New York Jets

The NY Jets made history with their head coaching hire Thursday night ... they inked a deal with Robert Saleh, reportedly making him the NFL's 1st-ever Muslim head coach.

According to Muslim civil rights advocacy group CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) ... no other Muslim had been given the role in the league's history prior to Saleh's hiring.

"We welcome this development as another sign of the increasing inclusion and recognition of American Muslims in our diverse society," CAIR spokesperson Ibrahim Hooper said.

41-year-old Saleh -- who was born in Michigan but has family roots in Lebanon -- has been a straight-up hell of a coach since he was promoted to defensive coordinator in San Francisco.

In fact, many NFL pundits have already praised the Jets for the hire ... saying what Saleh did with the 49ers the past four seasons makes him a safe bet to succeed in New York.

Saleh's 49ers' defensive groups have been consistently some of the best in the NFL ... and stars like Richard Sherman praised him after the Jets made the hiring official this week.

"The @nyjets got a great one!" Sherman said on Twitter. "Congrats to them!"

It's finally over.

The NY Jets have officially fired head coach Adam Gase after one of the worst seasons in team history.

The Jets only won 2 games in 2020 -- after starting off the season 0-13 -- finishing up with a pathetic 2-14 record.

The Gase-era -- which started with a bizarre press conference in 2019 -- ended with a sad 9-23 record. Not great.

"This evening, I informed Adam Gase he will no longer serve as the Head Coach of the Jets," NY Jets CEO Christopher Johnson said in a statement Sunday night.

Johnson praised Gase and his family but ultimately said moving on is the right thing to do. No kidding!

"While my sincere intentions are to have stability in our organization -- especially in our leadership positions -- it is clear the best decision for the Jets is to move in a different direction."

Johnson added, "To our fans, it is obvious we have not been good enough. We are committed to building a strong organization, on and off the field, and will continue to provide the necessary resources to field a team that you can be proud of."

The 2020 campaign was the 2nd worst season on NY Jets history -- following an infamously terrible 1-15 season back in 1996.

Gase was just bad all the way around -- he was hailed as a QB whisperer who could help out Sam Darnold ... but Darnold looked terrible this season and the Jets finished the year with the 32nd ranked offense in the league.

"That's the dumbest call ever. There's no other way of putting it."

Rex Ryan just went OFF on NY Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams for his role in the team's epic 31-28 loss to the Raiders on Sunday ... saying the guy's last-play-of-the-game defense was straight-up "stupid."

"Dumbest call I've ever seen," Ryan said on ESPN's 'Get Up' on Monday morning ... "It's just stupid. It's just absolutely stupid."

If you missed it ... the Jets were FINALLY about to get a win this season -- all they had to do was play defense for 13 more seconds in their game against Vegas to seal up victory #1.

But, Williams inexplicably decided to all-out blitz Derek Carr instead of just playing conservatively ... and it all led to a miracle, game-winning 46-yard touchdown.

The defense Williams called was peculiar -- it left no safety help for the team's cornerbacks -- and several notable names in the NFL, including Tony Dungy, wondered why in the world THAT was the defense Williams chose.

"Just protect the sideline and the end zone and the game is over," Dungy said.

In fact, Carr himself was dumbfounded over it all ... telling reporters after the game, "I couldn't believe they all-out blitzed us."

Ryan couldn't either ... and the former NY Jets head coach didn't hold back when breaking down Williams' call.

"Not only was it the stupidest call ever, they don't even know how to run the dang Cover 0 blitz," Ryan said. "And you wonder why they give up 400 yards a game. You wonder why this team hasn't won a game."

"And the thing I feel bad about is for every one of those kids that have been a laughing stock of the league. The Jets have been a laughing stock of this league. And for you to put those kids in that situation, to take the moment away from them -- a win -- after all their hard work, that's just ridiculous."

For their part, the Jets' players weren't exactly pleased with Williams either ... team captain Marcus Maye told media members afterward, "I just felt like we could've been in a better call in that situation."

Hope Trevor Lawrence is really worth all of this ...

Playing for the god awful NY Jets took a real toll on Jamal Adams -- who says he battled depression during his sad run with Gang Green.

