TMZ Sports - Page 50

If there was any doubt Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley were back together, this should erase it -- the couple was seen Monday after landing in south Florida, walking side-by-side away from a private jet.

38-year-old Rodgers and 30-year-old Woodley were photographed getting off the PJ in Palm Beach ... where we're told they only stayed for about 5 hours, before departing on the jet.

It's unclear why they were in town.

Aaron and Shailene aren't exactly packing on the PDA -- there's no hand-holding, kissing or even smiling -- but let's be real, they've been inseparable in the weeks following reports of their breakup.

AR and SW attended David Bakhtiari's wedding together (Aaron officiated the ceremony). They were also recently seen at a food market in Los Angeles.

Throw in Aaron's mushy Instagram post a few weeks back ... and it's clear the couple has rekindled their romance.

Arron and Shailene began dating in mid-2020 ... shortly after Rodgers broke up with Danica Patrick.

The back-to-back NFL MVP shocked many people when he announced they were engaged during the NFL's award show in 2021.

Russell Wilson's days in Seattle are over ... the Seahawks have just agreed to trade the star quarterback to the Denver Broncos.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero just broke the news ... saying the 'Hawks received a "massive haul" of draft picks and players to make the move.

The Broncos celebrated the impending deal with a hilarious Tom Hanks "Wilson!" GIF just minutes after the report dropped.

Unclear on how many first-rounders the Seahawks will receive in the deal or which players will be sent over for the quarterback ... but Pelissero reported QB Drew Lock will be at least one of the players headed to the Pacific Northwest in the trade.

Wilson was initially picked by the Seahawks in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft ... and he went on to become arguably the franchise's best QB ever.

The 33-year-old won one Super Bowl with the team and made nine Pro Bowls ... and he also piled up a 104-53-1 record in 10 seasons.

Wilson had said just days ago that he was happy in Seattle -- explaining during an interview with "Today" that he thought the city was "great." Wilson, though, had reportedly been looking into a trade for a while, reportedly at one point targeting the Bears, Cowboys, Raiders and Saints as possible next destinations.

No word yet on how his wife, Ciara, feels about the move ... but somebody needs to check on huge Seahawks/Russ fan Joel McHale ASAP!!

Brittney Griner's alleged mug shot was shared by Russian State media, marking the first time the WNBA star has been seen "publicly" since her detainment in February.

The 31-year-old center for the Phoenix Mercury was taken into custody last month at an airport near Moscow ... after Russian customs officials claim a drug dog alerted to her carry-on luggage, which allegedly contained hashish oil (for a vape).

Russian officials say they've launched a drug trafficking investigation ... and if convicted, Griner could face a decade behind bars in Russia.

Russia's state-owned news channel, Russia 24, aired a photo of Griner's mug shot. State media reported the booking photo was taken at a Russian police station, according to CNN.

The mug shot is significant because Griner has not been seen or heard from publicly in weeks.

The arrest couldn't come at a worse time for the WNBA superstar. Russia is in the midst of a full-out assault on Ukraine, and the United States and many other countries have sanctioned the Russian government, seriously ratcheting up tensions.

Now, the Russian government has a high-profile American prisoner ... and could become a pawn or bargaining chip for Putin.

As for the efforts to bring Brittney home -- we recently spoke with longtime U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham who told us the State Dept. is doing everything in its power to return the star hooper to her family and friends in the States.

Deion Sanders ended up losing two toes in his battle to recover from foot surgery, the NFL legend announced in an emotional Instagram post on Tuesday.

Previewing the next episode of his "Coach Prime" documentary with Barstool Sports and SMAC Productions on his social media page ... Sanders revealed the big toe and the second toe on his left foot had to be surgically removed several weeks ago.

Sanders showed the mangled foot in the doc's video teaser ... writing in the caption, "I endured a lot while I was in the hospital during our historic season but I am so thankful for GOD being there to help pull me through."

As we reported ... Sanders initially had surgery to fix a longtime foot injury back in the fall, but his recovery process never quite got on track.

Sanders struggled to get his foot to heal -- and he needed a wheelchair and a scooter to get around for months.

The former Dallas Cowboys cornerback said he ultimately required 8 surgeries to try to get the foot right ... and it's clear, one of those procedures included cutting off two digits from his left foot.

Breathe easy, Green Bay ... Aaron Rodgers is coming back.

The star quarterback's BFF Pat McAfee just announced the news ... saying, according to sources, Rodgers is slated to return to the Packers for at least the 2022 season.

McAfee said the 38-year-old seriously considered retirement -- but ultimately chose to return to Wisconsin after all.

