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Eric Dickerson has direct message for Aaron Donald amid comeback rumors: ‘Nothing to prove’

Aaron Donald’s possible return to the Rams has become one of the NFL’s favorite offseason daydreams.

Between the blockbuster addition of Myles Garrett, a Super Bowl set to be played in Los Angeles, and repeated hints from Donald himself that he’s at least thinking about it, the comeback speculation has only intensified.

But one Rams legend isn’t buying into the fantasy.

Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson delivered a simple message this week when asked what Aaron Donald should do next: stay retired.

Speaking with TMZ Sports at LAX, Dickerson admitted he’d love to see the future Hall of Fame defensive tackle put on the No. 99 jersey one more time. Like most Rams fans, the thought of Donald lining up next to Garrett is difficult to ignore.

Still, Dickerson believes the best move is walking away while nothing is left to prove.

“I’d love to have Aaron back but I think they can win without him,” Dickerson said. “Would I love to have him? Hell yeah.”

The reasoning is straightforward.

Donald retired following the 2023 season as one of the most decorated defensive players in NFL history. He won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, earned eight First-Team All-Pro selections, made the Pro Bowl in every season of his career and capped it all with a Super Bowl championship.

Few players have ever left the game with a resume that complete.

“Stay retired. Enjoy retirement, man,” Dickerson said. “What does he have to prove? He’s got nothing to prove.”

That stance puts Dickerson in a surprisingly small group.

Earlier this week, ESPN insider Adam Schefter said a Donald comeback now feels “more likely than not,” citing growing belief around the league that the Rams’ acquisition of Garrett could be enough to lure him back.

Donald added fuel to the speculation himself after telling Pat McAfee the trade “for sure got me thinking.”

Even former teammate Cooper Kupp jokingly admitted he texted Donald to tell him not to come back.

“I don’t care how old he is,” Kupp said. “Aaron Donald is Aaron Donald.”

That’s exactly what makes this conversation so difficult.

Donald was still playing at an elite level when he retired. If he returned, he would immediately join a defense featuring Garrett, Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson on a team many already view as a Super Bowl contender.

The temptation is obvious.

Dickerson just believes some endings are already perfect.

And Aaron Donald’s might be one of them.

Jets lock down Joe Tippmann on $66M four-year contract extension

By re-signing Joe Tippmann, the Jets completed the edges and corners of their puzzle for at least the next two years.

All that’s missing now is the huge piece in the middle to connect it all together.

Tippmann, who began his career as a center and moved to right guard last season, agreed to a four-year, $66.4 million extension that includes $31 million in new guaranteed money, a source told The Post’s Brian Costello.

The contract is a tack-on to the one year remaining on Tippmann’s rookie contract, meaning he is under team control through his age-29 season in 2030.

Tippman, 25, becomes the NFL’s 15th-highest-paid guard on annual average, according to Spotrac. He is one spot ahead of the Browns’ Zion Johnson, who was the highest-paid guard to change teams during free agency this offseason.

All of Tippmann’s guaranteed money is frontloaded into the first two years of the contract, a source said.

The Jets now have 10/11 of their starting offense under contract through 2027, including the entire offensive line with three homegrown draft picks, running back and any combination of four pass-catchers from their top five receivers and tight ends.

Of course, the missing piece is quarterback, where 35-year-old journeyman Geno Smith will start this season. Rookie fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik is vying to be Smith’s backup as the developmental flavor of the year.

But the Jets’ grand plan figures to be drafting a franchise quarterback in 2027 and adding him to an in-its-prime nucleus that should make for a smoother transition and quicker success. If the development of others continues, it should be the kind of supporting cast that was missing when Sam Darnold and Zach Wilson were drafted in 2018 and 2021, respectively.

It’s a strong deal for Tippmann, who elected not to play out his walk year and test the 2027 free-agent market despite a clean health record (50 of 51 career games played, including 48 starts). He has become a well-respected locker-room voice during difficult times since he was a second-round pick in 2023.

The Wisconsin product’s versatility allowed the Jets to avoid scrambling last season when projected starter Alijah Vera-Tucker suffered a season-ending injury by moving Tippman to guard and sliding in Josh Myers at center. Vera-Tucker left for the Patriots in March, and the Jets retained Myers on a two-year, $11 million contract.

General manager Darren Mougey has made it a focus to re-sign homegrown players. The list includes the since-traded Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Jeremy Ruckert and most recently Breece Hall, who was franchise tagged before inking a three-year, $42.5 million extension.

Panthers give wideout Jalen Coker a three-year, $35 million extension

One of the key pieces of the Panthers’ offense has been extended for three years.

