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David Njoku's face was badly burned in the fire pit accident, but things could've been way worse ... the Browns star says his eyes were open when the fireball burned his face, and he could've lost his eyesight.

“I give all the glory to God. When it happened my eyes were open, so I saw everything and I really should’ve been blinded,” Njoku told reporters, adding ... "Luckily I'm not, so I give all glory to God."

Of course, the 27-year-old, former first-round draft pick stamped his status as one of the toughest dudes around when he played the week 4 game against the Ravens just days after the incident, somehow wearing a helmet over the burned area.

“All the pain and suffering from training in the offseason is far worse than any of this,” Njoku said.

The Browns lost handily to Baltimore, 28-3, but David was a bright spot, catching 6 passes for 46 yards ... despite the burns.

Initially, Njoku didn't reveal the injury. In fact, he walked in and out of the locker room with a mask that covered his whole face.

Then, earlier this week, David shared a photo from shortly after the incident, in addition to a photo showing the burns healing, albeit slowly.

As for how he's feeling now ... how's this for good news?

Offset's long-awaited album "Set It Off" has finally dropped … and he celebrated with a club bash blowout featuring Cardi B as the ultimate hype woman!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained footage from inside Offset’s album release party Thursday night at Poppy in West Hollywood. Cardi got the crowd amped as she dished out tequila shots.

However, Cardi wasn't about to let fans drink on an empty stomach … passing out heaping helpings of Shake Shack for the crowd. Cardi was definitely having a good time, at one point spilling some of the drink all over herself.

R&B star Mario was also in the building, and Bronny James was spotted soaking up the album.

Cardi told fans she's a big fan of the Don Toliver-featured track “Worth It,” and we’re told that will be the album’s next single ... always good to keep wifey happy.

Outside the club, the raunchy couple turned up to their “Freaky” duet — Cardi’s second "Set It Off" album contribution in addition to the previously released “Jealousy.”

Steve Smith Sr. went all the way in on Jerry Jeudy before Thursday Night Football ... calling the Broncos wide receiver average in front of millions of people!

Smith, a retired, 5x Pro Bowler, revealed he was involved in a pregame incident with 24-year-old Jeudy ... as the receivers came face-to-face, and it didn't exactly go smoothly.

“The word that I’ve used to describe him in the past was a J.A.G. -- Just A Guy. When I saw him, he’s playing well. I wanted to say to him face-to-face, ‘Hey, I know I said some things in the past I probably shouldn’t have and 'I’m sorry.’ That’s what I wanted to say to him. His response was, Ninja, I don’t mess with you. And, it was a curse word. So I was like, ‘All right.’ And, then he repeated it,” Smith told the NFL Network audience.

That's when the gloves came off.

"I'm sorry I said you were a JAG, 'Just A Guy' who is an average wide receiver [the Broncos] used a first-round pick on that isn't doing anything. I hope today you actually show up in a way that you haven't shown up in the last couple years since they drafted you."

Steve continued ... "So if you ever got a problem with Agent 89, I'm sorry for saying that you are an average wide receiver that they will eventually move on from. When teams call me to ask if they should trade for you, I will say 'No, don't trade for Jerry Jeudy because he is mentally unable to handle constructive criticism who watch specifically if you can be a wide receiver. He's a tier three."

Remember, this was all before the game even started.

A severe beating could be in Cristiano Ronaldo's future ... and it's reportedly all because he hugged and kissed a female painter in Iran last month.

Here's the deal ... Ronaldo was in the country to play in Al-Nassr's Asian Champions League game against Persepolis on Sept. 19 -- but before the match happened, he was greeted by several fans who showered him with gifts.

One of them included painter Fatima Hamimi, who creates art with her feet due to a disability.

She handed over two ultra-realistic drawings of the 38-year-old ... and as a thank you, Ronaldo embraced her and gave her a peck on the forehead.

It all seemed quite innocuous, but according to multiple reports in Iran, Ronaldo is now in hot water over it all -- because in the country, it's reportedly considered adultery to touch another woman while in a relationship. The soccer player, of course, has been in a longtime partnership with Georgina Rodriguez.

Multiple outlets reported this week that Ronaldo's actually been sentenced to 99 lashes over it all. However, at least one report said he can escape the punishment if he shows remorse for his actions.

Ronaldo is not currently slated to return to Iran for an Al-Nassr game again ... although one could be scheduled at a later date if the team makes it to the knockout stages of the Asian Champions League tournament.

Taylor Swift has a new BFF in Brittany Mahomes while watching BF Travis Kelce's NFL games -- and there's video to prove it!!

The pop star came out to see her favorite tight end, Travis, and his Kansas City Chiefs trounce the Denver Broncos 19-8 at Arrowhead Stadium Thursday night.

