Houston Texans

AT&T Stadium is undergoing some changes after all -- but its got nothing to do with a tarp blocking the sun -- 'cause a massive piece of roof fell ahead of the Texans-Cowboys Monday Night Football game.

It happened on Monday afternoon as the retractable domed roof was opening a couple of hours before kickoff in Arlington, TX ... so fans could enjoy the night sky for the first time in two years.

Unfortunately, while the roof was opening, a humongous piece from the roof fell ... which was then documented by several reporters who shared photos and video of the big hunk of sheet metal as it lay on the sidelines.

Thankfully, no one was injured.

Beyonce is delivering a gift to her gazillion fans during the holiday season ... the singer is set to perform during the halftime show of an NFL game on Christmas Day.

On Sunday night, Netflix and Queen Bey announced she will be the star attraction at halftime as the Houston Texans go head-to-head with the Baltimore Ravens.

A promo video shows Bey decked out in a sexy red-white-and-blue outfit, standing on the hood of a car.

Aaron Rodgers is putting to bed any rumors he was shaded by Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans following the Jets 21-17 win on Thursday night ... saying the two dapped each other up -- the cameras just missed it!

Rodgers appeared on the Pat McAfee Show Friday morning ... where good buddy A.J. Hawk asked whether there was any beef between the two men after video began circulating online seemingly showing Ryans ignoring Rodgers after the clock hit 00:00.

Some fans speculated the alleged beef was due to AR's relationship with fired Jets HC, Robert Saleh, who is friends with DeMeco.

The 39-year-old was confused at first ... clearly not aware of the controversy. Then the guys pulled up the clip.

Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets kept their season on life support with a big win over C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans ... and the MVP of the game?? Well, it wasn't a player or coach ... it was water with cayenne pepper!

Rodgers (as he's pretty accustomed to) made news this week when he revealed he'd discovered "a little fountain of youth" with the drink, saying he added it to his rehab regimen for his ruptured Achilles.

Well, after Gang Green's 21-17 win over the current AFC South leaders, Rodgers and the teammate who recommended the drink to him, punter Thomas Morstead, posed together for a picture!

Adam Schefter had football fans in a tizzy after being accused of using an illegal streaming site to watch "Thursday Night Football" ... but sure enough, it wasn't what it looked like.

The longtime ESPN talent posted a clip of Jets receiver Malachi Corley's bone-headed fumble during the second quarter of New York's matchup with the Houston Texans ... but instead of focusing on the lowlight, folks noticed a MethStreams watermark in the top left corner of the video.

Naturally, that led people to assume Schefty didn't have an Amazon Prime membership and wanted to use other means to tune in to the action ... which would be a bad look for one of the biggest insiders in the league.

Deshaun Watson's more focused on counting his money than throwing touchdowns ... so says ex-Cleveland Browns GM Michael Lombardi, who tells TMZ Sports the quarterback is "horrible" and lacks motivation after securing a massive guaranteed contract.

It's no secret -- Watson's been a shell of himself during his time in Cleveland ... with most members of the Dawg Pound begging the team to end their misery and bench the guy.

We asked Lombardi -- who served as general manager for the team from 2013 to 2014 -- what he thinks happened to Watson ... and he believes the $230 million he inked killed the version he was while a member of the Houston Texans.

A lot more than a win was on the line when Ka'imi Fairbairn nailed a 59-yard field goal to help the Houston Texans beat the Buffalo Bills on Sunday ... 'cause one die-hard fan vowed to free the nip if her team came out on top -- and she stayed true to her word!!

X user @sourpatchkidsx made the X-rated promise during the first quarter of the matchup ... when C.J. Stroud and Co. held onto a 7-3 lead.

"if texans win i’ll show t**s," the passionate backer said.

The sports world is mourning the passing of NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo ... and some basketball figures gave their reactions in real time at media day activities on Monday -- including Raptors team president Masai Ujiri, who was devastated by the news.

The longtime exec. went before reporters to passionately explain how much Mutombo meant not just to him and the sport ... but to the world.

"It's really hard to believe," he said as he held back tears. "It's hard for us to be without [Dikembe Mutombo]. You have no idea what Dikembe Mutombo meant to me. It's a tough one."

Houston Texans star wideout Tank Dell is opening up about the shooting that almost derailed his sophomore season in the NFL ... saying the incident was simply a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As we previously reported, Dell was wounded after gunfire broke out at a Florida nightclub back in April ... which was sparked by a verbal altercation between a 16-year-old and another individual at the club.

Dell was hit during the incident ... and suffered minor injuries.

