another joke about Gisele Bündchen!!

The former Patriots quarterback made the wisecrack on FanDuel TV this week ... when he detailed the last time he ran into the former couple during a ski trip back in the day.

The 52-year-old explained he recognized TB12 at the bottom of the Montana mountain ... so he decided to ski down and playfully spray his old teammate -- but the plan backfired and he ended up covering the supermodel with snow instead.

The ring Kevin Hart gifted to Tom Brady for being such a good sport during Sunday night's roast wasn't merely a prop ... TMZ Sports has learned it's the real deal -- coming in with a staggering worth of $40,000!!!

We're told celeb jeweler Jason Arashaben, CEO of Jason of Beverly Hills -- who actually created TB12's final Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl ring -- was the mastermind behind the piece, tasked with completing it in time for Netflix's "The Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady."

Jason threw the kitchen sink at the bling ... loading it with just under 400 diamonds, rubies and sapphires. A spokesperson for the jeweler tells us it's all set on yellow gold, weighs around 6 carats -- and would cost normies about as much as a brand-new car to own.

If you thought Gisele Bundchen would be off limits during the roast of Tom Brady, think again -- 'cause the 7-time Super Bowl champion was just ruthlessly attacked over his divorce on Sunday ... with numerous comedians taking aim at the guy.

Brady was the center of attention during the live Netflix special ... and so far, there have been no punches held.

Kevin Hart -- the host of the festivities -- was first to go in on TB12 ... mentioning the fact his ex is now with "karate guy" Joaquim Valente, the dude who helped train his family in jiu-jitsu.

Robert Kraft graduated from Columbia in '63, and has been a huge proponent of the school in every way, including financially ... but all that changed Monday when the billionaire Patriots owner made it clear he wasn't going to stand by and watch his University be taken over by hate and vitriol.

"The school I love so much - the one that welcomed me and provided me with so much opportunity - is no longer an institution I recognize," 82-year-old Kraft said in a statement released by Stand Up To Jewish Hate, adding, "I am deeply saddened at the virulent hate that continues to grow on campus and throughout our country."

Of course, since mid-last week, students and others have taken to Columbia's NYC campus to demand the University sever all ties to Israel. Some protestors have been seen showing support for Hamas and their actions on October 7, even calling for repeated attacks.

Rob Gronkowski got Red Sox fans fired up for their Patriots' Day game in the most Gronk way possible -- by spiking the ceremonial first pitch straight into the ground!

The New England Patriots legend took the mound at Fenway Park just before Boston took on the Guardians in the annual holiday tilt ... and instead of firing a fastball to his catcher, he decided to bring out his touchdown celebration instead.

Check out the footage, Gronk hurled the baseball into the dirt so hard, it made a loud thud -- and the crowd couldn't have loved it more!!

Even some of the Sox players were spotted cheering it on!!

Gronk then gave his catcher a leaping side bump ... before he settled in to watch the game.

Former NFL star Malcolm Butler -- who famously helped the Patriots win Super Bowl XLIX with a last-minute interception -- was arrested in Rhode Island earlier this month, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to North Providence Police Dept. documents, Butler was thrown behind bars back on March 16 after officers say he displayed signs of driving drunk during a traffic stop.

Cops say they initially pulled his white Mercedes-Benz over at around 3:22 AM ... after he was allegedly blocking traffic while stopped in a travel lane.

Robert Kraft poured his heart out while reflecting on the end of Tom Brady's career in New England ... admitting he knew the quarterback's departure would pull the plug on "the greatest cycle in the history of the NFL."

The Patriots owner opened up on TB12's 20-year run with his franchise in the latest episode of the Apple TV+ doc, "The Dynasty: New England Patriots" ... reminiscing on his first memory with the future 7-time Super Bowl champion.

Kraft said upon his arrival in Foxborough, Brady approached him and said it was "the best decision the organization has ever made in drafting him #199 in the sixth round" ... and it's safe to say the guy backed his words.

