TMZ Sports - Page 50

Russell Wilson is defending his soon-to-be former squad after he revealed he tore his hamstring before their Week 2 game against the Cowboys, saying there's a great reason the team never listed him on the injury report -- he never told 'em!

The news broke after Wilson, meeting with reporters after the Giants' season ended, divulged he suffered an "undisclosed Grade 2 hamstring tear," which ProFootball Talk said would lead to an "inevitable NFL investigation" ... as the QB never received an injury designation.

Russell tried to do some damage control for New York, saying he didn't want "to tell anyone bc of the circumstances."

Terry Kennedy is officially a free man ... the famed skateboarder is out on parole just over three years after he was convicted of assaulting a fellow skater -- an incident that led to the man's death.

TMZ Sports broke the story last month ... the Illinois Department of Corrections told us Kennedy -- known by fans as "Compton-Ass Terry" -- was eligible for parole and set to be released on New Year's Eve.

True to the plan, Kennedy, according to inmate records, was released from custody on December 31.

9:39 AM PT -- Cardi B has deleted her post ... although it's unclear why she decided to scrub it from her account.

Cardi B's proving she's a ride or die for her man -- vehemently defending Stefon Diggs as he faces serious charges ... saying his former personal chef never previously accused the star WR of getting physical.

The support came amid a tense social media exchange on Monday ... when one user pointed out Diggs' charges stemming from allegations made by his ex-employee, who claimed he choked and slapped her over a salary dispute in early December.

Cardi was having none of it ... clapping back and making it clear she won't tolerate any negative talk directed at Diggs -- 'cause she claims she has all the proof she needs to believe the chef is lying through her teeth.

The Pittsburgh Steelers needed a win to make the NFL playoffs, and their supporters pulled out all the stops to make that happen ... with a Priest literally blessing the field with Holy Water before the SNF game!!!!!

What ultimately happened will surely test even the most staunch of atheists ... 'cause the Ravens missed a 44-yard field goal in the closing moments of the game, in the end zone that was blessed!

The Holy Water blessing took place before the Ravens-Steelers game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, where Father Maximilian Maxwell was seen issuing the blessings.

If you're unfamiliar, Holy Water's meant to protect against evil and spiritually cleanse and bless people, places, and objects.

And, it worked!

Alix Earle's dad seems to approve of Tom Brady -- well, at least of his wardrobe choices ... 'cause TJ name-dropped the GOAT as one of his style inspirations after his influencer daughter was spotted getting cozy with the quarterback in St. Barths.

Ashley Earle posted the vid over the weekend, which initially started with her hubby criticizing her oversized blazer ensemble. Turns out the jacket she was rocking belonged to him … and he stole the look from TB12.

"I actually got that jacket because I saw Tom Brady wearing one like that," he said.

Tyler Loop might want to take some time away from the screen after his season-ending missed field goal ... as the trolls targeted the Baltimore Ravens kicker's Instagram account with hate following Sunday's devastating loss.

The jabs were shared under Loop's pinned post ... which announced his engagement to Julia Otto in March 2025.

Comments are now limited on the post ... but not before some fans were able to get to their words in right after Loop's 44-yard attempt went wide right to give the Pittsburgh Steelers the 26-24 win and a spot in the playoffs.

NFL Black Monday is here ... and the coaches are dropping like flies.

The Cleveland Browns are cleaning house on their sidelines once again ... electing to fire two-time NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski after finishing 5-12 in 2025.

The Orange and Brown made the news official minutes ago ... saying Andrew Berry will keep his job as general manager, and the team will lean on him to find the next head coach.

A wrestling match between a top-15 UFC heavyweight and a man with no legs? It might sound like a crazy concept ... but it's gonna be reality when Zion Clark looks to take down Valter Walker next month in Miami ... and Clark tells TMZ Sports he's gonna choke Walker out "like a boss!"

We chopped it up with Clark -- who was born without legs -- and, he is confident as ever heading into his showdown with Walker, the brother of UFC light heavyweight Johnny Walker.

Despite the clear advantage for Walker ... Clark is making it clear he's not one to be taken lightly.

All eyes were on Stefon Diggs today, as he took the field for the first time since his personal chef claimed he choked and slapped her over a salary dispute.

