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Gardner Minshew II Shocks the NFL: Turns Down $20M/2-Year Offer from Colts Amid QB Crisis, Declares “I’m Not Leaving Kansas City”

Kansas City, Missouri – The Indianapolis Colts are in the middle of their worst quarterback crisis in years, and they immediately looked to a familiar name: Gardner Minshew II, the man who once saved their season in 2023. But when the Colts followed every rule to try to bring him back, Minshew stunned the entire NFL by flatly rejecting a 2-year, $20 million contract, announcing he wants to stay with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kansas City Chiefs QB Gardner Minshew continues to excel in his new role -  Yahoo Sports

To make contact legally, the Colts sent the required “permission to speak” request to the Chiefs, the mandatory step when negotiating with a still-contracted player. Kansas City agreed, clearing the way for direct talks. The Colts’ plan was to trade a 6th-round pick for Minshew if he agreed to re-sign. It was seen as a textbook, reasonable, and good-faith approach while they were desperately searching for a replacement.

Once granted permission, the Colts wasted no time and offered Minshew 20 million dollars over 2 years, with a promise of an immediate starting job and the chance to lead a team reeling from the loss of its QB1 to injury. For a player who has carried teams through tough stretches before, Minshew was viewed as the single best fit on the market right now, someone who could step in next week and change the season’s trajectory.

But the twist came instantly. To the Colts’ astonishment, Minshew needed only minutes to say no. He called the Chiefs front office directly to make it clear he wasn’t interested in leaving: “I know I could be a starter in Indianapolis, but that doesn’t matter more than what I feel I’m building in Kansas City. I want to keep fighting where I believe in, not chase a bigger contract,” Minshew told ESPN.

Gardner Minshew II’s decision exploded across social media and was hailed by NFL experts as a rare act in an era when players usually prioritize starting opportunities. Chiefs Kingdom celebrated it as an off-field victory, while the Colts, once again, are forced back into the chaotic QB market to find a way out before the season completely slips away.

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Just Hours Before Panthers-Saints Showdown, Future MVP Bryce Young Sends 5-Word Message to Tyler Shough – Shough's Epic Response Has Saints Nation Losing It
New Orleans, Louisiana – December 13, 2025 Just hours before a season-defining matchup against the Carolina Panthers, the atmosphere inside the New Orleans Saints’ headquarters shifted in an unexpected way. It wasn’t because of a new schematic wrinkle or a late injury update, but because of a short message — just five words — sent from the opposing sideline: Bryce Young. Young, widely viewed by league insiders as a future NFL MVP, chose not to stir headlines with bold proclamations. Instead, he delivered something far more chilling to Saints quarterback Tyler Shough — a message so concise it momentarily silenced the room: “Sunday decides who you are.” There was no direct trash talk. No mention of stats, rankings, or reputations. Just a cold reminder that every excuse, every expectation, and every doubt disappears the moment the ball is snapped on Sunday. The power of the message came from its timing — and from the weight it placed squarely on the shoulders of the man receiving it. For the Saints, this matchup with the Panthers is more than a divisional game. It’s a defining moment for Tyler Shough, the quarterback tasked with leading a young, hungry roster through the most pressure-filled stretch of the season. That five-word message didn’t need elaboration. Everyone in the building understood what it meant. Shough didn’t dodge it. Following the team’s final practice of the week, he stepped to the podium with a calm, grounded demeanor — the posture of someone ready to carry responsibility rather than deflect it. “I respect Bryce and everything he’s accomplished,” Shough said. “But at this point in the season, words don’t matter as much as standing on that field and owning it. I know who I am, I know what this team needs — and this Sunday, I’ll be there taking responsibility for every snap.” That response quickly rippled through Saints Nation. Not because it was fiery, but because it was firm. Shough didn’t respond with bravado or counter-challenges. He accepted the pressure — exactly what a leader is expected to do. Inside the Saints’ locker room, that five-word message isn’t posted on a bulletin board. But everyone knows it’s there. Hanging in the air. Waiting to be answered. And when Sunday arrives, the entire NFL will find out: some statements only take five words — but they require sixty minutes on the field to deliver a final answer.