The New York Giants did not extend the contract of fourth-year safety Xavier McKinney this past offseason, choosing a ‘wait and see’ approach before they committed to him long-term.
Well, they waited and now they have seen. McKinney had a solid season, finished second on the team in tackles, and established himself as one of the top safeties in the league.
It appears that hasn’t escaped general manager Joe Schoen, who on Monday pretty much tipped his hand on how he felt about McKinney.
“I’m not going to negotiate against myself and make some hyperbolic statement about how great he is,” Schoen said. “I like McKinney, he’s young, good player, checks all the boxes so we will talk to him.”
The Giants took the long way around on McKinney because of what happened last season.
The former second-round pick out of Alabama severely damaged his hand during the bye week while riding in an off-road vehicle, which was a violation of his player contract.
The Giants chose not to punish him since the injury cost him practically the entire second half of the season. He was able to return for the postseason, but with his hand severely wrapped.
This year, McKinney proved his dedication and durability by playing every defensive snap for the Giants (1,128). However, he made it clear on Sunday that he’s not interested in the franchise tag and wants to be paid top-end money.
