Washington Commanders

Darrell Green says he's enamored with this year's iteration of the Commanders ... telling TMZ Sports they remind him a whole lot of his old Super Bowl-winning teams!!

The Washington legend heaped all kinds of praise on Dan Quinn's squad during a sit-down with us this week ... explaining he loves the way they've gone about their journey to this weekend's NFC Championship Game.

Green says it's all felt strikingly similar to his 1980s and early 1990s Washington teams that won two Lombardi Trophies.

Forget Rookie of the Year, Joe Theismann tells TMZ Sports Jayden Daniels might just be the NFL's MVP!!

The former Washington quarterback shoveled praise on the Commanders' current signal-caller during a sit-down with us this week ... saying the 22-year-old truly should be in consideration for the league's highest honor.

"Obviously I think he's a runaway choice for Rookie of the Year," Joe told us, "but I keep saying, 'Why not let him be considered for an MVP as well?' He's had that kind of year."

Calvin Johnson -- a guy who knows a thing or two about great wide receiver play -- is loving what Amon-Ra St Brown's doing this year ... telling TMZ Sports the Lions wideout is helping keep the NFC's top seed on track!

We caught up with the legendary Detroit receiver ahead of his former team's Divisional Round matchup against Jayden Daniels and the Commanders ... and he gushed over ASB.

He told us that while Dan Campbell deserves a whole lot of credit for getting things going in the Motor City ... it's St. Brown who's carried over the head coach's message onto the field.

Jayden Daniels led the Washington Commanders to their first postseason win in 6,495 days on Sunday, but he might just be getting started ... so says former team captain and current radio broadcaster London Fletcher, who tells TMZ Sports he truly thinks the QB can go into Detroit and get it done this weekend!!

We spoke with Fletcher following the Commanders' 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ... and naturally, he sang the No. 2 overall pick's praises for his ability to get the team in the right direction in just his rookie year.

"There's times where they mentioned him with Hall of Famers," Fletcher said. "The Peyton Mannings, the Tom Bradys, the Drew Brees with some of the things that he's accomplished ... and it wasn't them accomplishing these things as rookies, these guys accomplished these things later in their careers."

Malik Nabers isn't gonna let a division rivalry stop him from cheering for his friend and former teammate ... 'cause the Giants star was losing it in the stands after Jayden Daniels led his Commanders to a huge playoff victory!!

Nabers and fellow ex-LSU receiver/Jaguars rookie Brian Thomas Jr. hit up Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for the Commanders' Wild Card matchup with the Buccaneers ... and even though N.Y. and Washington go together like oil and water, the two set aside their employers for a night to cheer on their buddy.

Their presence was understandable ... as it was the biggest game of Daniels' fresh career -- and he delivered by helping Washington secure its first postseason win since the 2005 season.

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.

The Chicago Bears lost in heartbreaking fashion against the Washington Commanders ... and one Bears player is owning up to his role in the end result -- apologizing for taunting fans in the middle of Jayden Daniels' game-winning Hail Mary.

Bears defensive back Tyrique Stevenson was in a celebratory mood after his team went up 15-12 with less than half a minute left in the contest ... but it was a bit premature, as the Commanders had one final shot to steal the victory.

Instead of concentrating on his coverage, Stevenson turned his back on the action ... and chose to send a message to the home crowd -- all while Daniels was scrambling for his life.

A Ravens fan took things way too far after his team's win against the Commanders, knocking an opposing fan out cold ... and Baltimore police are looking into the violent altercation.

The incident, which was caught on video, shows a fan wearing a Lamar Jackson jersey walking up to two individuals wearing Commanders gear. Then, seemingly unprovoked, he starts swinging at the men, landing a devastating right hook to the face of a fan wearing a Sean Taylor jersey, sending him careering to the ground.

The attacker then turns his attention to the other fan, wearing a Terry McLaurin jersey ... chasing him down and slamming him into a building wall. Luckily, it appears the man was able to get away before sustaining any more damage.

11:57 AM PT -- A spokesperson from the Arizona Department of Public Safety tells TMZ Sports ... the fracas all began after two women pushed each other.

"One female fell down," the rep said. "A male friend ran after the suspect ... brushing by other males before a fight ensued."

The spokesperson added three men were ultimately arrested for misdemeanor assault.

Several Arizona Cardinals fans whaled on each other in the stands of the team's game Sunday afternoon ... and things turned so violent -- one guy actually left the area leaking blood.

9/5 9:01 AM -- Rael Enteen's remarks just cost him his job ... as the Commanders decided to fire him after a brief investigation.

The Commanders have suspended vice president of content Rael Enteen ... this after the employee made wild accusations about Washington players and fans, the NFL and some of the most important figures in the league.

