NFL

Travis Kelce won't be able to spend his entire Christmas roasting chestnuts on an open fire with Taylor Swift, but he doesn't mind working on the holiday ... saying he's grateful to suit up whenever, wherever the NFL sends 'em!

The Chiefs tight end talked about the team's upcoming stretch with bro Jason Kelce on their "New Heights" podcast ... and while he acknowledges his body is not as excited for the short rest between games, he's excited for it.

"I just know I'm just so fortunate to play this game," Trav said. "I'm gonna cherish every time I get to play on the field. I'm not gonna harp on that schedule that was given to us."

NFL cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting is setting the record straight on his dating life ... saying he's NOT the guy kissing Bobbi Althoff in a blurry video making rounds this week -- despite what some folks thought on social media.

The podcaster shared the clip to her Instagram story ... showing her kissing and being all lovey-dovey with a taller man -- but purposely leaving his face out of frame to preserve his identity.

The irresponsible X aggregators were quick to spread the misinformation ... stating as fact it was the Arizona Cardinals player on the other side of Bobbi's smooches in the footage.

Jahmyr Gibbs fantasy football managers, rejoice ... the Lions superstar says he's fully prepared to take on the bell cow role in Detroit in wake of David Montgomery's injury, telling TMZ Sports, "it's nothing I'm not used to."

Gibbs, of course, already had a huge hand in Dan Campbell's backfield -- toting the ball 186 times this season -- but after Montgomery hurt his knee in Sunday's loss to the Bills, he's now expected to get the majority of the snaps going forward.

When we asked Tuesday if the 22-year-old was ready for that ... he didn't mince words -- and gave a resounding yes.

Michael Vick is taking on a new challenge -- the former NFL superstar is reportedly the next head football coach at Norfolk State!!

According to reporter David Teel, the four-time Pro Bowl selection is set to replace Dawson Odums on the sidelines ... after he was fired for going 15-30 over his four years at the helm.

While the 44-year-old has plenty of experience on the gridiron, the one area he doesn't have much expertise in is a coach -- as this job will mark the first time he throws on a headset.

It's not Jayden Daniels or Brock Bowers ... no, according to Patrick Surtain II, Bo Nix is the Rookie of the Year in the NFL this season!!

The Denver Broncos superstar made no bones about it while speaking with TMZ Sports out at a Raising Cane's bike giveaway event in Colorado on Monday ... explaining his quarterback is "my top vote."

"Whoever you got against him, I would love to see," the DB said. "Because Bo, he's been putting in the work since Day One."

It is no secret Aaron Rodgers and his family aren't on good terms ... but now the Jets signal caller is delving deeper into some of those issues, saying the rift between his folks was so bad, he had to "re-parent" himself.

The 41-year-old 4x NFL MVP QB opened up on the subject in his new three-part Netflix docuseries "Aaron Rodgers: Enigma," one of the only times he's publicly addressed the topic.

“At times when you have some dysfunction or some separation in your family life, you have to kind of re-parent yourself and give yourself what you didn’t get or wanted to hear more of when you were a kid, and I think for me, I just wanted to hear, ‘I’m proud of you,’" Rodgers said during the second episode of the series.

Johnny Newton woke up Tuesday morning with his wallet a bit lighter ... 'cause his Commanders teammates stuck him with a huge dinner bill -- and it's safe to say he wasn't exactly happy about it.

Newton and several other members of Washington's NFL org. hit up a fancy eatery for an end-of-season meal on Monday night ... and based on some vids they shared on their social media pages, they sure ate and drank well.

Expensive booze was flowing in one clip that Daron Payne posted to his Instagram ... and you can bet there were some high-priced meats and sides to go along with it.

Need some motivation on this Tuesday morning?? Just listen to Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell's recent radio appearance ... in which he passionately declared his guys will bounce back from their loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The leader of the Lions' sideline was ready to run through a brick wall when talking to Costa & Jansen on 97.1 The Ticket ... when he went on a fiery rant about the state of his team after tasting defeat for just the second time this season.

"You know what happens is? You know, you win 11 in a row, and you lose, and then the sky falls," Campbell said. "And I hate to say it, but we're not going to be able to win 11 in a row again for the rest of this season. We're just not going to be able to do it."

