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.
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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