Xavier McKinney comments should have Giants fans begging to move on from Brian Daboll

The Green Bay Packers have traditionally built their roster by acquiring and developing talent through the NFL Draft, and they’ve rarely offered significant contracts to external free agents. Green Bay’s lack of ownership brings unique disadvantages, and players rarely envision a small town with frigid winters as an ideal free agency destination.

But during this past offseason, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst strayed from the team’s roster-building approach and took an aggressive tack in free agency. Along with signing running back Josh Jacobs to a monster contract, the Packers signed former New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney to a four-year, $68 million deal, making him the fourth-highest-paid safety in the league.

Green Bay’s aggressive offseason acquisitions proved to be worth the risk. McKinney has thrived in Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s scheme, which places significant responsibilities on the deep safety. The fifth-year safety has shown the versatility to play in the slot, in the box and in a deep zone. McKinney started all 17 games and earned a first-team All-Pro selection after recording 88 tackles, eight interceptions, 11 passes defensed, one sack and two tackles for loss.

Xavier McKinney's critical comments highlight Giants' poor decisions

After McKinney was named as a first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press, he celebrated the accolade by blasting his former teammates on social media.

“To think he ever thought he was better than me and for them to try to push that … lol,” McKinney wrote on his Instagram story. “Oh and somebody tell buddy to hop hop off the Melo podcast gossiping and lock back in on his craft. Yeh it's always smoke … remember that! Write it down take a picture. IDGAF!”

Although McKinney didn’t mention any of his former Giants’ teammates by name, it’s likely that he’s referring to Kayvon Thibodeaux. The New York edge rusher made an appearance on Carmelo Anthony’s “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast last year and discussed how his role as a linebacker compares to other defensive positions. 

“I’ve got the hardest and the easiest position in the NFL,” Thibodeaux said. “It’s the hardest because I’m going against … the offensive lineman is the most dangerous [player], other than a safety coming down full speed. … I’m 250 [pounds], the average offensive lineman is 320 [pounds], so you talk about just the mindset that I have to have.”

Thibodeaux’s comments don’t seem to be disparaging McKinney in any way, but there’s likely more that happened behind the scenes during the safety’s four years in New York. More than anything else, McKinney’s comments serve as a reminder that the Giants appear to be falling apart under general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. 

The Giants received a lot of criticism for not prioritizing the contract of star running back Saquon Barkley during the 2023 offseason, signing QB Daniel Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract extension instead. Even Thibodeaux expressed his disapproval. While New York has received plenty of criticism for allowing Barkley to leave in free agency, allowing McKinney to walk has proven to be yet another mistake. McKinney and Barkley both earned first-team All-Pro selections in their first seasons away from New York. Meanwhile, Jones led the Giants to a 2-8 record before being benched and subsequently released this season. New York no longer has any of those three players on their roster, and they finished the 2024 season with an abysmal 3-14 record.

McKinney was selected with the No. 36 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Giants, but he was hampered by injuries and missed 18 games through his first three seasons in the NFL. He played a full season in 2023, but New York opted not to sign him after his rookie contract.

In Hafley’s scheme, McKinney has flourished as a playmaking safety with sideline-to-sideline range. After recording just nine interceptions in 46 games with the Giants, McKinney finished his first season in Green Bay with eight interceptions, the most by any Packers player since Charles Woodson had nine interceptions in 2009.