Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tom Brady got COVID ... and he thinks he contracted it celebrating his Super Bowl victory.

Brady tested positive back in February ... right after Tampa Bay snagged the Lombardi Trophy ... so he told the Tampa Bay Times. He believes he caught the virus at the Super Bowl Boat  Parade ... you'll recall, when Brady was super drunk and tossed the Trophy off his boat to his comrades in arms!

The Trophy wasn't the only thing that was caught ... 'cause Brady believes that's exactly where he caught COVID. He did not say if he had symptoms.

Brady thinks this season will be worse than last when it comes to the coronavirus ... "I actually think it's going to play more of a factor this year than last year, just because of the way what we're doing now and what the stadium is going to look like and what the travel is going to look like and the people in the building and the fans."

File under: "Perks of having a 7-time Super Bowl champ for a dad."

Tom Brady's son, Jack, got a front-row seat to watch his pops at work -- getting ball boy responsibilities at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp this week!!

The pics are adorable ... with the 13-year-old chatting it up with coaches and TB12 while the reigning champs prep for the upcoming season.

Brady couldn't be more proud of his son ... with the proud father showing off on Instagram about his kid's new gig.

"Buccaneers got a new ball boy this week," TB12 said. "He takes his summer job and every rep very seriously ... just like his dad!!"

No word on if this is a full-time summer job for Jack now, or if it was a one-time thing ... but either way, it's very cool to see.

Of course, TB12 and Jack have spent a lot of time bonding over football together over the years ... remember, the QB juked the hell outta his son during a backyard workout back in 2018 -- which is just as hilarious 3 years later.

NFL cornerback Cameron Kinley -- who fought to delay his U.S. military service to play in the league -- was cut by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team announced.

The former Navy standout signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent shortly after graduating the Naval Academy ... but because of his commitment to serve as an officer, the Navy refused to delay his service.

The 22-year-old fought hard to get the decision reversed ... even asking President Joe Biden for help when we spoke to him in June ... saying, "I'm just asking that you consider helping me with this situation I am currently in."

The Secretary of Defense finally gave Kinley the delay on July 6 which was right in time for Bucs' training camp -- and he got to see the field in the preseason opener this past weekend, banking in 6 tackles.

But, on Sunday, the Bucs announced they waived three players -- including Kinley.

"I'm definitely grateful I had an opportunity to be a part of the organization," Kinley told ESPN after the cut.

"I was able to learn a lot on and off the field from the players, coaches and support staff. I wish the Buccaneers the best this season and I look forward to what God has next for me."

Kinley is subject to waivers and if he's unclaimed, he can sign with another team as a free agent.

Tom Brady was so ticked off over some poor plays at Bucs practice on Sunday ... he threw a major temper tantrum, cussing, slamming his helmet and even punting a football.

Reporters on the scene in Tampa say it all went down during 11-on-11 drills ... with the G.O.A.T. going off after he took a would-be sack.

Tom grabbed the ball and booted it in frustration ... sending the pigskin over 40 yards.

On the next series, Tom was sacked again and threw a few incompletions ... leading to an even bigger meltdown.

The 43-year-old QB -- who turns 44 on Tuesday -- slammed his helmet into the ground ... and according to the Tampa Bay Times, he dropped an F-bomb on his teammates.

"Gotta make a f***ing play when you’re tired fellas," Brady said, according to Rick Stroud.

Don't worry ... this apparently ain't sort of beginning of a decline for Tom -- by all accounts, he's had an awesome start to training camp, and even his head coach, Bruce Arians, was cool with TB12's attitude during practice.

"Guys have got to make plays," Arians told reporters. "You’re in a critical situation, you can’t fall down. He gives you a chance to win the game. You’ve got to go down and win the game. I don’t care how tired you are."

New England definitely ain't gonna like these apples ...

Matt Damon -- one of the biggest die-hard Boston-area sports fans EVER -- just admitted he'd root against the Patriots in a Super Bowl!!

The Academy Award-winning actor made the shocking revelation on The Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday ... saying if it came down to Tom Brady's Buccaneers vs. the Pats in this year's Big Game, he's team TB12 all day!!

"Listen," Damon said. "I love that guy."

