This story is not about Packers safety Xavier McKinney. It’s about someone posing as McKinney to swindle $4.375 million from a lender, and the effort by the lender to get the money back from the broker who was duped.
In an item for the Guardian, veteran sports business reporter Daniel Kaplan writes that Aliya Sports Finance Fund has sued Sure Sports for alleged negligence in failing to perform due diligence when introducing the McKinney imposter to the lender for a seven-figure loan.
Kaplan notes that, per the lawsuit, the FBI is investigating the transaction.
The civil complaint was filed a year ago in Florida, where both companies are based. Trial is set for July 13, 2026.
Sure Sports made $87,500 for introducing the fake McKinney to ASFF for the loan.
From the lawsuit: “ASFF has come to learn that the borrower apparently was not McKinney, but rather a third party who impersonated McKinney to facilitate the disbursement and theft of the Loan proceeds.”
McKinney had signed a four-year $67 million contract with the Packers on March 14, 2024. The deal included a $23 million signing bonus. The loan closed on April 2, 2024.
And here’s the kicker: Kaplan reports that McKinney was one of the victims of the person about whom the NFL Players Association recently warned NFL agents, following the recent indictment of Kwamaine Jerrell Ford for allegedly posing as an adult film star to scam NBA and NFL athletes. The reporting does not link Ford to this specific theft.
McKinney is not a party to the current lawsuit. His agency, Athletes First, declined Kaplan’s request for comment.
Packers Clips
New Panthers left tackle Rasheed Walker was arrested at LaGuardia Airport on Jan. 23 after telling an airline employee he had a firearm and ammunition in his baggage. He was charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm.
Walker, via David Newton of ESPN, said Thursday that the charges will be dismissed.
During his introductory news conference on Thursday, Walker referred all other questions to his attorney,
The gun was licensed in Wisconsin, and Walker’s attorney, Arthur Aidala, told the New York Post in January that Walker was unaware he couldn’t travel with a licensed firearm in a locked box.
Walker, who started 48 games in four seasons with the Packers, signed a one-year deal worth up to $10 million with the Panthers in free agency.
The Packers and head coach Matt LaFleur signed a contract extension in January, and quarterback Jordan Love couldn’t be happier.
LaFleur is the only head coach Love has had in the NFL, and Love said he’s thrilled at the prospect of only having one head coach for years to come.
“Being able to keep Matt around is awesome, and I’m very happy about that,” Love told Kyle Malzahn of WFRV. “It’s a lot to learn a whole new system and new terminology. As a quarterback, being in the same system, the same terminology, it definitely helps me out.”
This will be the seventh season that Love, the Packers’ 2020 first-round pick, has had LaFleur as his head coach. The only starting quarterback who has been with his head coach longer than that is Patrick Mahomes. Love has had good stability in his NFL career, and he hopes that doesn’t change.
New Steelers wide receiver Michael Pittman hasn’t spoken to Aaron Rodgers, but said he thinks the quarterback wants to play. New coach Mike McCarthy has spoken to Rodgers since the Steelers hired him, but he insists he still knows nothing about Rodgers’ future.
Announcer Kevin Harlan asked McCarthy about a possible reunion with Rodgers during Monday’s tribute to former Packers president Bob Harlan — Kevin’s father — at Lambeau Field.
“Yes, it’d be a great story,” McCarthy said, via video from Rob Demovsky of ESPN. “I don’t know. I would love to tell everybody breaking news. It’s really cool to see Aaron at 42, a young man at 22, all that he’s been able to accomplish, and where he’s at in his personal life, trying to make this decision. He’s in a really good place.”
Rodgers remains a free agent after spending last season in Pittsburgh. Like the 2025 offseason, Rodgers appears in no hurry to decide whether to return to the Steelers or retire. Like the 2025 offseason, the Steelers appear in no hurry to know for sure that Rodgers will be their starting quarterback.
Thus, all signs point to Rodgers’ return, especially after the team’s hiring of McCarthy.
McCarthy and Rodgers were together in Green Bay from 2006-18 seasons, winning a Super Bowl. Rodgers was a two-time MVP while playing for McCarthy.
The Packers did not tender defensive end Arron Mosby with a contract as a restricted free agent, but he will be back with the team in 2026.
The NFL’s transaction report for Monday shows that Mosby has re-signed with the team. No terms of the deal have been disclosed.
Mosby entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and signed with the Panthers. He appeared in three games as a rookie and joined the Packers as a waiver claim in 2023, but did not appear in a game for the team until the next year.
Mosby has played 28 regular season games and two playoff contests for Green Bay. He has 21 tackles and a half-sack in those appearances.
The Packers have announced the members of their 2026 coaching staff.
Jonathan Gannon takes over as Matt LaFleur’s defensive coordinator with Jeff Hafley now in Miami as the Dolphins’ head coach. He’ll be joined by secondary coach/pass game coordinator Bobby Babich, cornerbacks coach Daniel Bullocks, linebackers coach Sam Siefkes, defensive analyst Scott Fuchs, defensive quality control coach Will Smart, outside linebackers coach/run game coordinator/assistant head coach-defense DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach Vince Oghobaase, and defensive quality control coach Jamael Lett.
Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich will be working with wide receivers coach Noah Pauley, offensive quality control coach T.C. McCartney, quarterbacks coach/assistant head coach-offense Luke Getsy, assistant wide receivers coach Rob Grosso, offensive line coach Luke Butkus, tight ends coach John Dunn, assistant offensive line coach Eddie Gordon, pass game specialist/game management coach Connor Lewis, running backs coach Ben Sirmans, passing game coordinator Jason Vrable, and offensive assistant Jeremiah Kolone.
Special teams coordinator Cam Achord, assistant special teams coach Cory Harkey, assistant special teams coach Jeff Koonz, strength and conditioning coordinator Aaron Hill, strength and conditioning assistant Marcus Jones, and strength and conditioning assistant Ben Schumacher round out the staff.
The Panthers are bringing in another running back.
Carolina announced on Wednesday that the club has agreed to terms with AJ Dillon on a one-year deal.
Dillon, 27, spent last season with the Eagles after playing his first five seasons with the Packers. He appeared in just seven games, recording 60 yards rushing on 12 carries. He also caught three passes for 21 yards.
A second-round pick in 2020, Dillon’s best season came in 2021 when he registered 1,116 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns.
A neck injury prematurely ended his 2024 season, as he was placed on injured reserve in August and was out for the year.
In his 67 career games with 11 starts, Dillon has totaled 2,488 yards rushing with 16 touchdowns and caught 89 passes for 784 yards with two TDs.
The Packers will honor the memory of Bob Harlan, announcing Tuesday that they will install the name of the team’s former president and CEO on Lambeau Field’s northeast facade.
“I had the opportunity to share with the Harlan family last week that we will be adding Bob’s name to the northeast corner of the Lambeau Field façade,” Packers president and CEO Ed Policy said in a statement. “Bob was integral in remaking Lambeau into an iconic and revered stadium, and it is fitting that his name will be forever recognized as one of the most important leaders in Packers history.
“Bob relentlessly dedicated himself to our organization and we are grateful for all he did.”
The Packers will unveil Harlan’s name at Lambeau Field at a game during the 2026 season. Details will follow after the NFL schedule is announced.
“Our dad had incredible respect for the incomparable history of the Green Bay Packers,” Kevin Harlan said in a statement. “The honor of having his name among the legends of this franchise, names that symbolize the greatest in pro football history, is the most treasured of his career.
“Our hearts are filled with enormous gratitude. We extend our sincere appreciation to Ed Policy and the entire Packers organization for this honor beyond measure.”
The Lambeau Field façade features the names of former Packers (players, coaches and a contributor) who were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Those names are positioned along the sidelines. The façade also includes the franchise’s retired numbers emblazoned on the north end.
The team will install Harlan’s name in a separate area of recognition, in the northeast corner, alongside the name of former Packers GM Ted Thompson, who was honored in 2021 for his significant contributions to the organization’s success.
Harlan died March 5 at the age of 89. He originally joined the organization in 1971 and was elected president and CEO in 1989. He served as principal executive until his retirement in January 2008.
Former Jets defensive end Mark Gastineau’s lawsuit has been, yes, sacked.
Last year, Gastineau sued ESPN, the NFL, NFL Films, and co-directors James Weiner and Ken Rodgers for The New York Sack Exchange, which included a clip of Gastineau verbally accosting Brett Favre for his gift to Michael Strahan that allowed Strahan to break Gastineau’s single-season sack record in 2001.
Via Zach Powell of The Athletic, a federal judge dismissed Gastineau’s lawsuit on Monday.
The defendants had argued that the complaint failed to state a claim on which relief could be granted. Which is a fancy way of saying that, even if every fact alleged is true, there’s no recognized legal theory that would make the conduct a violation of Gastineau’s legal rights.
Gastineau had argued that the inclusion of his words with Favre were used without Gastineau’s consent or permission, and that the clip portrayed him “in a manner which was maliciously false.” Gastineau argued that the producers “intentionally and maliciously” omitted footage of Gastineau and Favre shaking hands.
Regardless, the court decided it wasn’t enough to create a valid claim for relief.
Gastineau will have the right to appeal the decision. Sometimes, a plaintiff whose first crack at fashioning an actionable legal claim gets a chance to try again.
Rashan Gary’s contract with the Packers this season called for him to make $19.5 million, none of it guaranteed. Before the Cowboys would agree to trade for Gary, he had to agree to take less.
Gary agreed to a pay cut that will see him make $16 million this year, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. He’ll also get $16 million in 2027, whereas his old contract had his 2027 pay at $22.5 million.
The Cowboys structured the new contract with an option and void years, so Gary’s salary cap hit is only $5.44 million this year and $8.24 million in 2027. Then his cap hit will grow in 2028, even if he’s no longer on the team at that point.
The good news for Gary is that he got a $13.2 million signing bonus in the deal, which is guaranteed money he didn’t have on his old contract.
The Cowboys sent a 2027 fourth-round pick to the Packers to acquire Gary, a deal Dallas surely would not have been willing to make without the revised contract.