"Bro, I fought depression in New York," the star safety said on the 'All Things Covered' podcast with Bryant McFadden and Patrick Peterson.

"And I’m man enough to say it. I came home after a tough loss and just sat in my room in the dark -- no phone, no TV. [My dad] hated to see me like that. It killed my pops so much."

Adams spent 3 years with the Jets before forcing the team to trade him to Seattle before the 2020 season. The Jets were 16 and 32 during his time in NY and have only gotten worse.

"[My dad] was calling my agent at the time and saying, 'Hey man, I don’t like seeing my son like this. I need him out of this situation.' It took a toll on my life outside of football."

The Jets are currently 0-9 and have become the laughing stock of the NFL. This year's team could go down as the worst team in NFL history.

Adams described the organization this way -- "They do not want to win."

The good news ... Adams seems to be in a much better place mentally in Seattle, praising the organization on the podcast.

"This is how the NFL is supposed to be. This is the dream I was dreaming."

THOU SHALT NOT CUSS -- NOT EVEN IN A FOOTBALL HUDDLE!

That's one of Tim Tebow's commandments -- and it led to an incredible moment during his run with the NY Jets, when Tim refused to call a play called an "Oh Sh*t Screen."

Tim's former Jets teammate, Nick Mangold, told the story about a moment during the 2012 season on BroBible's "Endless Hustle" podcast ... and it's pretty hilarious!!

"We had a play that was a 'Y Oh Sh*t' screen, where the tight end actually fakes like he fell down on a running play, hops up, runs back over, throws back to the tight end and it's usually wide open," Mangold said.

But Tim -- who's never committed a single sin in his life --  refused to drop the s-bomb while calling the play in the huddle.

"He goes through the whole formation and gets to the last play: 'Y, Alright Screen' ... you guys know what it is.'"

"And we’re like, 'No Tim, what is it?' ... then he goes, 'No, I’m not going to say it.'"

Seems the whole team jokingly tried like hell to coax Tebow into saying the word -- but he stayed strong and refused to let the expletive fly.

The way Mangold tells the story ... it was all in good fun, but Tebow never wavered!

In the end, Mangold said the team got in trouble for taking too long in the huddle.

Le'Veon Bell is a Chief.

The ex-NY Jets running back signed a 1-year deal with the defending Super Bowl champs, after being cut by Gang Green earlier this week.

You know the backstory ... the Jets suck. Bell was unhappy. The Jets decided to get him outta there before he became a bigger problem.

Bell was reportedly deciding between 3 teams -- the Chiefs, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills ... and ultimately decided the best fit was in K.C.

The best part ... the Chiefs play the Jets in Week 8 -- so, that should be fun!

Bell tweeted about the move Thursday afternoon -- saying, "Kansas City, #ChiefsKingdom thank you for the opportunity. Let’s go!"

Bell should have an immediate impact on the Chiefs running game -- currently ranked 19th in the league with an average of 108 rushing yards per game.

The starting back is rookie sensation Clyde Edwards-Helaire -- who can ball -- but let's face it, he could probably use the help.

Question is ... can Bell reclaim his place as one of the top backs in the NFL? Or are his best days behind him?

Jets superstar Jamal Adams just UNLOADED on his head coach ... saying Adam Gase is NOT a leader -- and it all appears to be yet another attempt by the DB to get traded from the team.

Adams took aim at Gase in an interview with the NY Daily News this week ... saying straight-up he believes his team's head man lacks the leadership skills necessary to win rings.

"I don't feel like he’s the right leader for this organization to reach the Promised Land,” Adams said. "As a leader, what really bothers me is that he doesn’t have a relationship with everybody in the building."

Jamal says Gase doesn't address the team as a whole after games and workouts ... and when it comes time to break down issues at halftime of games -- Adams says Gase passes off the responsibility to other coaches.

"If we’re playing sh*tty and we’re losing," Adams said, "he doesn’t address the entire team as a group at halftime. He’ll walk out of the locker room and let another coach handle it."

Adams added he hasn't spoken with the coach since he had his exit interview with the guy way back in December.

Jamal's criticism of his org didn't stop there, though ... Adams also blasted general manager Joe Douglas for the way he handled the star safety's contract negotiations this spring.

