Xavier McKinney calls out D. J. Moore ahead of Packers-Bears divisional duel
The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears are set for a heavyweight intradivisional clash, and Xavier McKinney has started to ignite tension.
In May, Bears wide receiver DJ Moore mocked the Packers' free-agent acquisition of the safety by saying, "Who?" when Kay Adams mentioned it during their interview on Up & Adams. On Wednesday,
McKinney responded:
"All that stuff, that's in my memory bank and I work accordingly to that. You know how people get before the season. They don't really know what's going to happen during the season and you just start talking too much and you don't really know what you're talking about. You're just talking."
He also brought up the recent instance of Moore leaving the field just as quarterback Caleb Williams was eluding defenders to get himself open for a passing attempt. At the time Moore claimed that he had hurt his ankle, but McKinney refused to accept the excuse - pointing out his counterpart's captaincy:
“This dude walked out on his quarterback. I’ve been playing football for five years now and I’ve been watching football for longer than that, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen [anything like it].”
Xavier McKinney discusses veracity of Packers-Bears feud
The Packers-Bears feud has been historically one of the bitterest in NFL history, with both teams being very iconic stalwarts during the pre-merger era. But in the 21st century, the success has shifted mainly towards the green-and-gold, for a variety of reasons.
That, however, does not change Xavier McKinney's mindset. He still thinks the rivalry is relevant:
“I don’t think there’s anything fake about this. Honestly, in the league, I don’t think there’s anything fake about rivalries, honestly. I think rivalries are extremely real and I think this is one of the realest ones that we’ve got in this league.”
He continued by detailing his due diligence in analyzing every game - including the Bears':
“I’ve got Sunday Ticket, so I sit in my room, I’ve got a TV, my monitor, and I watch every game. I’m paying attention to formations, little things, how people are playing when they’re up, when they’re down, what players are doing."
This game will kick off at 1 PM ET/12 PM CT on Fox. Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady will be calling the action, with Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi on the sidelines.