Wide receiver Jalen Coker and Carolina agreed to a three-year, $35 million extension on Thursday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Coker’s deal could go as high as $41 million with incentives and keeps him in Carolina through at least 2029.

The 24-year-old was an exclusive rights free agent this year and was going to be a restricted free agent the following year.

He was the No. 2 receiver on the Panthers’ roster in 2025 and made 33 catches for 394 yards and three touchdowns.

Coker even had one of his biggest performances of the season during Carolina’s first-round playoff loss to the Rams, when he made nine catches for 134 yards and a touchdown.

Coker has played two seasons with the Panthers after he signed as an undrafted free agent in 2024. He has appeared in a total of 22 games.

Over his short NFL career, he’s recorded 65 receptions for 872 yards and five touchdowns.

“I’m just excited to play for this team, that’s all it is,” Coker had previously said about being in Carolina, according to ESPN. “All that other stuff, it is what it is. I’m just excited to be here.”

Prior to reaching the NFL, Coker had played four years at Holy Cross, making 163 catches for 2,684 yards and a school-record 31 touchdowns.

Ex-Jets receiver Terrelle Pryor arrested for drug possession

Former Jets receiver Terrelle Pryor reportedly was arrested last month and is facing drug charges in Pennsylvania.

Pryor, 36, was a back-seat passenger in a black Mercedes with tinted windows that police pulled over for speeding on May 24, according to WPXI, citing a criminal complaint. He was charged with drug possession.

The former Ohio State star was discovered lying in the backseat in an “odd” manner and breathing heavily, police said.

Police spotted a rifle on the floor of the car. While attempting to show the concealed carry permit in his wallet, Pryor allegedly revealed a bag containing a white powdery substance thought to be M**A, according to the report.

The third-round pick in the 2011 NFL Supplemental Draft withdrew from Ohio State rather than serve a suspension stemming from selling memorabilia and trading autographs for tattoos in a time before college athletes were entitled to NIL deals.

Pryor spent three seasons with the Raiders and bounced around as a backup quarterback until he was converted to receiver by the Browns in 2016.

He instantly delivered a 1,000-yard season, but the success wasn’t sustainable.

Pryor last played in the NFL in 2018, splitting time between the Jets (six games) and Bills (two).

Since then, Pryor reportedly has had multiple run-ins with the law.

Pryor was stabbed and arrested following a domestic incident in 2019.

Two years later, he was charged with simple assault, harassment and damaging property.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce enjoy Broadway date night as wedding watch intensifies

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce enjoyed a Broadway date night weeks before their highly anticipated nuptials.

The couple — whom Page Six exclusively reported is set to wed at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on July 3 — attended a Saturday showing of “Oh, Mary!” at the Lyceum Theatre.

After the show, the pop superstar and the football player, both 36, went backstage to share a moment with the cast, including Maya Rudolph, who portrays Mary Todd Lincoln — Abraham Lincoln’s wife — in the play.

With the cast still in costume, the group posed for several pictures together — and no one looked more excited than Swift.

The bride-to-be wore a Polo Ralph Lauren sleeveless velvet dress in burgundy, which she accessorized with Aquazzura gold strappy heels, a Chloé bracelet bag and layers of gold necklaces.

The “Opalite” singer-songwriter cheekily added a double dose of antique opal jewelry by way of a bracelet and ring.

She wore her hair in a loose updo as blunt bangs framed her face, and she completed her look with a winged eye and berry-colored lip.

Kelce, for his part, opted for a Valentino Garavani black linen bowling shirt with large red flowers printed all over, paired with black pants. He also sported an Elwood red-striped hat.

The pair held hands as they made their way to dinner and were later snapped leaving West Village steakhouse The Eighty Six.

Swift has had a busy week in the Big Apple.

After making a surprise appearance at Tuesday’s “Toy Story 5” premiere in Los Angeles, the musician jetted across the country to watch the New York Knicks make the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history during Wednesday’s Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs at MSG.

(Game 5 is currently underway at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.)

Kelce was unable to join Swift for both the movie screening and basketball game because he was at a mandatory three-day training camp in Kansas City, Missouri.

But the minicamp wrapped just in time for the Chiefs tight end to make it to the New York Marriott Marquis hotel to watch his soon-to-be wife be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

As for their forthcoming wedding, a source recently told Page Six that “privacy” is the duo’s primary concern.

In fact, Swift reportedly called her and Kelce’s guests to personally invite them in order to keep details under wraps and avoid any more potential leaks.

Those lucky individuals were then reportedly required to sign an ironclad non-disclosure agreement just to receive details about the big day.

The Grammy winner and the NFL star got engaged in August 2025 after two years of dating.