McAfee added that reports of a new, mega, 4-year, $200 MILLION contract for the QB were "not accurate" -- though the ex-NFL player did not elaborate on what Rodgers' new deal (if there is one) will be.

As we reported, Rodgers had been feuding with Green Bay brass prior to the 2021 season -- upset over a variety of personnel moves -- and many felt it would ultimately be his final one in the green and yellow.

But, the two sides appeared to build a bridge throughout the 17-game season ... and Rodgers seemed much happier with the org. in recent months.

Rodgers is coming off his second straight MVP award -- and his recommitment to the team is expected to sway star receiver Davante Adams to return as well.

Ukrainian Anastasiia Laletina pulled out of a major event at the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games on Tuesday ... after an official says her father was captured by Russian troops back home.

Team spokeswoman Natalia Harach said the 19-year-old's dad -- a soldier in the Ukrainian army -- was taken and beaten ... and Laletina was so understandably shaken up over it all, she withdrew from the middle distance sitting para biathlon.

Harach added Laletina, a nordic skier, did receive care from a team doctor after she learned of the horrifying news.

"She was very upset," Harach told media members Tuesday, "and couldn't take part in the race."

Laletina is still scheduled, for now, to compete in another skiing race at the Games. It's unclear what the status is of her father at the moment.

Ukraine has sent over nearly two dozen athletes to compete in the Games despite the ongoing conflict with Russia ... and the competitors have found big success.

Renato Moicano says he's happy the ref didn't stop his co-main event fight with Rafael dos Anjos, despite receiving a beating for much of the UFC 272 match, 'cause he got to test himself in the harshest conditions ... and he'd do it all over again if asked!

"I'm really thankful that the judge didn't stop the fight because otherwise, I would not know what I'm made of. I always try to go forward, I always try to fight back and for me, it was perfect. The referee did his job, it was a great job."

32-year-old Moicano is a bad man. He's beaten the likes of Jeremy Stephens, Cub Swanson and Calvin Kattar. He stepped up to fight a 5 round fight against RDA -- a future Hall of Famer -- on 5 days' notice, and lost a unanimous decision Saturday night.

But, that doesn't tell the whole story. RDA was dominating the fight, and the commentary team and fans and fighters on social media said the fight should've been stopped.

At least twice the ringside doctor examined Moicano's eye, but told ref Marc Goddard the fight could go on. Goddard also warned Renato to pick up the pace or he was calling the fight.

"For me, the referee did his job. Was a great job," Moicano said of Marc.

About the eye -- which looked terrible during the fight -- we asked Renato if it hurt him a day and a half later.

"No, I'm not feeling pain. It's just black, you know?"

In the late stages of the final round of the fight, Moicano somehow mounted an offensive, landing heavy shots on RDA as the fight came to a close.

Renato says because of the short notice, he wasn't fully prepared for the fight. He says he was actually on vacation, eating and drinking good,

"I flew straight to Brazil, and I was enjoying my vacation. You know, drink some beers, eat some steaks. But, the opportunity shows up, and when an opportunity like that shows up you have to give it a try, and I was ready to beat him. His game plan was better than mine."

Ja Morant should be the next hooper-turned-Hollywood actor ... so says Kenny "The Jet" Smith, who tells TMZ Sports the Grizzlies star would be perfect alongside Jack Harlow in the "White Men Can't Jump" reboot.

As we previously reported, the "Nail Tech" rapper was announced as the lead actor in the new project ... taking on Woody Harrelson's role of Billy Hoyle.

While Harlow's costar has not yet been announced, we asked Kenny who should be the modern-day Sidney Deane ... and he's got a great idea.

"They should get a current young player," Smith tells us. "They should get Ja Morant."

"They get Ja Morant to do that. No question. Hey, production credit!!"

Not only does Smith praise Morant as his pick for Sidney Deane, he also gives him credit for his success on the court this season ... and thinks he deserves to be in the race for MVP.

"He's in the conversation, but I think Joel [Embiid] is still gonna win it. But, he is right behind him. They are a contender."

Morant is balling out this season -- averaging 27.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.6 assists a game -- and if his success spills over to the silver screen with "WMCJ," Smith says he needs a shoutout.

Brittney Griner's detainment in Russia is drawing a strong reaction from the family of a U.S. Marine who's also imprisoned there ... and they're not buying what the Russians are selling.

The family of Trevor Reed, a retired Marine from Texas who's been locked up in Russia since 2019, is "highly skeptical" of the allegations surrounding Brittney, because they've seen the Russians fabricate criminal cases.

That's why Reed's family rep, Jonathan Franks, tells us the family believes the claim Brittney was traveling with hashish oil could be totally bogus ... and they're accusing the Russians of manufacturing criminal charges against other Americans, including Trevor.

