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Kellen Winslow Jr. agreed to be sentenced to 14 years in prison next month ... he modified a deal with prosecutors Friday to avoid an even lengthier sentence behind bars.

The former NFL star was facing up to 18 years in prison -- a result of being convicted in a 2019 rape trial ... and also because months later, he pled guilty to raping another woman.

But, a spokesperson for the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office confirmed to TMZ Sports that Winslow reworked a part of his Nov. 2019 pleas to avoid the maximum penalty.

The spokesperson tells us Winslow modified one of his guilty pleas from sexual battery to assault with intent to commit rape.

Now, Winslow is due in court on March 3 to receive his official sentencing.

As we previously reported, Winslow had been accused of sexual misconduct -- including multiple allegations of rape -- by five different women.

Winslow was initially hit with 12 charges over the allegations ... and he had faced up to LIFE behind bars if convicted on all counts.

Awful offseason for Terry Francona -- the Cleveland skipper just revealed he was recently treated for a bad staph infection ... and had to get part of a bone in his foot removed in the process.

The 61-year-old broke down his health struggles with reporters from Spring Training on Friday ... saying he's currently in a walking boot and using crutches after having cement put in his foot.

Francona says he was initially treated for gout back in November ... but the pain continued for months. When he got checked out at the Cleveland Clinic, docs discovered the staph infection in his toe.

Tito says he spent 10 days in the hospital while battling the infection ... and will now start the season with his foot in a boot.

This is not Francona's first fight with staph -- he dealt with life-threatening infections in both his knees in 2002 ... which required knee replacements.

Tito also previously had his right hip replaced following the 2016 World Series ... as well as a surgery to fix an irregular heartbeat.

So yeah, the dude's had some super serious health scares.

Francona most recently had a mountain of health issues last year -- from a gastrointestinal procedure to blood clots and a stint in the ICU -- which kept him away from the team for the majority of the season.

In fact, Tito even admitted he contemplated walking away from the game for good to focus on getting better.

Boxing superstar Gervonta Davis WAS the driver who fled the scene of a Lamborghini hit-and-run crash in November that caused injuries ... at least, that's what cops are saying in a new crash report obtained by TMZ Sports.

The crash report lists Davis as the driver of the 2020 Lamborghini Urus -- which allegedly blew through a red light and slammed into a Toyota on Nov. 5th ... just days after Gervonta's huge knockout win over Leo Santa Cruz.

Davis -- who turned 26 on Nov. 7th -- was reportedly celebrating his birthday at a nearby nightclub in South Baltimore before the incident.

In the report, which was first obtained by The Baltimore Sun, law enforcement says Davis and another person in the Lambo jumped out of the car immediately after the crash and fled the scene on foot.

Passengers in the other car, meanwhile, were hurt and needed to be taken to the hospital. In the crash report, cops say the driver of the Toyota had a "suspected serious injury."

Davis was NOT named publicly when cops began investigating the accident ... but in the report, officials say they were able to eventually identify Davis as the driver through witness statements and surveillance video from the area.

Plus, there is video of Davis driving in a rare Lamborghini that matches the description of the vehicle in the wreck. The footage was shot after the Santa Cruz fight.

Davis -- who was listed in the report as having suffered a "possible injury" in the crash -- has NOT been charged with a crime.

According to a police spokesperson, "The investigation is still open and ongoing."

NBA Superstar Russell Westbrook is channeling his inner Ken Burns ... 'cause the Wizards guard is working on a new documentary in hopes of educating people about the atrocities of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre.

The former MVP and History Channel announced Thursday they're working on a two-hour doc titled "Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre" (temporary title) ... with Brodie serving as executive producer and Marco Williams and Emmy-Award winner Stanley Nelson on as directors.

The documentary is said to take a deep look at the events of a century ago and how the impact is still being felt today ... in hopes to educate millions on a 100-year-old tragedy.