Aldon Smith admitted he ‘had better days’ in tragic final interview before death

Aldon Smith’s appearance on celebrity barber Tee Maultsby’s YouTube channel days before his tragic death Saturday is taking on new significance, as the former 49ers star took on a reflective tone and stated he’s “had better days.”

Smith, 36, was found slumped over in a friend’s car on Saturday, and was pronounced dead at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose an hour later.

Earlier this month, the former NFL defender had been on “Laced Up,” an interview series where Maultsby interviews guests while giving them a haircut, and seemed to indicate that he was dealing with something, but didn’t go into much detail.

“I’ve definitely had better days,” he said at the start of the show. “It’s along the lines of something I think I’ve been dealing with my whole life, and I’m just struggling with accepting how it’s playing out right now. That sounds like a bunch of gibberish.”

Smith did try to stear the conversation in a more positive direction, telling Maultsby that he’s “grateful” and “in a place of gratitude.”

“It’s been a tough week. It’s been rewarding, and it’s starting to pay. Things are starting to happen,” he said.

Smith’s promising NFL career had been derailed by issues off the field, which included substance abuse issues and multiple arrests.

He played six seasons in the NFL and was suspended for multiple seasons for various reasons.

Smith was released by San Francisco after the 2014 season following several DUI arrests. He was also banned for nine games that season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

He played nine games for the Raiders in 2015 and then, following several suspensions, returned to the field in 2020, starting all 16 games for the Cowboys.

Smith had 33.5 sacks during his first two seasons in the NFL.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Smith had been delivering pizzas to a homeless charity with a friend prior to his passing.

Tom Brady reunites with ex Bridget Moynahan as son Jack, 18, graduates high school

Nineteen years after Tom Brady and Bridget Moynahan called it quits, the exes reunited at their son Jack Brady’s high school graduation.

The athlete posted a series of pictures from the 18-year-old’s ceremony on Saturday, including a shot of himself and the “Blue Bloods” actress posing on either side of Jack.

“One of the proudest days of my life, watching Jack walk across the stage, and graduate into the next chapter of what’s already an impressive life. You are an amazing son, brother, grandson, nephew, and friend amongst many other things,” Tom, 48, gushed in the caption.

The football star added that what makes him “the happiest,” is how Jack shows up when no one is watching.

“The love you give our family, and the fact that you still let me win in 1v1 every once in a while,” Tom said about some of the things he loves most about his son.

“Whatever you chase next we know you’ll find success in,” he continued. “Be kind. Be yourself. And know your family and friends are always right behind you cheering the loudest because you do the same for everybody else! We love you.”

Other images in the carousel include Tom smiling for the camera alongside Jack and his two younger children: Benjamin, 16, and Vivian, 13, whom the former Patriots star shares with ex-wife Gisele Bündchen, 45.

Tom and Moynahan, 55, first debuted their romance in in 2004, before breaking up in 2006.

“[They] amicably ended their three-year relationship several weeks ago,” a rep for the model confirmed in December of that year. “We ask for your respect and consideration of their privacy. No further comments will be made.”

In February 2007, the New York Post broke the news that Moynahan was pregnant.

At that point, Tom had already moved on with Bündchen, whom he went on to tie the knot with in 2009.

In 2023, while chatting with Vanity Fair, the supermodel said Moynahan’s pregnancy was a “challenge” in her relationship with Brady but eventually “awakened [her] … desire of being a mom.”

For her part, Moynahan married businessman Andrew Frankel in 2015.

In 2019, the “Las Vegas” alum gushed about her and Tom’s ability to co-parent.

“We both found partners that not only supported us in raising that child, but also loved our child as if he was their own,” she told People at the time. “I don’t think you can ask for more than that. My son is surrounded by love and grandparents that go on forever, and it’s all good.”

However, by 2022, Tom and Bündchen had called it quits.

The former Victoria’s Secret angel has since moved on with Joaquim Valente.

Bündchen and the jiu-jitsu trainer — who first got together in 2022 — welcomed a baby boy in February 2025.

The couple secretly tied the knot in December.

Tom has since been linked to Kim Kardashian and Irina Shayk in 2023, Brooks Nader in 2024, Sofía Vergara and Alix Earle in 2025 and Scooter Braun’s ex-wife, Yael Cohen, in March.

Henry Ruggs III denied parole almost five years after deadly crash

Former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III has been denied parole almost five years after killing a woman in a car crash, the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners ruled Thursday.

The former first-round pick was driving 156 mph in Las Vegas before slamming into a vehicle, killing driver Tina Tintor and her dog on Nov. 2, 2021.

Tintor was 23.

