New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees is hurting like hell today ... medical tests on the New Orleans Saints QB reportedly revealed he's dealing with multiple rib fractures and a collapsed lung.

The 41-year-old was forced to leave Sunday's win over the 49ers after he took a huge hit in the 2nd quarter ... and ESPN's Ed Werder says X-rays Monday showed the dude's ribs are jacked up.

Brees suffered 2 fractured ribs and a collapsed lung thanks to the hard tackle by Kentavius Street, Werder reports.

Werder added doctors also discovered Brees had 3 other fractured ribs from a hit he took against Tampa Bay on Nov. 8.

Unclear how long Brees will need to fully heal ... but it's apparent the quarterback won't be under center any time in the near future.

Which means ... is it Jameis Winston time now in New Orleans?

Winston filled in for Brees after the future Hall of Famer left Sunday's game ... and he played OK, completing six of his 10 passes for 63 yards.

The Saints could also turn to gadget QB/TE/RB Taysom Hill to be their signal-caller in Brees' stead.

"If I'm putting together a roster, that's the type of quarterback that I want."

Saints star Demario Davis is going to bat for Drew Brees ... telling TMZ Sports he sees absolutely no decline in the QB's game whatsoever.

In fact, the linebacker says he believes the critics who are calling the 41-year-old washed are actually FUELING Drew to a monster season this year.

"You can see him channeling it," Davis told us of how Brees is handling the criticism.

The QB began the year not looking quite like himself -- he was checking down a lot and not exactly pushing the ball up the field at will -- and it had many wondering if Brees was done.

Things got so dicey for a while there ... some called for backup Jameis Winston to take over the starting reins in New Orleans.

But, Brees has turned things around recently -- the Saints are now proud owners of a 5-game win streak -- and Davis says he ain't surprised one bit.

"I don't know where the negative feedback be coming from," Davis says. "If people just look at the numbers, he's been as efficient this year as he's ever been."

"And when you look at somebody that's able to do that week in week out, go out there and be that efficient, if I'm putting together a roster, that's the type of quarterback that I want."

Through 8 games so far this season, Brees has 2,120 passing yards, 17 passing TDs and just 3 INTs. His QB rating is a whopping 110.3.

"He's the reason why we've had as much success as we had," Davis told us.

There's more ... Davis also spoke with us about the presidential election results -- and he even offered up a message of encouragement to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris!

The Saints' blowout win over Tom Brady's Buccaneers was so massive even Sean Payton had to get in on the post-game dance party ... and the vid of coach cutting a rug is epic!!

Just minutes after New Orleans finished off drubbing Tampa Bay, 38-3 ... the guys put on some music in the locker room and began a celebration.

The dudes were HYPED -- Jameis Winston was eating W's and Saints players all over the room were getting in on the dance train.

FYI -- if you're unfamiliar, the Winston dance is a throwback to his Bucs days ... remember when he tried to get his Tampa teammates to "eat a W" before one of their games against the Saints? What a throwback move!

But, just a few seconds into the fiesta ... Payton decided to join in -- and the 56-year-old didn't seem outta place!!!

Check out the footage wide receiver Tre'Quan Smith posted ... Payton bopped around with his players and even got in a little footwork with star tackle Terron Armstead!!

Of course, Payton is no stranger to post-game dancing after big Ws ... remember when his 2018 locker room celebrations were so epic, they were immortalized in a hip-hop song??

Chicago Bears WR Javon Wims uncorked TWO massive haymakers on a Saints player mid-game ... and the whole violent affair appeared to start because of a mouthpiece jacking.

Here's the deal ... early in the 3rd quarter of the Saints-Bears game in Chicago, Wims went to block Chauncey Gardner-Johnson -- and the two got into a bit of a tussle.

The guys trash-talked each other ... and, eventually, Gardner-Johnson ripped Wims' mouthpiece right off his facemask.