If you aren’t familiar with the story, here is a brief run down -- In May and June 1921, a race war erupted in Tulsa, OK after a 19-year-old Black man was accused of assaulting a 17-year-old white woman in an elevator.

Black men went to defend the man after some in the city wanted him lynched ... and an ensuing altercation with white people ignited a massive race war.

This led to one of the worst acts of racial violence in American history ... in which mobs of white residents attacked and ultimately destroyed the Greenwood District in Tulsa, OK, which at that time was the wealthiest black community in the United States -- AKA "Black Wall Street."

Many historians believe the massacre has since been underreported and even covered up ... and Westbrook -- who played in Oklahoma for the Thunder for 11 years -- says he had no idea about the incident until he arrived in OKC in 2009.

"The Tulsa Race Massacre was not something I was taught about in school or in any of my history books," Westbrook said in a statement. "It was only after spending 11 years in Oklahoma that I learned of this deeply troubling and heartbreaking event."

"This is one of many overlooked stories of African Americans in this country that deserves to be told. These are the stories we must honor and amplify, so we can learn from the past and create a better future."

Director Stanley Nelson added ... "The horrific story of the burning of Black Wall Street has long haunted me -- I’m grateful to be working on this film with such wonderful partners."

Ex-MLB superstar Johnny Damon was arrested for DUI in Florida early Friday morning -- and cops say his blood-alcohol level was more than TWICE the legal limit.

The 47-year-old -- who played for the Boston Red Sox and NY Yankees -- was pulled over by the Windermere Police Dept. (in the Orlando area) around 8:15 AM.

During the stop, cops say Damon showed signs of intoxication and at some point, they tested his blood alcohol level which came back at "greater than or equal to .20."

The legal limit to drive is .08.

Damon was arrested and booked on multiple charges including driving under the influence and resisting arrest without violence.

Damon was hauled to a nearby station where he posed for a mug shot -- and spent time in a holding cell.

Damon is a 2-time World Series champion and made 2 All-Star teams during his 18 seasons as an MLB player.

After his playing days, Damon appeared as a contestant on Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" in 2014 as well as competing on "Dancing with the Stars" in 2018.

Damon was one of the key cogs in breaking Boston's famous World Series draught -- banding together with his "idiots" to win the title in 2004.

He later left Boston to play for the rival NY Yankees -- and cut his famous long hair in the process.

Story developing ...

Big news for Toronto Raptors guard Terence Davis ... prosecutors have dropped the domestic violence charges against him stemming from an Oct. 2020 incident.

As we previously reported ... 23-year-old Davis was arrested after officials say he repeatedly punched his ex-GF in the face during an argument at the Beekman Tower hotel in NY.

Davis' ex-GF also told police he smashed her phone when she refused to stop recording him during the alleged incident.

Cops were called to the scene and he was ultimately booked for misdemeanor assault and misdemeanor criminal mischief charges.

But now, prosecutors have dropped the case against Davis, as first reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Davis is a pretty good player -- he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2020 which is impressive considering he was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2019.

Alex Smith says he can't wrap his brain around how Colin Kaepernick still does not have a job in the NFL today ... saying the whole situation is both "tragic" and "sad."

Smith forged a friendship with Kap when the two were teammates in San Francisco ... and he said this week he just doesn't understand how his old pal can't find a team.

"It still doesn't make sense," Smith told NFL Network star Kyle Brandt on the "10 Questions With Kyle Brandt" podcast.

Alex says Kaepernick's talent level, even during his rookie and sophomore seasons, was obvious ... and the NFL seemingly refusing to give him a job over his past kneeling demonstrations during national anthems is just perplexing.

"The run that he went on, at the end of that last year that we were together [in 2012] and went to the Super Bowl ... was so crazy to watch," Smith said. "Truly one of the historic runs in football to see what he was doing."

Smith continued, "It's crazy to fast forward only a couple years after that and he was out of the league. It's hard to -- you couldn't even grasp it. Couldn't understand it. You couldn't."