While the Patriots already clinched a playoff berth and their division going into Sunday, they still have something to play for. A win against the Dolphins could secure them the number one seed in the AFC, which is still up for grabs.

As we reported ... the bombshell allegations against Stefon were laid out in an incident report which was released last week.

According to the narrative, the female employee first went to police on Dec. 16 and stated she was working as a private chef on Dec. 2 when Diggs entered her unlocked bedroom to discuss an ongoing text exchange between the two over money she believed she was owed.

Christian Barmore -- star defensive tackle for the New England Patriots -- got to play in Sunday's game against the Dolphins, despite the domestic assault charges that were brought against him by a household member.

As we reported ... a woman told cops Barmore threw her to the floor and "grabbed her by the shirt in the area of her neck" after a disagreement over the temperature of the room and food Barmore claimed belonged to him. The incident allegedly took place August 8 and the charges were filed December 16.

The Patriots put out a statement shortly after the news broke ... saying they were made aware at the time of the incident -- "and informed the NFL in a timely manner."

Not only are the Ravens fighting to keep their season alive on Sunday, Super Bowl champ Jamal Lewis tells TMZ Sports the pressure is on John Harbaugh -- who could be coaching for his career.

We chopped it up with Lewis ahead of the last game on the NFL slate for the 2025-26 campaign ... and he says while the stakes might be high for Harbaugh, that's when he flourishes.

"Coaches make different decisions when their back is against the wall," Lewis said. "He's a great coach. He's done a great, great, great deal in Baltimore. He has a great legacy in Baltimore and he's done it, you know, he's got it done."

Lewis went on to say every good coach faces seasons with different hurdles ... it's all about how they respond to that adversity.

Kayla Vesia is finally returning to social media after a long hiatus following the death of her daughter ... though she's not ready to publicly dive into the loss yet.

The wife of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia starts off her video by thanking everyone for their well-wishes ... and telling her followers she and her MLB star husband are taking it one day at a time in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Kayla says she wants to share her journey in the future ... but, she's not ready just yet -- adding she's still emotional and doesn't want to cry while trying to help others cope with similiar grief.

Shaquil Barrett -- who had a whopping 19.5 sacks in the 2019 season -- believes Myles Garrett will be the new sack king after Sunday's game against the Bengals ... telling TMZ Sports there's no way his accomplishment should come with an asterisk!!

We spoke with Shaq about Garrett's quest to surpass Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt's shared NFL single-season record at 22.5 sacks ... and considering those guys reached their accomplishments in a lesser amount (Strahan needed 16, Watt just 15), we asked how he feels the Cleveland Browns superstar's numbers should be received, considering he'll have required more chances at 17.

Garrett is currently sitting right behind the No. 1 spot ... and needs 0.5 to tie.

Barrett said it doesn't matter -- the schedule isn't Garrett's fault -- and the game gets harder as time goes on.

Lenny Dykstra -- a longtime major leaguer best remembered as a member of the 1986 New York Mets -- may be facing drug charges.

According to a police report obtained by TMZ, Pennsylvania State Police pulled over a car in which Dykstra was a passenger on New Year's Day after they say they saw the driver commit a motor vehicle code violation.

During the traffic stop, officers claim they found Dykstra had "narcotics and narcotic related equipment/paraphernalia." Officers list Dykstra as the "arrestee" on the documents, however his high-powered attorney Matthew Blit says that's not the case.

A parachutist at the Armed Forces Bowl ended up with an unexpected touchdown prior to the game ... or, perhaps "crash-down" is a more apt term -- since he went down hard after catching on the field goal net.

The wild moment went down before the college football game in Fort Worth, Texas Friday ... when a few parachutists leapt from planes during the flyover to land on the field -- all pretty standard fare for big-time matchups like this one.

While four of the jumpers landed safe and sound, one got a little too close to the net behind the goal post which keeps balls from landing in the crowd ... stopping his momentum and sending him plummeting to the earth.

Stefon Diggs and Christian Barmore are facing the media after they were both charged with assault earlier this week ... but they're not open to talking about their cases.

The New England Patriots stars fielded questions from the media in the locker room Friday ... with Diggs chatting with the gaggle of reporters first and apologizing for not being available to them earlier this week as per usual.

The star wide receiver calls it a "very emotional time" ... and adds that, because it's an open case, he can't discuss anything about it, but he doesn't want to be disrespectful.