Wims was taken out for the remainder of the Bears' drive after the play ... but when his squad got the ball back -- he went to exact revenge on CGJ.

Check out the video of the play -- it's WILD -- Wims tried to grab Gardner-Johnson's mouthpiece, but when he missed ... he decided to throw 2 HUGE punches instead.

Both connected with CGJ's helmet ... and it kicked off a melee between the two teams.

Ultimately, the scrum was broken up and Wims was ejected ... and now, a big-time ban could be coming soon.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Monday the league is mulling a possible suspension for the wideout, and given his status as a role player on the Bears' roster ... his job might be in jeopardy too.

As for Gardner-Johnson, he definitely came out on top of the fight ... his Saints won, he didn't suffer any injuries in the brawl -- and he fired away at Wims on social media after the contest.

"That man punch like a female," CGJ said, before adding, "Bra cheap shot like a fee."

26-year-old Wims was picked by the Bears in the 7th-round of the 2018 NFL Draft ... and he's played in 28 games since, catching 27 passes and scoring 4 total TDs.

"Every night I go to sleep I'm like, 'Lord, please, let me like wake up in the morning feeling good.'"

That's Saints star Emmanuel Sanders admitting he's scared to death of his COVID-19 diagnosis ... saying he's extremely worried his condition could deteriorate at any moment.

"Like, I don't want to wake up in the middle of the night and like, can’t breathe," Sanders said on the "17 Weeks" podcast this week. "And like, sh*t just goes south, right?"

"That’s like my biggest fear in watching that sh*t, it intensifies my fears, right?"

Sanders tested positive for coronavirus last Thursday ... and says he's been experiencing some pretty bad symptoms ever since, including fever, body aches and "loopy feelings."

The 33-year-old says his wife also came down with the illness ... explaining she, too, is feeling the effects.

"Like, it feels like we’re glitchy," the NFL receiver said. "Like when I’m walking it feels like if my wife was to talk to me, it feels like I’m skipping a beat every now and then."

"It's like the weirdest sh*t ever."

The Saints placed Sanders on the reserve/COVID-19 list and he missed last week's win over the Panthers. He's already been ruled out of this week's game against the Bears.

Saints owner Gayle Benson thwarted an attempted vehicle theft last weekend -- screaming at the perp until he fled -- and the team says she's "very shaken" over the incident.

It all went down in New Orleans while 73-year-old Benson was seated inside her car.

Cops say someone in a white Nissan Titan pulled up next to her around 2:15 p.m. on Oct. 10 ... and tried to get into her car.

Cops have NOT said what kind of car Benson was in at the time of the incident -- but she's a billionaire, so we imagine it was nice.

Officials are convinced the man intended to steal Benson's car.

But, when the man entered Benson's vehicle, according to NOLA.com, Gayle screamed at him -- and ordered him to exit immediately, which he did.

Cops say the man got back into his Nissan Titan and fled the scene.

Cops were called ... and while an investigation has been launched, no arrests have been made at this point.

Benson's rep issued a statement confirming the incident -- adding, "while she was very shaken at the time, she was unharmed and is doing fine."

"She wanted to send her sincere gratitude to the men and women of the New Orleans Police Department that responded so quickly and professionally."

Cops are asking anyone with information to come forward or hit up the Crimestoppers hotline at 504-822-1111.

Drew Brees, listen up ... Warren Moon's got advice for winning football games despite declining arm talent -- telling TMZ Sports it's simple ... JUST TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!!

Moon -- who famously played QB in the NFL until he was 44 years old -- says he knows EXACTLY what Brees is going through these days ... telling us the lack of velocity on the Saints star's passes is now apparent.

But, Moon says he knows there's a way for Drew to still be successful at 41 years old despite the issue ... saying the New Orleans QB just has to be mindful of his body going forward.

"The big thing is fatigue," Moon said. "Especially as the season goes along, you're only going to get that much more tired and your legs are going to lose that much more strength."