As we reported, Russian officials have opened up a drug trafficking investigation after customs officials at an airport near Moscow claimed to have found vape cartridges in Brittney's carry-on.

Franks says he'd bet his car Griner was NOT in possession of cannabis, and the facts surrounding Trevor's case might explain why.

For those who don't know, Trevor was convicted in July 2020 and sentenced to 9 years in a Russian prison for allegedly endangering the life and health of Russian police officers during an altercation in Moscow.

The U.S. ambassador to Russia, John Sullivan, says the alleged crime never happened and has even described Trevor's case as "theater of the absurd."

The Reeds deny the allegations against Trevor, and recognize Brittney's situation as tragic. We're told they hope her circumstances, and Trevor's, will wake up folks to the danger of being an American in Russia.

We're told Trevor's loved ones are reaching out to Brittney's family ... offering to provide any support and insight from their dealings with Russia.

Sen. Lindsey Graham told us the State Dept. is working on securing Brittney's release ... and the Reeds say Trevor could use help too, because he might have been exposed to tuberculosis in prison.

Antonio Brown says he and Kanye West are dead serious about their efforts to buy the Denver Broncos ... telling TMZ Sports they're working hard to get a real deal done.

Brown and Ye have become best buds ever since the NFL star was booted from the Buccaneers in January -- and in their newfound bromance, Ye named Brown the president of one of his biggest ventures, Donda Sports.

And, as one of Brown's first actions in the exec role, he said back in February he wanted to purchase the Broncos.

When we got the free agent receiver out in Los Angeles just days ago, he told us the goal is still on their minds, and it's a legitimate one, explaining he and Ye are "extremely serious" about making it all happen.

"Tell Roger [Goodell] to call me," Brown said. "We're working on it ... We're working towards getting it done."

The Broncos just recently went up for sale, and many believe the price tag to ultimately land the team could be around $4 BILLION. If somehow the two are able to get that change together, a sale to Ye and Brown would also have to be approved by the rest of the owners in the league.

In the meantime, while they work on getting a deal in Denver done, Brown and Ye have more immediate goals of rockin' the Rolling Loud music festival in Miami in July.

UFC fighter Maryna Moroz has been on a roller coaster of emotions -- the Ukrainian fighter got a huge win at UFC 272, but tells TMZ Sports she's terrified for her family's safety as war rages in her home country.

"A lot of emotions because after 24 hours, I didn't sleep. I tried to answer everybody for my fans, for my family, for my friends. So back in Florida, a little bit of rest, try to stay more calm but still have emotions like crazy, but happy," Moroz says.

But, despite feeling good about the hard-earned 2nd round submission win over Mariya Agapova, Maryna's still very worried about her relatives in Ukraine.

"My family is okay but I know many of my friends, like, I know this guy died. It was so sad, but for me, it's very important to save my family right now. I don't want somebody to come touch my family. It's still nervous, still scary to me, I'm scared right now, but I try to be strong."

Even though Moroz was on the undercard, her post-fight interview with Joe Rogan got a lot of attention after Maryna talked about the emotions she dealt with leading up to fight night.

In spite of the terrible situation facing her loved ones on the ground in Ukraine, she says her family is thrilled for her success.

The combat sports world is rallying behind Cain Velasquez ... with huge names like Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Henry Cejudo, Kamaru Usman, Rey Mysterio, and more calling on the judge in the UFC legend's case to let him out of jail.

TMZ Sports has learned over 30 people -- many famous -- penned letters to Judge Shelyna Brown asking her to let Velasquez post bail, which would allow him to mount his defense from home, not a cell.

In addition to the UFC honcho and the guys above, others like Bellator boss Scott Coker, Bellator heavyweight champ Ryan Bader, UFC contender Kelvin Gastelum, UFC lightweight contender Islam Makhachev, UFC featherweight contender Yair Rodriguez, former UFC flyweight champ Brandon Moreno (and many more) sent letters to Judge Brown.

Unfortunately for Velasquez -- who was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and other charges -- it doesn't seem the letters swayed the judge.

Brown denied Cain bail, saying his alleged actions were "reckless," and the "risk is too great" to allow the future UFC Hall of Famer out of county jail.

But, it's the reason behind those so-called "reckless" actions that has motivated so many people -- from stars in the MMA world to ordinary people -- to demand Cain's release.

Velasquez is accused of attempting to kill a man named Harry Goularte ... after the 43-year-old was arrested for allegedly molesting a member of Cain's family -- possibly multiple times.

Now, barring the prosecution changing its position, Velasquez will sit in a jail cell until at least April 12, when he is scheduled to again stand before the judge.

Either Aaron Rodgers and Shailene Woodley are going through the most peaceful breakup of all time... or they're still together, going stronger than ever!!

