Safety Xavier McKinney Claims Giants Didn’t Want Him Back

During a recent podcast with The 33rd Team, McKinney opened up about his final days with the Giants.
Dec 11, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney (29) reacts before the game against Green Bay Packers at MetLife Stadium.
Dec 11, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney (29) reacts before the game against Green Bay Packers at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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Former New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney is coming off his best season as a pro, which he recorded with the Green Bay Packers, with whom he signed as a free agent.

However, McKinney, whom the Giants reportedly didn’t even bother to make an offer to before he hit free agency, reflected on how his time with the Giants, who selected him in the second round of the 2020 draft, ended.

“You can always kind of tell, like, where a team is leaning and what they kind of want to do,” McKinney told Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. “I could tell they didn't really want me there. You know what I'm saying? And, you know, I kind of knew that.”

Despite his growing hunch that the Giants were getting ready to move on from him, McKinney said he still gave his best effort to the Giants. 

“For me, it was like, hey, I still gotta, you know, play well, and I still gotta try to do as best I can for this team,” he said, also adding that he knew the Giants wouldn’t break open the bank to keep him as part of the team. 

“I was still with the team, and I was still all in, but I could tell the direction they were going, so I wasn't really surprised.  

Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney
Jan 12, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney (29) during warmups against the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC wild card game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

McKinney signed a four-year, $67 million contract with the Packers that included a $23 million signing bonus and $23 million guaranteed. This gives him an average annual cap number of $16.75 million.

His career with the Giants can best be described as up-and-down. He missed ten games as a rookie when he suffered a broken leg late in training camp. 

The following season, he played 17 games with 16 starts, recording five interceptions and 93 tackles. 

Then, in 2022, he missed eight games due to a broken hand he suffered during an ATV accident during the bye week, returning in time for the team’s brief postseason run.

McKinney capped his time with the Giants in 2023 by never missing a snap and recording 116 tackles, second most on the team behind linebacker Bobby Okereke’s 149. 

McKinney's season started to take off around Week 9 when he posted four total double-digit tackle games in consecutive weeks. 

But with free agency looming, there was a strong sense that the Giants and McKinney were headed for a split, which came to fruition.

Despite his split with the team, McKinney declined to criticize the Giants for how they handled his free agency and the departures of other players, such as safety Julian Love and running back Saquon Barkley.

“That's my old team,” he said. “Some people go about a business a certain way, and they feel like how they do things is the right way. So, you know that ultimately, that's how they feel. 

“If that's the route they want to go, then that's their decision at the end of the day. So I can't do anything but respect it and wish them the best of luck.”


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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.