It was Taylor's THIRD time showing up at one of Travis' games -- and she made the most of it with buddy Brittany -- KC quarterback Patrick Mahomes' wife -- at her side in their comfy suite.

Check out this video posted on X ... Taylor and Brittany just go wild, cracking big smiles while embracing in a huge hug after Travis caught a pass during one of the plays in the second quarter.

Of course, Taylor had her other game day BFF, Travis' mom, Donna, right there beside her, too.

Taylor even gave one of her famous friendship bracelets to Donna, who was proudly wearing it around her wrist all night.

It seems the whole trio -- Taylor, Brittany and Donna -- are thick as thieves these days. Taylor was also spotted striking up a convo with Travis' dad, Ed.

As you know, Taylor and Travis have been acting like a couple over the past few months. Taylor has been popping up at Travis' games and hanging out with him in public and private.

Right now, everyone is one big happy family!!

Do you think the Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes friendship is the real deal? Vote below.

Soccer superstar Neymar nearly got into a fight with fans after his game Thursday night ... and it's all 'cause one of them drilled him in the head with a bag of popcorn.

The wild moment happened following Brazil's 1-1 draw with Venezuela at Arena Pantanal in a 2026 World Cup qualifier.

As Neymar was leaving the pitch a bit disappointed -- Brazil and its fans had anticipated a win -- a white bag full of the salty snack came flying from the stands ... and knocked him right in the noggin.

While it, of course, didn't do any physical damage to the 31-year-old athlete ... he was livid nonetheless, and appeared to try to go after the person who hurled it at his face.

Fortunately, Neymar's teammates held him back ... and pulled him into the locker room before things could escalate any further.

Afterward, Brazil's coach, Fernando Diniz, blasted the fan for the act.

"I completely disapprove," Diniz said. "Cursing and booing is fine. Throwing a bag of popcorn doesn't do anything for anyone."

"It's disrespectful towards those who came to play and tried to do the best they could."

6:08 PM PT -- Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's mom, Donna, look thick as thieves ... because Taylor gave Donna one of her famous friendship bracelets.

Pretty ingenious way to get in tight with the family, right?!?

5:00 PM PT -- Taylor Swift is watching the game from Travis Kelce's suite ... sitting next to his mom, Donna.

It's the same suite Taylor was in the first time she watched Travis and the Chiefs play ... so we'll see if she's a good luck charm again, and it seems she's cool with Travis' mom, which is always important.

Taylor Swift is officially in the building, ready to watch Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs in person for the third time in four weeks.

Swift just walked into Arrowhead Stadium, where Travis and company are set to take on Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos. Taylor walked through security with a giant smile on her face while wearing a red Chiefs jacket.

Taylor's had a wild 24 hours ... shutting down The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles Wednesday for the premiere of her "Eras Tour" movie.

Taylor posed for pics, chatted with fans and even spent some time with Beyoncé at the premiere. She hopped on a jet out of L.A. and arrived in Kansas City just a few hours ago for the big game.

As we reported, Travis' status was previously "questionable" for the game, as he was battling an ankle injury ... but he's officially gotten the green light.

Taylor previously attended Travis' Week 3 matchup against the Chicago Bears, then followed the team to New Jersey to watch them play the Jets in Week 4. She skipped out last weekend when the team was in Minnesota.

While Taylor and Kelce have been relatively quiet on their relationship status, we've heard from sources the two had been hanging out for months before she attended his first game.

We should note ... the Chiefs haven't lost since Taylor was first in attendance, so we'll see how this one plays out.

Rob Gronkowski could be back on a gridiron as soon as 2028 ... telling TMZ Sports he'd unretire from football if it meant he could play the flag version of it for Team USA in the Olympics.

The New England Patriots legend didn't mince words when talking about the sport and its potential inclusion in the '28 Games ... saying point-blank Thursday, "Count me in already!"

"Hopefully there's no tryouts and they just accept me," said the former tight end, who walked away from the NFL for good in 2022. "But I'm in. I'm going for that if there is flag football in the Olympics in 2028. USA going all the way!"

Gronk would be 39 years old when the Olympics officially kick off in Los Angeles ... but he says he's been taking care of his body so well in retirement, he's now back to 100 percent -- and he seems to anticipate things staying that way if and when it comes time to put the flags on.

In fact, he says if the NFL created a league of its own prior to any sort of Olympic action, he'd be down to lace up his cleats ASAP for it.

"I can tell you this." he said, "If there was a flag football league -- an NFL flag football league -- I would be playing in that currently as we speak."

Of course, the sport has not yet officially been added to the Games -- the International Olympic Committee is expected to vote on it and a few others in the coming days.