"Why would Joe come out and say, ‘We want to make Jamal a Jet for life?’” said Adams, who claims Douglas and the team never sent him a new contract offer this offseason.

"Why would you say that and then not even give me an offer? ... Don’t BS me. I’m a straightforward guy. You don’t have to BS me, because I’m going to keep it honest."

Of course, all of this comes just days after Adams blasted team owner Woody Johnson over allegations the guy made racist and sexist comments toward staffers.

As we previously reported ... Adams has been requesting a trade from the Jets for weeks -- and was even spotted in a public parking lot in June saying he hoped to be jettisoned to the Dallas Cowboys.

NY Jets owner Woody Johnson -- who's also the U.S. ambassador to the U.K. -- was investigated by the State Dept. over alleged racist and sexist comments to his staff, according to CNN.

Long story short, the CNN report paints Johnson as a racist, sexist meathead, who often made insensitive comments about minorities and women in the capacity of doing his job.

Here are some of the allegations ...

-- In 2018, Johnson allegedly made racist remarks before an event for Black History Month. CNN says he "appeared agitated and asked if the audience would be 'a whole bunch of Black people?'"

Multiple sources told CNN that Johnson openly questioned the need for Black History Month -- and "argued that Black fathers didn't remain with their families and that was the 'real challenge.'"

The incident was reported to the Office of the Inspector General, says CNN.

-- Multiple sources tell CNN that Johnson would hold official meetings at a fancy "men's only" club in London called "White's" -- where no female diplomats were allowed to attend.

-- Johnson is also accused of making all sorts of offensive statements about women during his job as ambassador ... many of which focused on looks.

CNN described some of the comments this way ... "According to one source, at certain public events, Johnson would start his remarks by quipping about how many pretty women were present -- reducing them to decorative objects in a way a source described as 'just sort of cringeworthy.'"

The State Dept. did not comment on the status of the investigation -- but told CNN that Woody is a "valued member of the team who has led Mission UK honorably and professionally."

"We stand by Ambassador Johnson and look forward to him continuing to ensure our special relationship with the UK is strong."

We reached out to the NY Jets for comment -- so far, no word back.

Johnson -- who was appointed ambassador to the United Kingdom by President Donald Trump in 2017 -- is an heir to the Johnson & Johnson empire.

He famously purchased the NY Jets in 2000 for $635 million.

Colin Kaepernick has NOT been signed with the NY Jets, as fake reports suggest -- but he IS reaching out to the team in hopes of landing a deal, TMZ Sports has learned.

Colin's name was trending on social media on Thursday thanks to a bogus report that CK inked a 1-year, $9 million deal with the Jets.

THAT'S FAKE NEWS -- but what's real is Colin's interest in Gang Green ... with sources telling us Colin feels he would be a great fit with the org.

Unclear if the feeling is mutual -- but the Jets don't really have a lot of depth behind Sam Darnold at the QB position, so it's not a crazy idea.

Our sources say Colin has continued to work out and train like a maniac ever since his NFL workout back in November, where he told teams to "stop being scared" and make an offer already!

New York Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams was arrested at LaGuardia on Thursday ... cops tell TMZ Sports the former 1st-round pick brought a gun to the airport.

Law enforcement sources tell us Williams was going through a security checkpoint at around 9:15 PM ET when TSA agents scanned his luggage and found a Glock 19.

The way it was put to us ... Quinnen told officials he believed he could carry the gun into New York legally ... since the 22-year-old does have an Alabama permit for the firearm.

But, after authorities explained to the 6'3", 303-pound NFL player he had to have an NY permit to carry there ... they arrested him on a charge of criminal possession of a weapon.

We're told Williams was issued a summons ... and will be forced to appear in court later this month.

Quinnen was a MASSIVE star coming out of the Univ. of Alabama ... he was the No. 3 pick by the Jets in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Williams played in 13 games for NY this past season -- starting nine of them -- and he recorded 2.5 sacks with 28 combined tackles.

Antonio Cromartie says Adam Gase has NO future with the Jets ... telling TMZ Sports if he were running his old team, he'd fire the guy ASAP for Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy!!

Cromartie made the bold statement when we got him out in Miami recently ... and he did NOT mince words when it came to his feelings about AG.

