“Rasul Douglas hung up on Packers GM calling about trade.”

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On January 1, 2023, Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas was signed at Lambeau Field.

The Buffalo Bills acquired cornerback Rasul Douglas in a trade with the Green Bay Packers, a much-needed move after losing All-Pro Tre’Davious (Achilles) this season.

While Bills general manager Brandon Beane told reporters When he first called Green Bay about acquiring Douglas last week on Nov. 1, the cornerback didn’t receive that news until the trade was completed.

During his first press conference In Buffalo, Douglas admitted he “hung up” on Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst when he was first informed of the trade at 3 p.m. Tuesday. “My first reaction was that I thought it was a joke,” he said.

“[Gutenkunst] didn’t say too much. He just said, “We’ll trade with you.” And then like it was over. The conversation was over. I just hung up.” But then Douglas received a call from Packers CEO Mark Murphy.

“He has a voice where you know it’s him,” said the 28-year-old. “So I thought, ‘Oh, this isn’t a joke.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, we’re selling you to the Bills.’ I appreciate you. Thank you for everything. Come here and see them all before you leave.

As part of the deal, Buffalo sent Green Bay a 2024 third-round pick in exchange for Douglas and a 2024 fifth-round pick. Douglas recorded 10 interceptions, 32 pass breakups and 174 tackles since joining the Packers in 2021.

Douglas admitted how devastated his former Packers teammates were over his death. “Shit, we all can’t believe it,” he said. “But it’s reality.”

The former third-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft said when the news broke, “It was crazy because there was no one in the building.” And then the guys came to the building to say goodbye to me. I remember me and I sitting in the sauna [Packers running back] Aaron Jones – we both cried.”

Jones described her emotional farewell in detail to reporters on Thursday. “It’s hard to lose a brother like that,” he said.

Rasul Douglas is willing to do “whatever” the Bills need

Despite the abrupt dismissal, Douglas is excited to leave the struggling Packers (2-5) for a real contender. “This is definitely a winning team,” he said of the Bills.

As for the difficulty of quickly adapting to a new team and system: “You just do it,” he said. “I came here to play and make plays for this organization. So that’s really my focus. I do everything the team asks of me… and just give it my heart and soul.”

Although leaving Green Bay was an emotional experience, Douglas said the Bills veterans welcomed him with open arms. “They are good leaders,” he said.

Before arriving in Buffalo, Douglas said Bills Mafia and the team’s history left a big impression on him. “They have crazy fans. They throw snowballs at referees and players on the field. They are a winning team. They were close, but they weren’t done yet… They’ve been there the last few years, but they were just trying to get over that hurdle.”

Douglas is expected to take over the starting cornerback position opposite Christian Benford at some point. The Bills then placed Kaiir Elam on injured reserve.

Rasul Douglas has “no idea” if he will play against the Bengals on Sunday Night Football

Douglas has “no idea” if he will be fit when the Bills travel to Paycor Stadium to face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9. “I don’t know when they’ll tell me, but I’ll prepare and train like it’s me.” “Starting,” he said.

Douglas showed up for practice on Wednesday but did not participate. The injury report hilariously read: “Just arrived.” The cornerback was a full-time participant at practice on Thursday.

Beane said during an appearance on WGR 550 radio Thursday morning that both Douglas and defensive tackle Linval Joseph, who was signed Thursday morning, could play on Sunday Night Football, per ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg.

Emily Bicks is a strong sports journalist who specializes in covering the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks. She has been writing for Heavy since 2019 and has interviewed some of sports’ biggest stars, including Jerry Rice, Shaquille O’Neal and Stefon Diggs. More about Emily Bicks