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Packers Backup QB Rejects Bengals’ $20 Million Contract, Declares: “I Only Want Green Bay”

Packers Called About Malik Willis Trade Following Major QB Injury

Green Bay, WI — As the Cincinnati Bengals scramble for a stopgap at quarterback during Joe Burrow’s extended absence, Malik Willis is said to have turned down a $20 million offer to leave the Green Bay Packers. The surprising decision instantly cooled trade chatter and reaffirmed Willis’s preference for stability and his belief in Matt LaFleur’s system.

The Bengals approached with a package worth around $20 million—roughly four times the total value of his current deal in Green Bay—hoping to bring him in as an emergency solution. Willis declined, prioritizing long-term development within the Packers’ system over the numbers.

Malik Willis: “They called me with a twenty-million-dollar offer, nearly four times my current total here in Green Bay. But I said no. I believe in how Coach Matt LaFleur is developing me, I believe in this QB room and the winning culture in Green Bay. I only want the Packers.

From a football standpoint, his choice tracks: in Wisconsin, he’s making steady gains within play-action, bootleg, and RPO concepts and has already put solid tape together when stepping in for Jordan Love. Playbook continuity, familiar terminology, and trust from the staff are advantages a young QB is reluctant to trade away midseason.

For the Bengals , the refusal pushes them back toward free agency or a different trade construction—alongside the challenge of a streamlined playbook install so any newcomer can quickly sync with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Despite the enticing financials, midseason integration and system fit remain practical hurdles.

For the Packers, Willis’s decision stabilizes depth behind Jordan Love and underscores the developmental pull of Green Bay’s program. If this scenario unfolded in reality, it would mark a win for direction and culture, where fit outweighs the figures on a contract.

Eagles Head Coach Announces A.J. Brown To Start On The Bench For Standout Rookie After Poor Performance vs. Broncos
  Philadelphia, PA — the Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach confirmed that A.J. Brown will start on the bench in Week 6 against the New York Giants, with the boundary starting spot going to rookie WR Taylor Morin—an undrafted signing out of Wake Forest who flashed through rookie camp and the preseason. The decision follows an underwhelming offensive showing against the Denver Broncos, where several snaps highlighted the unit being out of sync between Brown and Jalen Hurts. On a midfield option route, Hurts read Cover-2 and waited for an inside break into the soft spot, while Brown maintained a vertical stem and widened to the boundary to stretch the corner. The ball fell into empty space and the drive stalled. On a separate red-zone snap, a pre-snap hot-route signal wasn’t locked identically by the pair, resulting in a hurried throw that was broken up. The staff treated it as a reminder about route-depth precision, timing, and pre-snap communication—the micro-details that underpin the Eagles’ offense when January football arrives. Starting Morin is part of a plan to re-establish rhythm: the early script is expected to emphasize horizontal spacing, short choice/option concepts, and over routes off play-action to probe the Giants’ responses. Morin—who has shown strong hands in tight windows and clean timing in the preseason—should give the call sheet a steadier platform, while Brown will be “activated” in high-leverage downs such as 3rd-and-medium, two-minute, and red zone to maximize his body control, early separation, and the coverage gravity that can force New York to roll coverage. Facing the tough call, Brown kept his response brief but competitive:“I can’t accept letting a kid take my spot, but I respect his decision. Let’s see what we’re saying after the game. I’ll practice and wait for my chance. When the ball is in the air, everyone will know who I am.” Operationally, the staff is expected to streamline the call sheet between Hurts and Brown: standardize option-route depths, clearly flag hot signals, and increase game-speed reps in 7-on-7 and team periods so both are “seeing it the same and triggering the same.” Handing the start to Morin also resets the locker-room standard: every role is earned by tape and daily detail—even for a star of Brown’s caliber. If Brown converts the message into cleaner stems and precise landmarks—catching the ball at the spot and on time—the Eagles anticipate early returns: fewer dead drives, better red-zone execution when back-shoulder throws and choice routes are run “in the same language,” and an offense that regains tempo before taking on Big Blue. With Taylor Morin in the opening script, Philadelphia hopes the fresh piece is enough to jump-start the attack from the first series.