Although if it does get officially added, Gronk could have some serious firepower running alongside him in four years ... as Tyreek Hill said earlier this week he'd be all-in for it as well.

In the meantime, when Gronk isn't busy staying in shape ... he's dealing with his multitude of business ventures -- including his latest one, Voomerang.

Taylor Swift's helping out Erin Andrews while supporting Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs ... wearing a jacket from the sportscaster's clothing line to the NFL game.

Sources close to Erin tell TMZ … the NFL broadcaster sent Taylor some items from her WEAR by Erin Andrews clothing line in the hopes Taylor would wear something in the future, and Taylor came through.

We're told Taylor's windbreaker jacket retails for $112 ... and as you can see, it's got the KC Chiefs logos and patches all over the place ... so Taylor fits right in at Arrowhead Stadium.

Taylor's at her third Chiefs game in the last four weeks ... and she's once again cheering on Travis from his suite ... and hanging out with his mom, Donna.

The Thursday Night Football game is part of a whirlwind 24 hours for Taylor ... last night she was in Los Angeles for the premiere of her 'Eras Tour' concert movie, which shut down the world-famous outdoor shopping mall, The Grove.

While Erin's not besties with Taylor or Travis, she does have a connection to the couple ... back in August, Erin played matchmaker on her podcast and suggested the two hook up.

Dillon Brooks will Dillon Brooks!

The Houston Rockets' newest offseason addition is already seeing to it that his paycheck is a little bit lighter ... the NBA fined the guard/forward $25k for hitting Pacers' player Daniel Theis where the sun don't shine.

The league announced their punishment on Thursday, two days after Brooks took a cheap shot in the first few minutes of the Rockets' 122-103 win over the Pacers in a preseason game on Oct. 10.

The whole thing was caught on the live broadcast ... Brooks, who was guarding Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin, threw his left arm at Theis, who was setting a screen.

Brooks connected, and Theis was clearly in pain as he hunched over before kneeling down on the court.

Brooks received a flagrant foul and was ejected ... and now he's gonna pay, literally.

"Houston Rockets guard-forward Dillon Brooks has been fined $25,000 for recklessly making contact with Indiana Pacers center Daniel Theis in the groin area," NBA Executive VP and Head of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars said.

It's obviously not a great start Brooks, who signed a 4-year, $80 million contract with the Rockets after a troublesome '22-'23 season with the Grizzlies.

New Rockets' head coach Ime Udoka spoke about the incident, telling the Houston Chronicle he actually loves the overall "aggressiveness and physicality" from Brooks, but added "reputations carry in the NBA, and people will look for certain things."

"You got to monitor that better."

Post Malone has found a way to combine two things he holds near and dear -- the Dallas Cowboys and chicken fingers -- while also giving some of his fans the surprise of a lifetime.

Posty made a surprise visit at the grand opening of the Post Malone-and-Cowboys-themed location of Raising Cane's in Dallas Thursday. The rocker sported a custom Dallas jersey while posing for pics with fans, and of course, eating some of those tasty chicken fingers.

The location, which just opened today, comes complete with the blue and white Cowboys color scheme -- and a giant Cowboys star as you enter the Drive-Thru that stands 32 feet tall.

Post played a big role in getting the location together, and there are even some silhouettes of his most famous stage poses around the restaurant's exterior.

Russell Westbrook nearly brought a fan to tears this week after the Clippers preseason win over the Jazz ... but it's not what you think!

The 34-year-old NBA star spotted what appeared to be a teen fan -- already wearing a blue Clips Westbrook jersey -- sitting a few rows above the court at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Tuesday night.

And Russ, knowing the only thing better than one jersey, is two ... blessed the young man with the authentic, game-worn threads!

“I don’t take any people that support me for granted,” Russ told the media after the game.

The 8x All-Star went on to say ... “I just felt like he should have another jersey, so I gave him mine," Westbrook said, smiling.

It's cool to see Russ interact with his supporters ... especially as hard as some fans have been on him the last few years.

College football player Ronnie Caldwell -- a junior safety at Northwestern State University -- was shot and killed on Thursday morning in Louisiana, police said.

He was just 21 years old.

According to the Natchitoches Police Department, the tragic incident happened near NSU's campus -- which is about three hours away from New Orleans -- at around 1:08 a.m.

Police say they were dispatched to a street near the university after 911 callers reported gunshots in the area. When officers arrived, they say they found Caldwell suffering from gunshot wounds ... and he was later pronounced deceased.

Cops say an investigation into the shooting is still ongoing.

The Northwestern State football team, meanwhile, canceled its Saturday game against Nicholls State after learning of the heartbreaking news.