At the time of the crash, prosecutors said his blood-alcohol level was 0.16 percent, twice the legal limit. Ruggs was at TopGolf before the accident.

A $450 receipt from the sports entertainment venue that showed 20 drinks split among three or four friends was part of the evidence used in the case.

The wide receiver pleaded guilty in May 2023 to felony DUI causing death and misdemeanor manslaughter.

He was given a three-to-10-year sentence.

“Every single day my son is also deeply affected by this tragedy,” Ruggs’ father said at the parole hearing in May. “He has shown genuine remorse and sorrow for what happened, and he understands that a life was lost, something that can never be undone.”

Ruggs, 27, will face the parole board again in three months, before his mandatory parole release date of Aug. 24, 2027, according to Kathi Baker, the executive director of the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners.

He is being housed at Northern Nevada Correctional Center, a medium-security prison in Carson City.

Prior to his arrest, Ruggs played two seasons — 20 games — with the Raiders.

He had 921 yards and four touchdowns on 50 receptions.

Aldon Smith, All-Pro 49ers linebacker, dead at 36

Aldon Smith, an All-Pro linebacker who played six seasons in the NFL, died Saturday, the 49ers announced.

He was 36.

No cause of death was provided.

“We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith,” the 49ers said in a statement. “Aldon’s undeniable talent and sheer dominance on the field were on display from the moment he joined our organization, having recorded one of the best rookie seasons the National Football League has seen. Beyond his excellence as a player, Aldon will be remembered for his infectious smile that lit up every room he walked into. Our entire organization sends its deepest condolences to the Smith family and all who knew and loved Aldon.”

Smith, the No. 7 overall draft pick out of Missouri, was one of the top defenders in the NFL, finishing second in the Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2011 and becoming an All-Pro a year later.

In his first two seasons, he recorded 33.5 sacks and 103 tackles to become one of the most feared edge rushers in the NFL as he helped the 49ers reach Super Bowl 2013.

He was, however, suspended multiple times for off-field issues and arrests, first getting banned for nine games in 2014 for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Before the 2015 season, he was released by San Francisco after multiple DUI arrests.

In 2024, Smith told NBC Sports Bay Area that he was “good at playing football, but I wasn’t a good football player.”

“Being a football player is, in my opinion, a responsibility and something that you need some discipline and direction and help and guidance,” he said. “There’s a lot that goes into it. … There were things off the field that I needed to work on, just being a young man and wandering in my way about life.”

He joined the Raiders in 2015, but he was suspended for four straight seasons from 2016 to 2019.

Smith made a return in 2020, playing 16 games for the Cowboys. He signed with the Seahawks on a one-year contract for the 2021 campaign but was released before the season started after an arrest on a battery charge.

Tom Brady reunites with Bridget Moynahan for son’s graduation before World Cup appearance

Tom Brady was all over the greater New York area on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, the seven-time Super Bowl winner turned Fox NFL analyst attended the high school graduation of his son Jack, whom he shares with his ex-girlfriend, actress Bridget Moynahan, from Riverside Country School in The Bronx.

The three reunited for the celebratory event and Brady shared a photo of them in an Instagram post for his eldest son.

“One of the proudest days of my life, watching Jack walk across the stage, and graduate into the next chapter of what’s already an impressive life,” Brady wrote. “You are an amazing son, brother, grandson, nephew, and friend amongst many other things.

“What makes me happiest is knowing who you are when no one is watching. The way you show up for your friends. The way you check on people having a hard day. The love you give our family, and the fact that you still let me win in 1v1 every once in a while.

“This isn’t an ending. It’s a starting line. Whatever you chase next we know you’ll find success in. Take the risks. Be kind. Be yourself. And know your family and friends are always right behind you cheering the loudest because you do the same for everybody else! We love you ❤️❤️❤️”

The 48-year-old also posted a photo with Jack on his Instagram story, writing “On my tiptoes” with several laughing crying emojis.

Brady’s other two children — Benjamin and Vivian — also attended the graduation ceremony. He shares his youngest son and only daughter with ex-wife Gisele Bündchen. The couple divorced in October 2022.

The eventful day didn’t stop there for Brady.

He was later spotted at MetLife Stadium for the World Cup match between Brazil and Morocco.

Brady was among a crowd of other stars, including Travis Scott and Neymar, the latter of which he greeted and gave a thumbs up to.

Alongside Vivian, Brady was also shown on the broadcast and even performed a seemingly signature handshake with his daughter on camera during the first half. Both were seen wearing Brazil jerseys.

At the half, Brazil and Morocoo have a goal each in what is one of the most highly anticipated group stage matches of this year’s sporting spectacle.