Damon -- who is from Cambridge, Mass. -- has been a Pats fan since forever ... but it's clear his relationship with Tom outweighs all of that.

"Go Bucs," Damon said on the show.

It's gotta hurt the Patriots ... but, hey, they do get to square off against Tom in the regular season in Foxborough in October.

Tom Brady's seventh Super Bowl ring just might be his best one ... 'cause the QB and the Bucs' championship bling was finally revealed Thursday night, and the ice is INSANE!!

TB12, Rob Gronkowski and the rest of the squad received the rings at a party in Tampa Bay ... and even the guys who are used to big title drip were blown away by the pieces.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the ring -- created by Jason of Beverly Hills -- features a staggering 319 total round diamonds on the top, which was a nod to the Bucs' 31-9 Super Bowl LV win over the Chiefs.

The top also unscrews to reveal a hand-engraved, 3D Raymond James Stadium ... making it the first-ever Super Bowl ring with a removable piece.

There's also 8 emerald diamonds on each side of the ring to represent the 8-game winning streak the Bucs went on to close out the season ... and there are inscriptions all over the bling including the words "historic" and "trust, loyalty, respect."

And, the guys were clearly thrilled with the final product -- check out how running back Leonard Fournette could not get enough of the jewelry with his teammates!!!

Brady spoke at the ceremony after getting the ring ... and in true Tom fashion, he admitted he's already thinking about what No. 8 is going to look like, telling a story about how he learned his favorite ring is "the next one!"

The future Hall of Famer then capped off his speech while nodding to his teammates ... "Love you. Proud of you. Let's f***ing go."

The G.O.A.T. is finally back at POTUS' pad ... Tom Brady has officially made the trip to the White House for the Buccaneers' Super Bowl party!!

Of course, this is an extremely rare sight ... 'cause the QB barely ever goes to these events -- you'll recall, the last time he attended a D.C. Super Bowl celly was way back in 2005!!

Brady skipped out on a trip to Barack Obama's White House in 2015, and he also ditched a visit to Donald Trump's White House in 2017.

When Brady's Patriots won it all again in 2018 ... the team as a whole never went -- meaning Brady has only capped off 3 of his previous 6 championships with 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. visit.

Unclear what made Brady want to go this time around -- particularly 'cause it's Gisele's birthday Tuesday -- but he's there nonetheless, and looking dapper as hell!!

Tom wore a dark suit with a tie and sunglasses for the occasion ... and he was front and center for a team pic with the Lombardi Trophy out on the South Lawn before the ceremony began.

His teammate, Donovan Smith, even got in a little joking with Tom about the event ... asking the QB, "You got residency here?"

Tom's response? "It's been a long time since I've been here. A long time."

The Bucs' trip marks the first time a Super Bowl winner has gone to the White House for a celebration since 2017 ... and we're sure there's going to be a lot of laughs at the event.

The official ceremony gets underway in just a few minutes ... stay tuned!!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Jaydon Mickens has been hit with 2 criminal charges stemming from his March arrest ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According to court docs, prosecutors have levied 2 misdemeanors against the 27-year-old Super Bowl champ after they say he was illegally carrying a loaded firearm in his car in L.A. on March 5.

As we previously reported, cops initially pulled over Mickens after they said the tint on his ride was too dark.

During the stop, though, they said they found a gun inside his car -- NOT on his person -- and arrested him over it.

Prosecutors clearly felt there was enough to move forward with the case ... and it could spell bad news for Mickens, 'cause the two gun charges he's facing each carry a maximum of one year in jail if convicted.

The Bucs said in a statement shortly after the arrest they were monitoring the situation ... but Mickens has not been cut over it all and he's still set to be with the team when it opens up training camp later this month.

Mickens has been mostly a special teams player for the Bucs ... and returned kicks for the team in their Super Bowl win over the K.C. Chiefs last February.

Former U.S. Navy football star Cameron Kinley is officially a professional football player ... 'cause the U.S. military just gave him the green light to play ball.

Kinley -- who recently graduated from the Naval  Academy -- was signed by TB as a free agent after going undrafted in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The only issue ... Kinley committed to serving as an officer in the Navy after graduating, and the U.S. Military was NOT budging in allowing him to delay his service.

