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Packers President Ed Policy Accepts NFL Fine on Behalf of Xavier McKinney After Week 1 Taunting Incident vs. Lions

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Green Bay, WI – September 13, 2025 — The Green Bay Packers’ 2–0 start added a media twist over the weekend when team president/CEO Ed Policy announced the organization will pay the $11,593 fine the NFL issued to Xavier McKinney for taunting in the Week 1 opener against the Detroit Lions. At the same time, Policy stressed that McKinney should not have been fined because the sequence was triggered by a Lions player’s provocation.

In an official statement, Policy said:
We respect the NFL’s decision and will pay the fine so Xavier can stay fully focused on football. But frankly, he shouldn’t have been fined—the situation began with a Lions player provoking him after a legal block. Passion is good, but the standard remains respect. We have submitted the film and hope the league applies its standard consistently.

The Packers underscored a “passion with respect” message: the club does not endorse taunting, but also won’t let its player take the fall when he was provoked first. According to team sources, McKinney has taken responsibility in the locker room, and the coaching staff views the moment as a teachable scenario for the entire defense—especially in high-emotion snaps following big collisions.

Reaction inside the room has been largely positive: veterans framed Policy’s move as both protection and standard-setting. “September is always hot,” one veteran said. “You stand up for your guy and you protect the shield. You can do both.

By agreeing to pay the fine while submitting video for review, the Packers aimed two messages at once: discipline is non-negotiable, and consistency in league enforcement is what teams expect in borderline situations. With Cleveland on deck in Week 3, Green Bay pivots back to the field—where McKinney remains a central voice for a defense finding its stride.

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.