Enteen's comments were captured on a hidden camera during a presumed date with an undercover O'Keefe Media Group journalist ... when he was asked his opinion on numerous topics regarding his gig.

Enteen claimed the majority of Commanders players were "very low-income African-Americans" who have homophobic beliefs ... and most fans of the sport are "high school-educated alcoholics," even referring to them as "mouth breathers."

Zach Wilson isn't the only one getting engaged this month ... his ex, Abbey Gile, also has wedding bells in her future -- after getting proposed to by Wilson's college roommate.

Gile -- who dated the Denver Broncos quarterback from high school until 2022 -- was seen rockin' a massive diamond ring on her finger after Dax Milne, a Washington Commander receiver, proposed on the beach.

"She said YES❤️💍," the 25-year-old said in an Instagram post on Monday.

Brandon McManus -- a former Super Bowl champion who signed a big free-agent deal with Washington in March -- has just been cut by the Commanders ... following allegations he sexually assaulted two flight attendants last year.

The women made the claims against the 32-year-old kicker in a lawsuit that was filed in Duval County, Fla. last month.

Jane Doe I and Jane Doe II said that while they were working on a Sept. 28, 2023 United Kingdom-bound flight privately booked by the Jacksonville Jaguars ... McManus, who played for the Jags at the time, became inappropriate with them.

Jay Gruden just took his beef with Robert Griffin III to a whole 'nother level ... firing off a shot at his former quarterback that was so petty, he actually felt the need to delete it.

If you haven't been following on X this week ... the former Washington head coach and his ex-QB have been at each other's necks ever since Gruden sent off a comment during the Eagles vs. Buccaneers playoff game Monday night.

Jay wrote on his X page, "If I ever put a QB through what Philly is putting Jalen [Hurts] through, I apologize." RGIII -- who played for Gruden in 2014 -- quickly clapped back, writing, "Say WHATTTT???" ... and the two then proceeded to go at it.

The guys threw a few barbs back and forth ... and just when it looked like the squabble had ended -- Griffin III revived it on his podcast Thursday evening.

During his show, the 33-year-old accused Gruden of asking him to call out his teammates following a game in '14 -- before he claims the coach turned his back on him.

That's when Gruden went nuclear ... and shot out a tweet where he insinuated no one in the NFL liked RGIII.

"You weren't good enough," Jay wrote. "Kirk [Cousins] was better."

"Cleveland didn't want you." he continued. "Baltimore [didn't] either. Quit blaming me."

Jay deleted the post a short time later ... and replaced it with a video of RGIII running alongside the Seahawks' live mascot during pregame festivities in Seattle earlier this season.

"Go race a pigeon," he said.

RGIII has since responded with yet another dig at Gruden -- writing, "The Pigeon name is more respected than your last name."

It's the most nerve-wracking time of the year for NFL coaches on the hot seat -- Black Monday -- and some guys are already without a job ... including Ron Rivera and Arthur Smith.

The Commanders made their announcement just minutes ago ... saying after four seasons with the franchise, it was time to move on from Riverboat Ron.

Rivera went 26-40-1 during his time on the sidelines ... including one playoff appearance in 2020 after winning the NFC East. He won Coach of the Year honors that same season.

During that period, Rivera fought a bout with squamous cell carcinoma, but did not miss a single game while receiving treatment.

The Commanders will be a sexy option for coaches -- they have the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft ... and new owners Josh Harris and Magic Johnson are eager to turn the franchise around.

The team has hired former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers to help with its coaching search, according to reports.

As for Smith, the Atlanta Falcons decided to give him the ax on Sunday ... after going 7-10 each of the past three seasons.

Falcons head coach Arthur Blank addressed the move in a statement ... saying, "Decisions like this are never easy and they never feel good."

"We have profound respect for Coach Smith and appreciate all the hard work and dedication he has put into the Falcons over the last three years. He has been part of building a good culture in our football team, but the results on the field have not met our expectations."

"After significant thought and reflection, we have determined the best way forward for our team is new leadership in the head coaching position."

Jonathan Allen went off following yet another Commanders loss on Sunday ... and, warning, the language he used to express his displeasure with the defeat is very NSFW.

The Washington star unloaded to a gaggle of reporters just minutes after his team fell, 14-7, to the Giants at MetLife Stadium ... fuming as his team dropped to 3-4 on the year.

"They whooped our ass," the two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle said. "Plain and simple. Gotta be better."

Then, he let the F-bombs fly after a media member asked him if it gets frustrating.

"F*** yes it does," Allen said. "I'm f***ing tired of this s***. I’m f***ing tired of this bulls***. It’s been seven f***ing years of the same s***. I’m tired of this s***!"

Allen concluded his expletive-filled rant by saying his team needs to get its mind right moving forward and get ready for another NFC East rival, the Philadelphia Eagles.