As for why he dislikes the guy so much ... Cromartie says the way Gase treated Le'Veon Bell during the season speaks volumes about his capabilities as a head coach.

"We don't give our running back the ball in the second half of a game," Cromartie says. "It just shows you that you're trying to say that you don't need him."

Cromartie says he would have cut bait with Gase after the season ... but says the Jets are stuck with Gase for at least the 2020 season since they didn't move on from him in January.

As for Cromartie's choice for a Gase replacement ... he tells us Andy Reid's offensive coordinator in Kansas City is the perfect man for Gang Green.

"I would go get Eric Bieniemy," Antonio says.

Le'Veon Bell says he has absolutely NO beef with his head coach Adam Gase ... and tells TMZ Sports he wants to play for the NY Jets for AT LEAST the next few years!!

"Me and coach Gase had our exit meeting," Bell says. "It was fine, so we straight. Yeah, we good."

Of course, it's unclear if his team feels the same way -- there are a ton of rumors casting a shadow on Bell's future in the Big Apple ... and most of them stem from reports Gase doesn't like Le'Veon.

It was reported last off-season Gase had no desire to sign Bell to his huge contract ... and, in December, the coach didn't seem thrilled about the idea of bringing the RB back in 2020.

But when we got Bell out at Unique Rides pop-up in Miami (a sick custom car shop where Bell's brother is opening a new Midwest location soon), he told us he thinks everything is fine with the Jets.

"Everybody blowing everything out of proportion," Bell says. "Water under the bridge -- we're fine. We good ... Jets for four more years unless something drastic changes."

As for what Bell is doing to blow off the steam of all the rumors ... he's been focused on his rap career -- releasing his "Catch Me If You Can" album this month.

In fact, the 27-year-old even put on a performance at Rockwell Nightclub on Monday night to celebrate the release ... and we're told clubgoers LOVED his new music!

Cutting Le'Veon Bell would be a HUGE mistake for the Jets ... so says his teammate Brandon Copeland, who tells TMZ Sports the RB is "the real deal!!!"

"He made a lot from nothing this past year," the NY linebacker says.

Bell has been in an awkward situation with his head coach, Adam Gase, ever since the ex-Steelers star inked a monster $52.5 MILLION deal to sign with NY this past off-season.

Gase was reportedly upset over paying an RB that much cash ... and at a press conference at the end of this season, Adam didn't exactly seem stoked about the idea of bringing Bell back in 2020.

All of it has led to trade rumors and even speculation that Bell could be cut this off-season ... but when we got Copeland out in NYC on Wednesday, he said that shouldn't be on the Jets' table at all.

"Everybody's going to talk," Copeland says. "But you keep one of the best running backs in the game right now. He's a good dude. He's working hard."

Le'Veon Bell is sick and tired of the NFL's "random" drug testing -- and says he refuses to cooperate anymore because he's sick of being poked with "those dirty ass needles."

"I done had 5 'random' HGH blood test in 10 weeks," the NY Jets running back posted on Twitter ... "I’m not doing another after today."

"Whatever y’all lookin for it obviously ain’t there & I’m not about to keep allowing y’all to stick me with those dirty ass needles."

He continued, "Find the players who really do that HGH BS & get off me."

Of course, Bell isn't the first high profile player to complain about the NFL's drug-testing policy ... back in 2018, Eric Reid said he was forced to undergo 7 "random" drug tests in just 3 months after signing with the Carolina Panthers.

For its part, the NFL insists the process is legit and fair and no specific players are targeted.

Former Jets star Mark Gastineau says he was raped as a child for years.

The ex-defensive end -- a five-time pro-bowler who played for the team between 1979 and 1988 -- made the shocking revelation this weekend to the NY Post after emerging cancer-free following a years-long battle with stage 3 colon cancer and several rounds of treatment.

He told the outlet that his sexual abuse started at age 11 and continued until he was 14, allegedly at the hands of what he describes as a Mexican farmworker on his family farm in Arizona. He says the guy was his own father's "right hand" on the 80-acre ranch.

Despite holding in the story for years, Gastineau didn't say he doesn't attribute any off-field trouble he found back in the day -- including assault and drug abuse problems -- to the trauma he experienced as a child, which he didn't elaborate on much with the Post.