"So, you really have to be on top of how many reps you have in practice, how you're maintaining your body throughout the week, making sure you're not over-practicing yourself."

Moon also says Brees needs to make sure he's getting plenty of sleep ... because the Hall of Famer tells us when you're playing QB into your 40s -- being fresh on game days makes all the difference.

"That's what's going to make or break whether you have a great game or not is if you're rest that day," Moon says.

Warren, though, believes Drew is good enough to figure it all out ... telling us, "I don't think he's done!"

Saints WR Emmanuel Sanders says Drew Brees cried HARD during his apology to the team in the wake of his controversial anthem comments ... and now, Sanders says N.O. players have moved on.

The 33-year-old revealed on ESPN's "First Take" on Wednesday that he was initially pissed back in June when Brees said anthem kneelers were "disrespecting the flag."

But, Sanders claims the Saints had a team meeting over it all shortly after the QB's comments ... and he says Brees apologized vehemently through a mountain of tears.

"As he talked, the more and more he talked, you just see a guy with just tears rolling down his face," Sanders said.

"I mean, I've never seen that. You could just tell that he was hurt by his comments and the things that people were saying about him because he was unaware of it."

Emmanuel added, "I mean just tears flowing down his face."

Sanders says after that team conversation ... Saints players knew that Brees understood his mistake -- and have since moved on.

"We understood where he was coming from and we were able to move past it," Sanders says. "I don't see any weird energy going on in the locker room."

Sean Payton was hit with all the hard questions during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday ... and like a true pro, he had the answers to EVERYTHING -- even a pesky stain!!!

"Let me ask you a question," the reporter began -- not knowing everyone in the call could hear him -- "I spilled mustard on my suit..."

And, before the reporter was able to finish his thought -- or realize he wasn't muted -- the New Orleans Saints coach came through with some sound advice!!

"Generally with mustard, I'd use warm water," Payton said.

"I wanna use warm water, I don't wanna wipe it, I want to blot it and I want to treat it twice."

Of course, the embarrassed reporter quickly apologized for the hilarious blunder -- apologizing for having his mic on -- but Payton continued helping with his problem.

"You can't put it in the dryer on hot or it's going to be stained. If none of those things are working, seek outside help."

Drew Brees and his wife, Brittany, are making another HUGE donation to help Louisiana during the COVID-19 pandemic -- donating $5 MILLION to build healthcare facilities throughout the state.

Remember, the New Orleans Saints superstar's family pledged $5 million to help feed the youth and elderly back in March ... and told TMZ Sports at the time, "We're gonna find a way to get through this together and take care of one another."

Now, the Brees fam is focusing on healthcare ... announcing the contribution Monday on Instagram.

"COVID19 has changed nearly everything," Brees says. "From the way that we work, to how our kids learn, to the way we play football."

"As we work through one of the greatest challenges of our lifetimes, our health and wellness has never been more important."

"The Brees Dreams Foundation is proud to commit $5 million to support healthcare in Louisiana."

Brees says his foundation will work with Ochsner Health to bring health facilities to under-served cities throughout the state.

"These health centers will offer primary and specialty care to communities who need it most and promote health equity for all."

Brittany added ... "Our family is honored to help break down the barriers and give back to the incredible people of Louisiana."

Back before his kneeling comments set the world on fire, Drew Brees donated $5 MIL to help with COVID relief efforts ... and now he's opening a new food bank with that cash.

The New Orleans Saints QB and his wife, Brittany, are opening a new Second Harvest Food Bank in Lafayette ... which is expected to make a huge impact in the area.

"With many of our donations through the COVID crisis we have been able to establish facilities and programs that will last far beyond the existing need," Brees said.

"We are excited to announce a new Second Harvest Food Bank kitchen in partnership with Catholic Charities of Acadiana in Lafayette, LA that will allow us to produce 15,800 meals per week for children, families, and seniors in need, as well as the homeless throughout southwest Louisiana!"