NFL star Tank Dell is looking damn near 100% just three weeks after suffering injuries in a nightclub shooting ... rejoining his Houston Texans teammates and crushing it during Tuesday's practice.

No. 3 was front and center during organized team activities ... even taking passes from quarterback C.J. Stroud at one point.

There were no signs of injury or anything else holding him back ... which is a great sign, considering what he went through last month -- as well as during the 2023-24 season.

Tank Dell was wounded in a nightclub shooting in Florida Saturday night ... after the 23-year-old wide receiver was caught in the crossfire.

Thankfully, the former 3rd round draft pick (2023) only sustained minor injuries, according to his organization.

"We have been made aware that Tank Dell was a victim of a shooting in Sanford, Fla. last night. He sustained a minor wound but has been released from the hospital and he is in good spirits," the Texans said in a statement Sunday afternoon.

C.J. Stroud had a notable passenger riding shotgun with him on Thursday night -- Amber Rose -- and it's got many wonderin' ... are the two an item?!?

The superstar quarterback and the model competed in the 2024 Cactus Jack Foundation HBCU Celebrity Softball Classic at Minute Maid Park ... and shortly after it ended, they were seen walking toward the same car together.

There were no signs of PDA as they made their way through a gaggle of photogs and fans ... but they sure didn't seem awkward around each other -- sparking dating rumors all over the internet.

Our sources tell us Rose -- who's dated Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa in the past -- is not formally seeing anyone at the moment ... and Stroud is reportedly single too -- so it's all entirely possible.

The one potential hang-up, though ... Rose is 40 years old, and C.J. is just 22 -- but if you've ever seen him play in an NFL game, he's shown plenty of signs that he's mature beyond his years.

Derrick Ward is now facing some serious time behind bars after his alleged robbery spree ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned he's just been hit with FIVE felony charges in the case.

According to court records, prosecutors levied the counts against the Super Bowl champion on Wednesday -- just two days after he was arrested.

The records show all five charges against Ward were second-degree robbery.

We broke the story, the ex-New York Giants tailback was thrown in jail on Monday afternoon following allegations he used force and fear to rob establishments in the Los Angeles area, including gas stations.

Jail records show as of Thursday morning, he still has not been released from police custody.

Ward played in the NFL from 2004 to 2011 -- helping New York beat Tom Brady's undefeated Patriots in SB XLII -- and he had such a fine career, he at one point signed a $17 million contract with the Buccaneers.

The start of C.J. Stroud's NFL career has been so impressive ... even his Houston teammate, Dare Ogunbowale, says he's having a hard time believing it.

"I'm not even going to lie," the Texans running back told TMZ Sports this week. "A little bit of it definitely surprises me just 'cause I know what it takes to be an NFL player, but I really know what it takes to be a quarterback in this league. It is not easy.

"And he's making it look easy."

Through eight games of his rookie season so far, Stroud's thrown for 2,270 yards, 14 touchdowns and just one interception. In his last game, a thrilling win over Tampa Bay, he set a rookie record with 470 passing yards.

Ogunbowale tells us it's all been incredible to watch ... explaining, "It's special, man."

"Obviously you see the talent," he added, "but the poise he has, the command he has in the huddle, the confidence he has in him and this offense, it's fun to see."

Stroud will be facing a tough test this weekend -- as he'll lead the 4-4 Texans into Cincinnati to play the red-hot Bengals.

Dare says it's obviously going to be hard a matchup ... though, sadly, he told us his duties for the game will not include kicking -- as they did against the Buccaneers last weekend.

Joe Thomas has gone from playing in front of the Dawg Pound to getting bitten by them -- the Cleveland Browns legend was viciously attacked by canines in a crazy demonstration at a military base!!

The 2023 Hall of Fame inductee and fellow ex-NFL star Whitney Mercilus hit up the Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio in partnership with USAA ... where they got a full VIP meet and greet with the four-legged military sidekicks that are trained to locate explosives, narcotics, and personnel.

Thomas and Mercilus found out firsthand just how talented these doggos are ... 'cause they threw on some bite suits and agreed to run a 40-yard dash while being chased down by the animals.

Tech. Sergeant Hendrix warned Thomas and Mercilus before the demo ... "They are trained to bite and hold until we tell them to let go."

Despite the head's up, Thomas and Mercilus were ready to go against the dog with the strongest bite out of the bunch ... and let's just say they were doomed from the start.

The video is unreal -- Thomas barely made it a few strides before the dog launched into his back, clinging on for dear life before bringing the former offensive tackle to a complete stop.

"My heart rate was as high as I can remember, probably since I was playing football," Thomas said.

Both Thomas and Mercilus ended up being dragged to the ground by the military dog during the drill ... and thankfully, they made it out alive.