That is until the Secretary of Defense, Retired General Lloyd Austin, reversed the Navy's course ... and decided to let Kinley play ball.

"I am extremely appreciative of Secretary Austin's decision and I am excited to represent our fine military in the National Football League," Kinley wrote in a statement.

Cameron later continued ... "Lastly, thank you to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization for believing in me and remaining patient with me throughout this process. I am excited to get back to work in Tampa Bay with my teammates."

Kinley -- who asked President Biden for help -- recently told us head coach Bruce Arians gave him until the start of Bucs training camp on July 24 to straighten out his status.

Cameron did that ... and with a few weeks to spare.

Congrats!!!

Lin-Manuel Miranda is gonna love this ...

Tom Brady is a HUUUUGE fan of the musical "Hamilton" -- he's seen it live a whole bunch of times -- and busted out one of the songs last night with James Corden!

"Doesn’t everybody love it?!" Tom said during an appearance on "The Late Late Show ... "I mean it’s just, it’s so good!"

Brady explained his father was obsessed with Broadway growing up -- and it eventually rubbed off on him.

Then, TB12 and Corden busted out the opening number from the musical -- "Alexander Hamilton."

Did Tom mess up some of the lyrics? Yes. Did he have a great time doing it? Absolutely!

There's a lot more ... TB12 also teaches Corden the proper way to work out with stretch bands.

Corden heckles Brady during their golf outing (Tom threatens to smash James in the face).

And, Tom also talks about what it's like to be the greatest football player of all time.

It's good stuff ... but we're here for the show tunes.

The probation period Antonio Brown was sentenced to in his moving truck driver assault case has just been terminated 1 year early ... his attorney, Sean Burstyn, tells TMZ Sports.

Brown received the good news at a court hearing Tuesday, according to Burstyn ... with the attorney saying a judge agreed to end the probation 12 months early, recognizing AB's done a good job of staying out of trouble over the past year.

As we previously reported, Brown was hit with 3 criminal charges after allegedly roughing up a moving company driver outside of his Florida mansion back in February 2020.

But, Brown cut a plea deal with prosecutors four months later in June ... agreeing to serve two years of probation, complete 100 hours of community service and finish a 13-week anger management program in order to close out the case.

And, in court documents filed last week, Brown's attorneys argued that because the Tampa Bay receiver has already finished one year of probation and completed the rest of the conditions ... the final year of his probation should be terminated.

And, Burstyn says that's exactly what went down in the Broward County courtroom Tuesday.

"In further demonstration of Antonio Brown’s hard work and great progress since his NFL suspension, we are very pleased to advise that his withheld adjuration is now final and he has completed his probation a full year ahead of schedule,” Burstyn said in a statement.

"We see nothing but blue sky for AB."

Turns out, there IS an expiration date on Tom Brady's football career after all ... the QB says he ain't committing to playing 'til he's 50, explaining, "That's a long time."

The NFL's G.O.A.T. revealed to USA Today Sports this month his goal is still just to play until he's 45 in two years ... and then perhaps end the run at that point.

"50? That’s a long time," Brady said. "Even for me, that’s a long time."

"I’ve always said 45 was the age that I wanted to reach and that was my goal. This year I’ll be 44, so next year I’ll be 45. I got a two-year contract."

Don't get it twisted, though ... Brady didn't exactly slam the door on the idea of another 6 years under center either.

"I’m going to be able to obviously play this year and God forbid anything happens but play next year and then see what happens after that," Brady said.

"If I still want to keep playing, I might be able to do that. And, if that’s enough, then that would be enough.”

If Brady does want to make the extended run ... his Buccaneers team certainly ain't stopping him, 'cause Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht said back in May he'd allow the QB to go that long if he wanted.

But, Tom's coming off knee surgery ... and certainly seems to be at peace with the idea his playing days could be done in two years.

Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes are out to prove the Madden Curse is officially dead ... with the Super Bowl LV foes set to appear on the video game's cover yet again!!

Remember, EA Sports' biggest franchise was notorious for the bad luck each cover athlete would have after receiving the honor -- from Mike Vick to Marshall Faulk to Vince Young, Peyton Hillis and more.