Over the next two decades, Brady led the franchise to six Super Bowl victories ... and Kraft acknowledged how special it was to watch him develop into the leader he became.

But, of course, all good things come to an end ... and when it came time for Brady to leave his first NFL home for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020, Kraft knew the impact it would have on the organization.

"'I thought, 'Wow, the greatest cycle in the history of the NFL is ending,'" Kraft said.

Brady previously opened up on his decision to switch teams for the final three years of his career ... saying he was ready to split off from Bill Belichick over how things transpired in recent years.

The Bucs won it all the next season ... and the Patriots have struggled to find the same success in the post-Brady era.

Bill Belichick won't be a head coach in the NFL this year ... and it wouldn't surprise former NFL exec Marc Ross if he's NEVER one again.

"As far as a head coach," Ross tells TMZ Sports, "yeah, I think this might be the end of the road for him."

It's a pretty shocking reality to think about ... considering arguably no one has ever found more success on an NFL sideline than Belichick.

In his 24 years as Patriots head man, he won 266 regular season games and six total Super Bowls. He earned Coach of the Year honors three times -- and if you include his five seasons as the coach of the Cleveland Browns, he left New England just 26 wins away from Don Shula's all-time mark of 328.

But, when we spoke about the 71-year-old's future this week to Ross -- an NFL Network analyst who previously spent 11 seasons working for the New York Giants ... he wasn't sure if The Hoodie would ever get the chance to be the big boss again.

"I think, unfortunately," Ross told us, "the head coaching career could be over for Belichick."

As for why ... Ross made it clear the hard-nosed way Belichick operated in New England might cause NFL owners to look elsewhere.

Forget Russell Wilson, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye ... JuJu Smith-Schuster says he wants Mac Jones to return as the Patriots' starter in 2024.

"Honestly, man," the New England wideout told TMZ Sports out at LAX this week, "my boy Mac, that's my guy."

"I know at the end of the day," he continued, it's "whatever the coaches decide to do. But I think Mac's still got it."

Of course, there are plenty in Foxborough who vehemently disagree with JuJu ... as Jones was only 2-9 in the 11 games he started last season.

In those contests, he threw for just 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His quarterback rating dipped all the way to 77.0 too.

To make matters worse for the former first-round pick, it was the second straight year he appeared to regress ... leading plenty in Patriots Nation to urge the team to move on to a draft pick or a veteran like Wilson. In fact, NFL Network inside Ian Rapoport reported Friday the team itself is exploring trading the 25-year-old.

But, Smith-Schuster made it clear to us he's hoping the ex-Alabama star -- and his backup, Bailey Zappe -- get another chance in '24.

"I'm riding with Mac," said the receiver, who signed a three-year deal with the Patriots last offseason. "I'm riding with my boy Zappe. Those are my boys. I came in throwing with those dudes."

"But, whatever happens, happens."

Tom Brady was an emotional wreck over the infamous Deflategate scandal ... with former Patriots players revealing just how hard the quarterback took the allegations following the AFC Championship Game in 2014.

Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis -- who played for the Pats for one season -- says a visibly upset Brady spoke with his teammates at some point prior to Super Bowl XLIX ... and he burst into tears as he denied any wrongdoing.

"When Deflategate happened and Tom was the headliner of the whole situation, he addressed us as a team," Revis said in the "The Dynasty: New England Patriots" documentary on Apple TV+. "You could tell he was distraught."

"He was actually bawling his eyes out in front of us."

According to Revis, Brady explained he would not ruin the season for his teammates ... and all the claims were false.

Pats owner Robert Kraft also weighed in on the challenging time for the face of the franchise ... saying the two weeks between the AFC title game and Super Bowl were "very difficult on Tommy."

Brady was accused of asking team managers to release pressure in the game balls below the league requirement for the Pats' win over the Indianapolis Colts ... which eventually led to a four-game suspension.

Danny Amendola added the whole scandal took a toll on Brady ... especially because his kids dealt with hecklers at school over it all.