Smith said it's "so tragic" how some in the NFL and others in the country didn't realize what Kaepernick was protesting back in 2016 ... explaining, "He was ahead of his time."

"The country wasn't ready. Nobody was ready for it. And, he's sitting there trying to tell everybody through a completely peaceful manner about some of the things going on in this country and that have been going on for a long time."

Smith continued, "And, to see the backlash that happened, yeah, it hurts. It hurts looking back at it that the country wasn't ready for it and he suffered the repercussions."

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will get clobbered as a third-party Presidential candidate unless he's willing to stand up to billionaires and fight for everyday people ... so says the Green Party.

As you may have heard ... the WWE superstar-turned Hollywood megastar now says he'd seriously consider running for Prez "if that's what the people wanted" -- but Green Party spokesperson Michael O'Neil's not sure The Rock's got the stones.

O'Neil tells TMZ ... he doubts Dwayne is tough enough to deal with the dirty tricks both the Republican and Democratic parties would throw at him to "keep their guillotine chokehold on democracy."

O'Neil likens the Dems and GOP to "brutal cartels" that keep voters from any real alternatives, and says unless Dwayne's down with challenging billionaire elites and having his rich Hollywood pals turn on him ... he's not cut out for the Green Party.

However, O'Neil recognizes DJ has a tremendous fan base, so it's possible he could inspire enough voters ... IF his platform treats healthcare, housing, education and employment as basic rights for the people.

In that case, O'Neil says he'd be able to smell what The Rock's cooking, and would want him on the Green Party ticket to take down the country's political "duopoly."

As you may know ... The Rock's been pretty cagey for years about his political leanings, although he did endorse Joe Biden a month before the 2020 election.

Before that, you'd have to go all the way back to 2000 -- when he was the biggest name in wrestling -- and he made an appearance at the Republican National Convention.

Diamonds, Bugattis, sushi ... and scantily clad butts.

That's what surrounded Floyd Mayweather at his 44th birthday bash on Thursday night -- a wild "futuristic" event in Florida.

The boxing superstar rolled up to "The Venue" in Fort Lauderdale for a massive bash dubbed, "Floyd's Futuristic 44th Birthday Extravaganza."

He arrived in one of his $2 million Bugatti supercars -- dripping in millions of dollars worth of diamond chains.

On the way in, he was asked for an update on his recently postponed exhibition boxing match with Logan Paul -- is it still going to happen?

"I know it's going to happen," Floyd said ... "We just want make sure everything is right and everything is where it should be."

Inside, the party was wild -- tons of food, live music, booze, and hot ladies on rollerskates to entertain the crowd.

The venue is called "The Venue" -- it's a massive 32,000 square foot event space "outfitted with the most advanced technology in sound and lighting, special effects including laser capability and 3D Projection Mapping," according to its website.

In other words, it's super high tech.

Celeb guests included Rick Ross, Larsa Pippen, Jacquees (who performed) and President Joe Biden's brother, Frank Biden.

Floyd's cake was pretty cool too, complete with money and a private jet ... he shared the party with friend Jas 'Limitless' Mathur who plunked down $700k for the bash. We're told there was $200k worth of champagne, ice sculptures and dancers to complete the vibe.

We're told there was a COVID protocol in place -- people were screened at the door, temperature checks and an emphasis on social distancing.

That said, Floyd did not appear to be wearing a mask at any point of the evening.

Mayweather doesn't actually turn 44 until Feb. 24th -- but he clearly wanted to get the party started early.

Vincent Jackson's family is now taking steps to determine if the former NFL star suffered from CTE before his tragic death ... by donating his brain to researchers.

A spokesperson for the wide receiver's family told multiple media outlets this week the 38-year-old's brain was given to experts at Boston University for studying shortly after he was found dead on Monday.

