New York Jets

Jimmy Kimmel and Aaron Rodgers are beefing ... and it's all over Jeffrey Epstein's soon-to-be unmasked list of associates.

The late-night TV talk show host is now threatening the New York Jets quarterback with legal action after Aaron suggested on live TV, Jimmy might be one of Epstein's associates.

Jimmy just fired back on social media, ripping Aaron -- who he addresses with "Dear Aassh***e," saying the QB's "reckless words put my family in danger."

In case you missed it ... Aaron was doing his scheduled Tuesday hit on "The Pat McAfee Show" when he said he would be celebrating the release of Epstein's associates.

Aaron said ... "A lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, are really hoping that doesn't come out."

Jimmy's vehemently denying having anything to do with Epstein whatsoever ... and he's blasting Rodgers as a "soft-brained wacko" who "can't seem to distinguish from reality."

Former NFL star Muhammad Wilkerson was arrested again last week ... after cops say he drove drunk with a loaded gun tucked beneath his car seat.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, Wilkerson was initially pulled over by police in Morris County, New Jersey back on Dec. 22 at 6:41 AM.

During the stop, cops suspected he was under the influence ... saying a strong odor of alcohol was emanating from the former New York Jets pass rusher's ride.

In the docs, cops say at one point during questioning, Wilkerson told them he was coming from a New York City club ... and a short time later, they say he failed field sobriety tests.

Wilkerson was placed under arrest -- and afterward, cops said during a search of his vehicle they not only found an open bottle of Don Julio tequila ... but also an FN 509 Tactical Handgun with 11 hollow point bullets inside of it.

Police said Wilkerson told them the firearm was purchased in Florida -- but he did not provide them proper documentation.

Court records show Wilkerson has since been tagged with a bevy of charges in the case -- including operating a vehicle while under the influence and unlawful possession of a handgun.

He's due in court for hearings on the matter next month.

This, of course, is not the first time Wilkerson has been accused of drinking and driving ... he was arrested for DWI in 2020 and 2019 as well.

David Njoku helped the Browns clinch a playoff berth on the field on Thursday night ... and then he helped Cleveland's fans celebrate off of it -- shooting booze with Dawg Pound supporters in a parking lot!!!

The star tight end was seen performing the awesome gesture just minutes after Cleveland's 37-20 victory over the Jets.

In video from the scene, you can see Njoku -- who had 134 receiving yards in the "TNF" victory -- grab a shot glass, surround himself with fans and give a little toast before he throws the drink back.

The 27-year-old, though, had already gotten the party started well before he met the supporters outside Cleveland Browns Stadium ... he was spotted on the TV broadcast chugging a beer when he jumped into the stands following the dub.

Of course, it's great to see Njoku in good spirits ... because, remember, the former first-round pick nearly lost his eyesight in a terrifying fire accident on Sept. 29th.

9:37 AM PT -- Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski just revealed Elijah Moore spent Thursday night in the hospital ... though he said the wideout is now at home resting.

"Glad that he's back home," the coach said.

The Browns' win on Thursday night came with a cost -- their star receiver, Elijah Moore, suffered a terrifying head injury that sent him into convulsions right on the turf.

The scary moment happened just before halftime of Cleveland's "Thursday Night Football" tilt with the New York Jets ... when Moore slammed his head face-first into the grass at Cleveland Browns Stadium after making a big catch.

Replays of Moore's grab showed he wasn't able to brace himself as a Jets defender flung him to the ground -- and almost immediately, he appeared to be knocked out.

What's worse ... while seemingly unconscious, his body twitched repeatedly.

Moore eventually regained consciousness and was taken off the field by trainers. He did not return to the game ... and he's since been placed in the NFL's concussion protocol.

His status for Cleveland's regular-season finale against the Bengals next week is now in doubt -- though further details surrounding his condition have not been made immediately available.

Moore had been having a big game prior to his injury -- the 23-year-old caught five passes for 61 yards and a touchdown.

Cleveland still managed to get the 37-20 win in Moore's absence -- securing a spot in the playoffs ... something we all hope can lift Moore's spirits while he recovers.

Derrick Ward is now facing some serious time behind bars after his alleged robbery spree ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned he's just been hit with FIVE felony charges in the case.

According to court records, prosecutors levied the counts against the Super Bowl champion on Wednesday -- just two days after he was arrested.

The records show all five charges against Ward were second-degree robbery.

We broke the story, the ex-New York Giants tailback was thrown in jail on Monday afternoon following allegations he used force and fear to rob establishments in the Los Angeles area, including gas stations.