Drew and Brittany made their $5 million pledge to the State of Louisiana back in March.

At the time, Brees promised to work with organizations like Second Harvest Food Bank, Ochsner Health Systems, Walk-Ons, Jimmy Johns, Smalls Sliders and Waitr "to prepare and deliver over 10,000 meals per day throughout Louisiana for as long as it takes to children on meal programs, seniors, and families in need."

Patrick Mahomes says he knows Drew Brees ain't a racist ... telling reporters Wednesday the Saints QB will show the world he's truly "a good person" in the wake of backlash over his anti-kneeling comments.

"Obviously, his statement missed the point and missed what was going on in the world today," Mahomes said, "and took away attention from the movement that was going on and the peaceful protesting that was going on."

"But I think you see with his actions afterward, and I believe with his actions moving forward, you will see the true person that he is."

The Chiefs superstar says he's had a longstanding relationship with Drew, given their Texas roots ... and Mahomes claims he's never had a bad experience with the future Hall of Famer.

In fact, Pat even said, "he’s always showed me the utmost respect."

So, after Drew apologized for his insensitive national anthem comments last week ... Pat says it wasn't hard to forgive the guy.

"I've known Drew for a pretty long time just being from Texas," Mahomes said, "and I know that he’s a good person and he has a good heart."

Brees has issued three separate statements since he was publicly grilled for his comments ... vowing to help in the fight for racial justice in America.

Drew's wife also issued a statement of her own, saying, "To all of our friends and anyone we hurt we will do better ... We are sorry."

By the way, Mahomes also spoke about his role in that powerful video with other NFL stars that ultimately led to Roger Goodell's famous statement ... saying he felt it was his duty to participate in the clip.

"I’m blessed to have this platform, why not use it?" Mahomes said.

Charles Barkley says the last 24 hours of hate that Drew Brees has received for his anthem comments are straight-up "overkill" ... and now, he's calling for people to back off the NFL star.

"This level of, 'we've got to kill everybody who says something we don't agree with,'" Barkley said on "NBA on TNT" Thursday, "I am never going with the mob."

Don't get it twisted ... Chuck said Brees' comments were "insensitive," and the NBA Hall of Famer wishes the QB hadn't said them -- but he believes the backlash is too much.

"I want to make it clear: I did not like what he said right away, but the vitriol and animosity and hatred he just got for the last 24 hours, I thought it was overkill," Barkley said. "That's just my personal opinion."

Brees was ripped apart by just about EVERY notable athlete in the country after he said on Wednesday he believed kneeling protests during NFL anthems were disrespectful to the flag.

LeBron James slammed him on Twitter, NFL Hall of Famer, Shannon Sharpe said the guy should retire ... and his teammate, Malcolm Jenkins, even told him to "shut the f*ck up."

Drew has since issued TWO apologies ... and while some -- including Saints stars Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara and Demario Davis -- accepted it, the QB was still getting blasted for the comments all day Thursday.

Chuck says that needs to end now ... adding, "I have never heard a bad word about Drew Brees in my life."

"He made a mistake. But, we've gotten to the point in society where everybody on social media thinks they are God, judge and jury."

Drew Brees is begging for forgiveness over his comments about the NFL kneeling protest ... saying, "it breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused."

The New Orleans Saints QB has been under heavy attack from teammates and even LeBron James -- claiming his condemnation Tuesday of NFL kneelers is misguided and wrong.

In fact, people chanted "F**k Drew Brees" in New Orleans -- and some people set Drew's jersey on fire in the streets.

Here's Drew's statement in full.

"I would like to apologize to my friends, teammates, the City of New Orleans, the black community, NFL community and anyone I hurt with my comments yesterday."

"In speaking with some of you, it breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused."