"Vincent being who he was would have wanted to help as many people as possible,” family rep Allison Gorrell told the New York Times.

"It's something his family wanted to do to get answers to some of their questions."

As we previously reported, Jackson was found dead alone in a hotel room in Brandon, FL ... a place he had been living in since January.

When asked why Jackson -- a man who made more than $70 million in his NFL career -- was there, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said the family believed it was all due to potential brain injuries suffered while playing football.

"What the family is telling me is that he suffered from CTE," Chronister said. "They believe he had a lot of concussion problems and when you suffer from that, you're not yourself."

The sheriff added, "[The family believes] wholeheartedly all of these actions are the result of what he suffered while he was playing in the NFL."

An official cause of death for Jackson has not yet been revealed ... the county's medical examiner says it could be months before an autopsy report is completed.

Gilbert Burns' title hopes were crushed by Kamaru Usman only days ago ... but the UFC star's already plotting his return to the Octagon -- and he wants Colby Covington!!

TMZ Sports talked to Burns following his 3rd round TKO loss to Usman at UFC 258 last weekend ... and the 34-year-old fighter made it clear he ain't looking for R&R after having his 6-fight UFC win streak snapped.

"[Covington's] the one that I want with all my heart. That's the fight that I asked right after he beat Demian Maia. That's the one that I want."

Still, Burns -- who says he suffered NO serious injuries in his fight -- knows he isn't the only one lookin' for an Usman rematch (Chaos wants one too) ... so GB's down to fight any of the top guys in the welterweight division.

"Sometimes we don't get what we want, but I'm open to any one of the top 6, top 7 guys," Burns tells us.

Gilbert says he doesn't care about Colby's trash-talking and antics outside the cage ... he just wants to get his hands on the #1 ranked contender.

"Just sign the contract. Let's fight. You can call me whatever you want. Let's fight sooner than later. I'm in my prime, you're in your prime, we both want the rematch. Let's see who wins first."

Burns says the ultimate goal is still a UFC goal ... and he wholeheartedly believes he will fight Usman again -- in the not too distant future -- and that he will win this time around.

Vincent Jackson likely died on or before Feb. 13 -- two days before he was discovered by law enforcement -- this according to a new death report, obtained by TMZ Sports.

The former NFL star was pronounced dead on Feb. 15 after hotel staff contacted police about an unresponsive male in a room at the Homewood Suites in Brandon, FL.

Cops had been investigating and now say hotel staff saw Jackson in the same room -- in the same slouched position -- as early as Feb. 13 ... but assumed he was sleeping.

But, on Feb. 15, a housekeeper began to realize the sad reality -- Jackson wasn't resting, he was dead -- and someone at the hotel dialed 911.

When cops arrived at the scene, they confirmed Jackson had died.

As for visible injuries, cops say he had a small laceration on his left big toe -- but that's it.

The death report also notes Jackson had a history of alcohol use, but was not a known drug user.

As we previously reported, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister announced earlier this week that Jackson likely died from issues connected to "chronic alcoholism."

Jackson had been living at the Homewood Suites hotel since January ... and his family had become concerned about him -- even filing a missing person report on Feb. 11.

Cops made contact with him at the hotel on Feb. 12, but determined he was okay. Sadly, he was not okay, and seemingly died hours later.

Ryan Leaf didn't know Vincent Jackson personally but almost died the same way -- alone in a hotel room -- and he's begging Roger Goodell to do more to help former players cope.

The former NFL quarterback posted an emotional video Monday in the hours after Jackson passed away at the Homewood Suites hotel in Brandon, FL. Officials say Jackson had suffered from chronic alcoholism.

Now that he's had time to process the situation, Leaf spoke with TMZ Sports about why Jackson's death had such a tremendous impact on him, despite the fact they didn't know each other.

"I just was really emotional. I can relate," Leaf says ... "There was some empathy behind it because he was alone in a hotel room dying and I felt that way. I've been in a hotel room and was dying alone."