Jail records show as of Thursday morning, he still has not been released from police custody.

Ward played in the NFL from 2004 to 2011 -- helping New York beat Tom Brady's undefeated Patriots in SB XLII -- and he had such a fine career, he at one point signed a $17 million contract with the Buccaneers.

Warren Moon says Aaron Rodgers deserves a lot of credit for shutting down his comeback efforts this week ... explaining to TMZ Sports things could have turned dire for the QB if he had continued his push to get back on the field.

The Hall of Fame quarterback -- who knows a thing or two about playing into his 40s -- said on Wednesday he's glad Rodgers has decided to stop his pursuit of rejoining the Jets this season because he had a real fear the 4-time MVP could reinjure himself.

"Those Achilles injuries," Moon said, "even though the Achilles might be connected again, it still has to become much stronger."

Rodgers revealed on "The Pat McAfee" Show on Tuesday he would not get back under center for NY in 2023 despite busting his ass since he suffered the injury on Sept. 11 -- because he's just simply not 100 percent.

He told McAfee his leg is close -- but he needed another 3-to-4 weeks to really feel good about things. And, with the Jets officially eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday, it just seemed to make sense for the 40-year-old signal-caller to put his focus on getting ready for 2024.

Moon obviously thinks that's a great plan ... telling us that even if NY had been in the postseason hunt, he still would have rather sat Rodgers.

"I still don't think he should come back if he's not 100 percent," he said.

His advice to Aaron going forward was just to stay in shape -- while making sure his team makes it a priority to surround him with a good offensive line next season.

12/20 9:08 AM -- Jets head coach Robert Saleh just confirmed Aaron Rodgers will, indeed, not play this season ... though the team is still activating him off injured reserve so he can continue his recovery on the field with his teammates.

"It's all part of his rehab," Saleh told reporters Wednesday morning. "Just having him on the field is a plus for everybody, for him and his teammates."

Aaron Rodgers will not make a miraculous comeback to the Jets this season after all ... the quarterback just revealed he's still about a month away from being fully healthy.

The NY quarterback broke the news just minutes ago on "The Pat McAfee Show" ... saying his body is just not quite ready for him to get back under center for the Jets in 2023.

He told Pat he's close -- but his leg still needs about 3-to-4 weeks to possibly get to "100 percent."

"If I was 100 percent today," the 40-year-old said on the show, "I'd be pushing to play."

Rodgers initially blew out his Achilles on Sept. 11 -- and he worked like a mad man to try to make his return to the Jets this weekend.

He had said the decision would be contingent upon two things -- if he was healthy enough, and if the Jets were in playoff contention.

However, neither situation came to fruition -- and Rodgers seemed to make it clear to McAfee he's now turning his sights toward getting ready for 2024.

"Now without a timetable to come back obviously we can be as smart as we can be," Rodgers said.

What's interesting -- the QB was asked during his appearance on the show if next season would be his last ... and he said frankly, "I don't think so."

He explained that moving on from Green Bay to New York gave him "a renewed passion for the game."

The 5-9 Jets will now officially have to finish off their season without their superstar against Washington, Cleveland and then New England.

LeRoy Butler is loving what he's seeing from Jordan Love and his former Packers squad so much ... he tells TMZ Sports he can "absolutely" see the team making a deep run in the postseason.

We spoke with the Green Bay legend following the Pack's upset win over the Chiefs at Lambeau Field ... and he made it crystal clear to us that he's fired up about his old team's potential.

"We're so excited for Jordan Love," Butler said ... before adding, "Listen, he's on fire."

Butler then actually sent a thank you message to the New York Jets ... believing they did his Packers a favor by acquiring Aaron Rodgers in an offseason trade.

"See, now it's a band," Butler said of the Love-led Packers. "Not just a solo act. That's the difference."

Butler tells us he thinks the Packers' hot streak -- which now includes wins in four of their last five games -- will continue ... explaining he thinks the roster is too young to be affected by potential trap games or treacherous road matchups.

N.Y. Jets fans may have an early Christmas present under the tree ... a healthy Aaron Rodgers, who our sources tell us is expected to be cleared medically for game action before Gang Green's December 24 contest against the Commanders!

Then, it'll be up to the coaches and team execs to decide whether the 4x NFL MVP plays.

We're told barring an unexpected setback, Rodgers will be given the all-clear before the week 16 game against the NFC East team at MetLife Stadium in Jersey.

Of course, Rodgers ruptured his Achilles on September 11, just 4 plays into his Jets career. On September 13, just days later, AR had cutting-edge surgery to repair the injury in Los Angeles.