We posted video of the back-to-back NFL MVP officiating star teammate David Bakhtiari's wedding near Santa Barbara ... but it wasn't clear if ex-fiancé/fiancé (who knows anymore) attended the wedding.

But, we now have our answer ... 'cause video from the wedding reception certainly appears to show 38-year-old Rodgers and 30-year-old Woodley chatting as people dance.

Remember, Aaron and Shailene started dating shortly after he split from Danica Patrick in 2020.

Then, Rodgers shocked many people when he announced at the NFL awards show that he was engaged to the star actress.

But, earlier this year, there were reports AR and SW broke up ... with both choosing to focus on their respective careers.

However, after they reportedly broke up, Aaron posted a sappy message about Shailene on his Instagram page.

"thanks for letting me chase after you the first couple months after we met, and finally letting me catch up to you and be a part of your life. Thanks for always having my back, for the incredible kindness you show me and everyone you meet, and for showing me what unconditional love looks like, I love you and am grateful for you."

Then, the couple was seen out in Los Angeles together ... further adding to speculation they were still together or they rekindled the romance after splitting.

The NFL has just banned Atlanta Falcons star receiver Calvin Ridley for the ENTIRE 2022 season ... after investigators say he bet on games.

The league just announced the suspension ... saying in a statement Ridley bet on NFL games in the 2021 season "during a five-day period in late November."

Ridley was away from the team on the non-football illness list at the time of the betting, the NFL said in a statement.

The league added that an investigation showed there were no signs "that any game was compromised in any way."

"There is nothing more fundamental to the NFL's success -- and to the reputation of everyone associated with our league -- than upholding the integrity of the game," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a letter to Ridley notifying him of the ban.

"This is the responsibility of every player, coach, owner, game official, and anyone else employed in the league. Your actions put the integrity of the game at risk, threatened to damage public confidence in professional football, and potentially undermined the reputations of your fellow players throughout the NFL."

Goodell continued, "For decades, gambling on NFL games has been considered among the most significant violations of league policy warranting the most substantial sanction. In your case, I acknowledge and commend you for your promptly reporting for an interview, and for admitting your actions."

The NFL noted Ridley can apply for reinstatement in February 2023.

Ridley is widely regarded as one of the best receivers in the NFL -- piling up 3,342 receiving yards in just 49 games. He missed most of last season while battling mental health issues.

NFL star Richard Sherman just cut a plea deal with prosecutors to close out his infamous trespass case ... and TMZ Sports has learned as part of the agreement, he won't have to serve any more time behind bars if he keeps his nose clean going forward.

According to court documents, Sherman pleaded guilty to one count of negligent driving and one count of criminal trespass on Monday.

In exchange, Sherman was sentenced to 90 days in jail, though he was given credit for 2 days time served, and the remaining 88 days are suspended.

Sherman was also sentenced to monitored supervision for 24 months, and he was also ordered to pay a $500 fine for speeding in a construction zone.

As we reported, Sherman had been facing multiple criminal charges after he allegedly drove drunk, crashed his car, and then exploded at his in-laws' home in Redmond, Wash. in July.

During the alleged incident, Sherman was accused of trying to violently break into his wife's parents' house ... and then fighting with cops after they confronted him outside of the home.

Cops say they eventually had to use a police K9 to ultimately take him down.

Sherman apologized for the whole ordeal shortly after the incident, saying in a statement, "I behaved in a manner I am not proud of."

"I have been dealing with some personal challenges over the last several months, but that is not an excuse for how I acted."

Sherman went on to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the arrest, though he was placed on injured reserve in January after playing in just five games.

How's this for a birthday gift? Deandre Ayton celebrated his son's first birthday by dropping 30 points ... and he did it rockin' custom Elmo kicks!

TMZ Sports has learned Ayton's team reached out to Cleveland artist Van Monroe requesting Elmo artwork for his sneakers to celebrate Deandre Jr.'s first birthday on March 6.

Monroe brought Ayton's vision to life -- delivering a dope design featuring the Sesame Street Muppet.

Aside from a painted photo of Elmo ... the Puma's also have Ayton's son's name and birthday, March 6, 2021, painted on them.

Monroe -- who tells us he was honored Deandre chose him for such a special occasion -- says it only took him 15 hours from sketch to finished product on the size 18 shoes.

Besides the birthday sneaker tribute, Ayton went off against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, dropping 30 points for the Suns -- a season-high for the 6-foot-11 center.

Despite the great performance, the Suns lost, 132-122 ... but that didn't stop Ayton from dedicating his best performance of the year to Jr.

"Happy birthday to my son," Ayton said post-game, "That game is dedicated to him."