"Ronnie Caldwell was a young man who had a bright future ahead of him on or off the football field," Demons head coach Brad Laird said on Thursday. "He was our voice in the locker room."

"Our hearts are broken and ache for Ronnie's family and friends. His loss will be felt here at Northwestern State, in Natchitoches and in his home."

Caldwell -- who transferred from Tyler Junior College after the 2021 season -- appeared in 11 games last season and finished seventh on the team in tackles. He did not play yet this season due to an injury he suffered in the preseason.

The Texas native was also a business administration major who helped coach a local youth baseball team over the summer.

A Dolphins fan who got into an embarrassing mixup with Tyreek Hill's mom at a game over the weekend was just rewarded for his troubles with a bunch of gifts ... courtesy of the Miami star himself!!

Hill's mom initially had big beef with the man on Sunday during the Dolphins' blowout win over the Giants at Hard Rock Stadium ... when her son tried to give her a ball after scoring a touchdown.

As the wideout passed it into the stands, a man just in front of Momma Hill intercepted it ... before he appeared to begrudgingly hand it over to her.

Initially, it seemed the guy was just being a jerk ... but Hill later learned the man had no idea his mom was the intended target for the ball -- so he found him and showered him with presents this week.

In a video Hill posted to his social media pages Thursday, you can see Tyreek surprise the guy at a restaurant with a ball of his own ... and more.

The fan was floored by Hill's generous act -- and quickly gave the football player a big hug.

If you're tuning into the Chiefs game tonight for Taylor Swift, you might come away a bit disappointed ... 'cause Al Michaels says he's planning to keep the coverage of the pop star to a minimum.

The man who will be broadcasting the Kansas City vs. Denver game at Arrowhead Stadium revealed the plans during a chat with Sports Illustrated's Jimmy Traina earlier Thursday morning.

He said while he and his Amazon Prime Video team clearly want to show that Swift is in attendance watching Travis Kelce and his Kansas City squad play for the third time in the last four weeks ... he vowed to not "make a sideshow the show."

"What we’re gonna do tonight, everything in moderation," the 78-year-old play-by-play man said. "The vast majority of the audience are tuning in to watch a football game. There are people, I don’t know how many, it could be a sizable number, but it’s certainly not a majority, that if you trained the camera on her all night long, they’d be satisfied with that."

"This is not what we’re going to do."

Michaels' words will likely be music to a large portion of NFL fans' ears ... as there was a ton of backlash from football supporters following NBC's coverage of Swift's attendance at the Chiefs vs. Jets game last month.

In fact, it actually led to Kelce himself bashing the NFL for "overdoing it" all.

Michaels, though, did at least leave the door somewhat open for lengthy camera time for Swift ... saying, "If Kelce scores six touchdowns, who the hell knows what we’re going to do."

1:09 PM PT -- Logan Paul was, indeed, bloodied during Thursday's skirmish with Dillon Danis ... with a new angle of the scrap showing blood pouring out of the WWE Superstar's eye area almost immediately after he was hit by the microphone.

But, he says despite the wound, Saturday's fight will go on as planned.

"Dillon can’t escape me," Paul said on X. "The fight is very much happening, the stakes just got higher."

Paul also shared a selfie on his Instagram page just minutes ago ... showing that while the side of his face seems to be somewhat swollen, he's in good spirits.

"Can't see the haterz," he captioned the pic.

10:23 AM PT -- Dillon Danis just posted a photo of blood spatter on the ground near Thursday's altercation ... insinuating he made Logan Paul bleed with the microphone throw.

"Play with fire get burnt p****," Danis captioned the photo.

Dillon Danis and Logan Paul just got into a wild altercation at their prefight press conference Thursday ... one in which Danis actually hurled a microphone full speed at Paul's face.

The fracas happened just minutes ago as the two were on a stage trying to promote their Saturday boxing match ... when Paul chucked a bottle at his bitter rival as they were set to walk toward each other for a ceremonial staredown.

In response to being hit in the gut by the object ... Danis went nuclear -- and hurled a heavy microphone directly at his opponent.

It appeared to catch the WWE superstar in the face -- and then everyone jumped in to try to separate the two.

Several people were seen throwing more objects as Paul and Danis were whisked off stage ... though it's unclear if anyone -- including Paul or Danis -- was hurt in the melee.

The tilt was hardly the only notable moment from the contentious presser -- as just minutes before chaos erupted, Paul brought out Chris Hansen to mock Danis ... someone whom he's repeatedly called a "predator" over the last few weeks.

Danis and Paul are slated to box each other in just about 48 hours ... that is, of course, assuming no one sustained any fight-altering ailments during the onstage battle.