Both TB12 and Mahomes were able to dodge any serious mishaps when they both appeared on the cover in the past ... as Brady was on Madden NFL 18 and the Chiefs QB was on Madden NFL 20.

Now, the superstar athletes are set to stare the curse right in the eyes yet again ... and if they have baller years, it may be time to put the "Madden Curse" to rest for good.

The game had been teasing "2 goats" would appear on the cover ... and anyone who's been watching football the past few years had to see this one coming.

Aaron Rodgers won't have to wait long to avenge his playoff loss to Tom Brady ... the two QBs are set to face off on the golf course in July -- with Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau tagging along too!!

The PGA Tour just confirmed Rodgers and DeChambeau will go head-to-head against Brady and Mickelson in the next iteration of The Match -- and it'll all go down on July 6.

According to the Tour, the round will take place at Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, Montana ... and it's must-see TV.

The storylines are endless -- will Tom finally break out his driver? Will DeChambeau hit a 400-yard tee shot? How much smack will Phil talk?

And, of course, will Rodgers -- who famously lost to Brady in the NFC Championship Game last January -- still be a Green Bay Packer by tee time?!?!

If you're unfamiliar, The Match has been going on for the past few years ... with athletes and pro golfers teaming up to provide amazing TV all while benefitting charities.

The past couple rounds have been great watches ... especially in 2020, when Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning beat Brady and Mickelson.

In that round, Brady refused to take out a driver off the tee ... but Mickelson is already vowing to change all of that and bring home the W this summer.

"Tom and I have some unfinished business," Mickelson said Wednesday. "Unfortunately it will be at Bryson and Aaron’s expense."

Even Tom's already talking trash, firing away at Rodgers on Twitter ... "[DeChambeau] better get used to laying up because we know @AaronRodgers12 isn’t going for it."

There will be no Rob Gronkowski-like return for Julian Edelman -- not now nor ever -- so says the former Patriots star, who claims he's REALLY retired.

Rumors of a possible reunion with Tom Brady in Tampa at some point in the future have still swirled despite the 32-year-old's retirement announcement last month ... but JE insists he's seriously done.

Edelman -- who still certainly appears to have game left in his body -- broke it all down for Michael Irvin on The Michael Irvin Podcast this week, explaining he simply doesn't want to push his body any further.

“My knee's breaking down," he said. "I’m not going to sit here, you know, I got everything I want. I got three rings. Played in a magical dynasty with an unbelievable franchise, coach, best quarterback of all time, like, yo, I’m not a greedy guy."

Edelman continued, "I'm not going to sit out there and look like some old dude in an old BIKE knee brace and ankle braces -- you know the old guy? I don't want to look like that, man. I can't do that."

Some of Edelman's closest friends clearly are having a hard time believing him ... Gronk told TMZ Sports just a few weeks ago there was a "69% chance" Edelman joins him on the Bucs eventually.

And, even Brady joked about an Edelman reunion in Tampa during the NFL draft weekend last month too.

But, Edelman -- who's taken a gig as an analyst on Inside the NFL since announcing his retirement -- swears that just ain't happenin'.

No bad blood between Robert Kraft and Tom Brady -- in fact, the Patriots owner tells TMZ Sports he can't wait to welcome the QB back to New England!

"Excited to have him," Kraft told us Friday afternoon in Beverly Hills ... "He's a great guy and he did so much for us. I love him."

Of course, Tom will make his highly anticipated return to Boston during Week 4 of the 2021 NFL season -- the first time he'll play in Gillette Stadium as a visitor!

Tickets for the game are already in ultra-high demand -- with some ticket brokers fetching 4-figures for seats in the nosebleed section!

We asked Kraft how he feels about the big matchup -- and he told us, "We should have a fun night! But, I'm excited for Week 1 … and we play Miami."

There's more!!!

We also asked Bob about the Pats QB situation -- they recently selected Mac Jones in the 1st round of the NFL Draft after re-signing former NFL MVP Cam Newton.

So, who'll end up with the starting gig?

"We're excited to have [Mac Jones] but I'm excited to have Cam Newton, too," Kraft said ... adding, "I pay Bill Belichick a lot of money. He can decide that."