The injury typically takes professional athletes around 9 months to return to play. If Rodgers comes back on 12/24, it'll be just 104 days after sustaining the devastating injury.

Needless to say, if the Jets allow him to play, Aaron, who has been practicing with his teammates since late November, will complete the fastest-recorded recovery of a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Despite being given the go-ahead from the medical folks, it's possible the team still doesn't allow Rodgers to play ... depending on their playoff prospects.

The Jets, who beat the Texans behind Zach Wilson on Sunday, are still just 5-8 ... and are looking up at 6 teams between them and a playoff birth. The reality is the Jets likely need to win out to have a chance at the postseason.

N.Y. plays the 9-3 Dolphins on Sunday ... and whether Aaron plays the following week could come down to if the team wins or loses that game.

Aaron Rodgers just got tattooed again ... this time he had a dragon featuring a nod to his Jets' jersey put down on his left arm.

The New York quarterback's tattoo artist, Balazs Bercsenyi, revealed the new artwork on his Instagram page on Thursday afternoon ... showing Rodgers got the piece put right in the middle of his bicep.

It's unclear why Rodgers chose the creature -- or what the significance of the lettering around it is -- but Bercsenyi explained the positioning of the dragon's body was no accident.

"Second tattoo for the 🐐 himself @aaronrodgers12," the artist said in a caption on the photos of the ink, "with a subtle hint for Aaron’s new jersey number #8."

The 40-year-old signal-caller was clearly thrilled with how it all came out ... writing in a comment on the artist's page, "Happy Birthday brother! So thankful for you and your mastery."

The tat is the second Rodgers has ever gotten ... he previously had a pair of lions and an eyeball put on his left forearm.

Of course, Rodgers has plenty of time to sit in the tattoo chair these days -- he's been on injured reserve since he blew out his Achilles during NY's first game of the season.

It didn't work out the first time around, but New York Jets coach Robert Saleh is hoping for a different result moving forward with Zach Wilson ... telling reporters the 24-year-old quarterback will be his team's starter for the foreseeable future.

The Jets haven't been able to find a valuable replacement under center following Aaron Rodgers' Week 1 Achilles injury ... and after a two-game experiment with Tim Boyle, Saleh told the media Wednesday that Wilson -- who initially took over for the four-time MVP -- was the team's best chance to win.

Boyle was cut from the team following NY's 13-8 loss to the Atlanta Falcons ... after he threw for just 148 yards and failed to toss a touchdown.

Wilson hasn't been great for the Jets ... and aside from a surprise victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, he struggled to gain traction with the starting gig.

Saleh seemingly alluded to Rodgers being out for the rest of the season ... saying Wilson was excited to finish out the 2023-24 campaign strong.

Ricky Williams would almost certainly have a bust in Canton today if the NFL had eased its weed policies during the running back's heyday -- at least, that's according to Calvin Johnson.

The Lions legend told TMZ Sports he not only thinks Ricky was just that good ... but he truly believes the benefits that marijuana provided the tailback could've helped Williams extend his career too.

"Ricky would probably be a first-ballot Hall of Famer if he didn't have the issues with that," Johnson told us.

And, get this, the 38-year-old said his own career "possibly" would've lasted longer if the league had adjusted its ganja laws during his playing days as well.

The NFL, however, has finally laxed its tight policies recently ... and Johnson is hoping the changes will help open the door for some of the league's athletes -- and ones in college too -- to use his new line of CBD products.

If you're unfamiliar, in retirement, Johnson has teamed up with his former Detroit teammate, Rob Sims, to create a cannabis company called Primitiv ... and just recently, the duo added a line of products called Primitiv Performance to help sports competitors with recovery.

Johnson says they're working on obtaining their NSF certification for sport ... and he wants athletes to dive into it all if and when that comes through.

"We truly believe in it," he said of the new products. "I use it!"

Johnson even joked with us that Primitiv Performance is something that could help injured quarterback Aaron Rodgers return to the field quicker this season.

Aaron Rodgers has taken yet another step toward making an improbable comeback this season ... returning to Jets practice Wednesday -- albeit in a very limited capacity.

Rodgers got back on the New York training field with his teammates just minutes after head coach Robert Saleh revealed the star quarterback has now been cleared for "functional football activity."

However, the sight of Rodgers on the field doesn't necessarily mean he's anywhere close to game action ... as Saleh told reporters that, for now, it's just another small jump in his rehab progression.