"In an attempt to talk about respect, unity, and solidarity centered around the American flag and the national anthem, I made comments that were insensitive and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country."

"They lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy. Instead, those words have become divisive and hurtful and have misled people into believing that somehow I am an enemy. This could not be further from the truth, and is not an accurate reflection of my heart or my character."

"This is where I stand ... "

"I stand with the black community in the fight against systemic racial injustice and police brutality and support the creation of real policy change that will make a difference."

"I condemn the years of oppression that have taken place throughout our black communities and still exists today.

I acknowledge that we as Americans, including myself, have not done enough to fight for that equality or to truly understand the struggles and plight of the black community.

"I recognize that I am part of the solution and can be a leader for the black community in this movement."

"I will never know what it’s like to be a black man or raise black children in America but I will work every day to put myself in those shoes and fight for what is right."

"I have ALWAYS been an ally, never an enemy."

"I am sick about the way my comments were perceived yesterday, but I take full responsibility and accountability."

"I recognize that I should do less talking and more listening...and when the black community is talking about their pain, we all need to listen."

"For that, I am very sorry and I ask your forgiveness."

Of course, Brees had said Tuesday -- "I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America."

It seemed Brees missed the point of the kneeling protest -- which is to put a spotlight on police brutality and racial injustice.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Ed Reed scolded Brees on Wednesday night for his comments ... repeatedly calling the QB a "straight sucka."

But, the most emotional backlash came from his Saints teammate and friend, Malcolm Jenkins ... who told Drew point-blank to "shut the f*ck up."

"Drew showed the ultimate move of a leader. He owned his mistake."

That's Drew Brees' All-Pro teammate, Demario Davis, accepting the QB's apology Thursday ... saying he forgives the future Hall of Famer for his "insensitive" comments on kneeling protests.

"He moved the conversation back to the issue, which he should have spoke on the first time," Davis said on ESPN's "Get Up!", "that's the essence of a leader."

Davis says the country as a whole can learn from Drew's situation ... adding, "When you see Drew Brees come out and say, 'You know what? I missed the point, but now I understand my mistake.'"

"And, 'now I'm going to do everything I can to learn from my black brothers. Learn from the black community and use the resources that I have to help the black community,' I think that's the model of leadership and that's what needs to be modeled and reflected throughout America."

Davis went on to say he doesn't think this issue will linger in New Orleans' locker room ... because he says Brees' actions have always spoken differently than his Wednesday statements.

"I think everybody in the locker room knows the character of Drew Brees," Davis said. "And, Drew is a man of action far beyond words. And, that's what's needed in this moment to bring unity and fix this issue that's plagued our country for so long."

It remains to be seen how the rest of the Saints' roster feels in wake of Brees' apology ... remember, everyone from Michael Thomas to Cam Jordan to Malcolm Jenkins ripped him Wednesday.

In fact, Jenkins straight-up told Brees in an emotional video Wednesday night to "shut the f*ck up."

Shannon Sharpe has heard enough from Drew Brees -- and he's sick of it -- calling for the QB to retire and walk away already.

The NFL Hall of Famer went off on Drew on FS1's 'Undisputed' -- calling Drew's apology "meaningless" and explaining why he'll never respect Brees again.

"He issued an apology, Skip, but it's meaningless because the guys know he spoke his heart the very first time around."

"I don't know what Drew's going to do, but he probably should just go ahead and retire now. He will never be the same."

Sharpe -- who played 14 seasons in the NFL -- continued, "Take it from a guy that has been a leader in the locker room for a number of years. What he said, they will never look at him the same because he spoke his heart."

"It wasn't what he said, it was how he said it. He was defiant. I will NEVER respect the man."

Of course, Brees came under heavy fire for saying Wednesday that NFL kneeling protests are disrespectful to the flag ... seemingly missing the point behind Colin Kaepernick's demonstration.

Brees has since apologized -- admitting he "missed the mark" and insisting he's not the enemy.