Leaf's struggles with substance abuse are no secret -- in fact, he even spent time in prison stemming from his addiction. But, he's not only sought help over the years, he's now committed to helping other former players deal with similar issues.

However, Leaf says he still struggles with "survivor's guilt" -- he can't understand why he lived and others in the very same situation have died.

"That's something I'm working on with my therapist because [Jackson] was a hell of a player and he's done so much for his community and everything like that. Why couldn't more have been done?"

So, what should the NFL do to help players who are struggling after their playing days are over?

"I particularly think a transition program immediately exiting the NFL or consistent therapy [could help]" Leaf says.

He also suggests the NFL build treatment centers for players -- similar to the military's VA hospitals and centers.

"I think there should be a facility for players who built [the NFL's brand] and whose minds are fragile and need help."

Leaf says several high-profile former NFL players have reached out to him to offer support -- including Michael Strahan.

The 44-year-old also has a message to players battling depression, addiction or any other issue that could affect their health -- please reach out.

"If family members or my brothers are in need or in a place where I once was, call me! I'll be on the first fight, I'll be in your living room, I'll go with you through it!"

Rough start to Cleveland's season -- Cy Young winner Shane Bieber has tested positive for COVID-19 ... but thankfully, he's said to be experiencing only "very, very mild symptoms."

Cleveland President Chris Antonetti announced Thursday the ace tested positive as he arrived to the team's spring training facility in Goodyear, AZ ... and is going through the proper protocols to ensure a safe return.

Antonetti added Bieber is expected to return to the team in a matter of days.

Bieber is the first big name out of spring training to test positive prior to the 2021 season ... and will almost certainly not be the last -- around 48 players (including names like Freddie Freeman and Juan Soto) reported having COVID-19 throughout last season.

Bieber is an absolute beast for Cleveland -- he led the American League in ERA, strikeouts and wins en route to his first Cy Young award in 2020.

Huge props to Dak Prescott ... the Cowboys superstar just helped homeless people in Dallas deal with the tragic snowstorms -- this despite him possibly not having a future in the city.

TMZ Sports has learned ... a temporary OurCalling homeless shelter in Dallas was overwhelmed this week as hundreds of people in need tried to escape the crippling effects of the nasty weather that's hit the region.

And, when Dak found out, we're told he reached out with a huge helping hand.

Neither the org. nor Dak's camp would reveal the donation amount -- but it's fair to say everyone is more than happy with the quarterback's gesture.

A spokesperson for OurCalling says Dak's donation was able to help around 1,000 people Thursday ... and those who got the aid were thrilled.

The spokesperson says many of them were in Dallas Cowboys jackets and sweatshirts ... and were so pumped to hear Dak helped, they were high-fiving at the shelter.

"It means the world to the homeless community," the spokesperson said.

Of course, Dak's charitable move means so much more when you consider he might not even be playing in Dallas in a few months.

Prescott is currently in a contract dispute with the Cowboys ... and there's speculation it could lead to a divorce.

So, big ups to the QB for setting that all aside and helping those in need regardless.

Guess you can say he "earned it!?"

The Weeknd got a pretty awesome piece of jewelry this week -- a sick diamond Super Bowl ring commemorating that epic halftime show in Tampa!

No, it's not an "official" ring like the ones the Tampa Bay Bucs will get -- this is a one-of-a-kind piece designed by celebrity jeweler, Elliot Eliantte, who's worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood.

We're told the ring was commissioned by Cash -- who's the co-founder of The Weeknd's record label, XO -- hence the big XO design across the top.

The ring contains 16 carats of VVS diamonds -- with the words "World Champions" surrounding the Lombardi Trophy.

The ring also contains The Weeknd's name, the score of the game, the date and the Pepsi logo -- since they sponsored the halftime show.

And, to make it even more special, we're told Cash gifted the ring to the singer on his birthday -- Feb. 16.