The 40-year-old, who now has 21 days to return to game action after his practice was opened, is expected to do little more than simulate in-game dropbacks and throw to teammates during workouts over the next few days. Still, it's a good sign for the Jets nonetheless, considering Rodgers tore his Achilles less than three months ago.

Saleh, meanwhile, stressed they will not push the signal-caller too hard, even if he looks good.

"There's certain things that he's been cleared that we are going to allow him to do," Saleh said ... before adding, "Aaron is not going to do anything to put himself in harm's way."

For Rodgers' part, he said on Tuesday on the "Pat McAfee Show" that he'll only return to in-game action this season if he's healthy enough ... and if the Jets are in playoff contention.

Aaron Rodgers ha dado otro paso hacia su improbable regreso esta temporada. El jugador volvió a la práctica de los Jets el miércoles, aunque con una capacidad muy limitada.

Rodgers regresó al lugar de entrenamiento de Nueva York con sus compañeros de equipo pocos minutos después de que el entrenador en jefe Robert Saleh revelara que el mariscal de campo estrella ha sido autorizado para la "actividad funcional de fútbol".

Sin embargo, su visita en el campo de juego no significa necesariamente que esté cerca de pasar a la acción. Saleh le dijo a los periodistas que, por ahora, este es solo otro pequeño paso en su camino hacia la rehabilitación.

Se espera que el jugador de 40 años haga poco más que simular dropbacks en el juego y hacer lanzamientos a los compañeros de equipo durante los entrenamientos de los próximos días. Sin embargo, es una buena señal para los Jets, teniendo en cuenta que Rodgers se rompió el tendón de Aquiles hace menos de tres meses.

Saleh, por su parte, hizo hincapié en que no van a presionar demasiado al jugador, incluso si se ve bien.

"Hay ciertas cosas para las que ha sido autorizado, que le vamos a permitir hacer", dijo Saleh, antes de añadir: "Aaron no va a hacer nada que lo ponga en peligro".

Rodgers, por su parte, dijo el martes en "Pat McAfee Show" que solo volverá a jugar esta temporada si está lo suficientemente bien y si los Jets están en la contienda por los playoffs.

Aaron Rodgers says his return to the football field is contingent on two big factors ... revealing he will only suit up again this season if the New York Jets are still in playoff contention and he is fully healthy.

The four-time NFL MVP was at the Jets training facility when he made his weekly appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday ... and he gave a significant update on his Achilles recovery timeline.

Rodgers explained the first step in his potential return during the 2023-24 season is evaluating his health and playing ability ... and if he's not able to move around and protect himself on the field, he won't risk it.

If he's cleared by doctors and is satisfied with his athleticism, Rodgers will then assess where the Jets stand in terms of playoff chances.

"It's health first, and then can I play, are we alive for the playoffs, second," Rodgers said ... adding as of right now, he is not to the point where he could even consider playing.

There's been talk around the NFL that Rodgers is eyeing a Christmas Eve return when the Jets take on the Commanders at MetLife Stadium in Jersey ... just over three months after his initial injury, which would be one of the fastest bounce-backs from an Achilles tear in NFL history.

The Jets' remaining schedule is a bit of a mixed bag -- they play winnable games against the Patriots and Washington, but also face off against the Texans, Browns, and Dolphins, all legit playoff contenders.

Worth noting -- many Jets and NFL fans have been concerned about Rodgers being hellbent on returning ... especially because New York's offensive line is dreadful, and he would undoubtedly lack protection up front.

In fact, the Jets have allowed 47 sacks this season ... the third most across the league.

Aaron Rodgers feels badly about how things played out for benched backup Zach Wilson ... admitting he's "disappointed and sad" the young quarterback didn't get to sit back and learn from him this season.

The former No. 2 overall pick recently lost his starting gig to Tim Boyle after struggling to find a rhythm as Rodgers recovers from his Achilles injury ... and during the four-time MVP's appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show," he said he has guilt about the situation.

"I feel for Zach, I love Zach." Rodgers said. "Zach's such a great kid and I do think he still has a bright future in the league."

Rodgers believes it's more fair to throw blame on the whole team than just on Zach ... but ultimately, it was time to find a spark on offense.

"This is disappointing, I have some personal guilt around the whole thing," he added. "I mean, I'm pissed I wasn't able to play and frustrated that if I was out there, and I feel like I'd be playing well, there would be obviously different narratives around our team and Zach would have the opportunity to learn and grow and see what it looks like without the pressure on and being able to sit in those meetings and go through the season and just kind of watch me and my process."

Rodgers said the team will continue to support both Zach and Tim moving forward ... but reiterated it's not all Wilson's fault the team is sitting at 4-6.