Lil Wayne's ick over getting "snubbed" for Super Bowl 59 in his New Orleans hometown seems to have blown over ... Wayne is now cheering on Kendrick Lamar to have a helluva halftime show!!!

Skip Bayless made attempts to push Wayne over the edge on his show on Monday, claiming to be "baffled and angry" there wouldn't be Young Money emblems inside Caesars Superdome come February -- but Wayne said it's all g-double-o-d.

“I’ve spoken to him, and I wish him all the best and I told him he better kill it,” Wayne told Skip. "For whatever reason I believe it’s over my head. I don’t know why, period. Obviously, I believe that it’s perfect. I do not know why.”

Leighton Vander Esch's parents are splitting up following the arrest of the former Dallas Cowboys star's father ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Court records we've obtained show Sandra Vander Esch filed for divorce from Darwin Vander Esch on Dec. 2 ... just one day after she accused him of attempting to strangle her during an incident at their Idaho County home.

In the alleged Dec. 1 dispute -- according to court documents -- Sandra claimed Darwin wrapped his hands around her neck following an argument at a nearby bar ... and "was pushing and squeezing, not letting her talk or breathe."

Rashee Rice and his family now have one less thing to stress about as the Chiefs head into the home stretch of the 2024 season ... TMZ Sports has learned the Kansas City star's mom's theft case has been dismissed.

Court documents we obtained show prosecutors in Tarrant County, Texas agreed to drop the misdemeanor case against Rice's mother, Marsha Kearney ... after she fulfilled several conditions.

According to the docs, Kearney completed a theft intervention program as well as 24 hours of community service. She also paid $125 in restitution. Court officials tell us the case is now disposed.

Bill Belichick is only 15 wins away from passing Don Shula for the most head coaching wins in NFL history ... but he claims that wasn't on his mind before he took his new gig with North Carolina -- 'cause what he really cares about is championships.

Days after his introductory press conference in Chapel Hill, Bill gave an update on his first few days on the job during his appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show" ... saying he's been busy recruiting high school players and working the transfer portal as he starts to build out his roster.

The 72-year-old was then asked about seemingly giving up on being the winningest coach in NFL history as a result of his move to the NCAA ... but he's making it clear there's something that holds much more weight in his eyes.

The Miami Dolphins gave out some good news on Monday morning on inured wide receiver Grant DuBose ... saying he has movement in all of his extremities -- although he still remains in the hospital.

Dubose was hurt in the third quarter of the Fins' Sunday morning tilt with the Texans ... when defensive back Calen Bullock drilled him in the head just as he was trying to haul in a pass from Tua Tagaovailoa.

DuBose laid motionless for several minutes ... and the scene was horrifying -- as trainers appeared to cut off his jersey before they strapped him to a backboard and transported him to a nearby hospital.

De'Vondre Campbell's refusal to play last week is going to cost him ... he's reportedly now being suspended without pay for the rest of the regular season over his decision.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said on X on Monday Kyle Shanahan is planning to sit Campbell down for the final three games after he wouldn't take the field at the end of San Francisco's "Thursday Night Football" loss to the Rams.

With the Niners' playoff hopes all but squashed, the ban will almost certainly spell the end of Campbell's tenure in the Bay Area.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Grant DuBose needed medical attention after a big hit Sunday ... with a stretcher coming out to roll him off the field.

The rookie WR was playing in Houston against the Texans Sunday ... when Tua Tagovailoa targeted him with a downfield pass early in the third quarter.

While trying to make the catch, Houston Texans cornerback Calen Bullock came up and ran right through DuBose ... breaking up the pass and leaving the seventh-round draft pick lying, unmoving on the turf.

If Troy Aikman were running an NFL team, he'd clearly have no qualms heading into the 2025 season with Shedeur Sanders under center ... telling TMZ Sports he absolutely loves the Colorado QB's game.

Aikman made no bones about it during a chat with us this week ... explaining he's been a fan of Sanders ever since the 22-year-old was dominating on high school football fields.

"I do think he's a franchise quarterback," said Aikman, who played with Shedeur's father, Deion Sanders, in the 1990s. "I love his game."