New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney remains on the non-football injury (NFI) list after suffering a broken hand in an ATV accident during the team’s Week 9 bye.
Originally, neither the Giants nor McKinney were willing to put a timetable on his return but that has now changed. The defensive captain told ESPN’s Jordan Raanan on Tuesday that he does expect to be back at some point this season.
New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney told ESPN on Tuesday that he expects to return this season from the hand injury he suffered in a bye-week ATV accident in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
McKinney, who was placed on the non-football injury list on Nov. 7, was previously unsure of his timeline. He can’t be designated for return until at least after this week’s game against the Washington Commanders.
If McKinney is able to return this season, it would be a tremendous boost for the Giants defense, which has struggled in his absence.
However, McKinney may be looking at the glass as half full. He was in the locker-room on Tuesday and although he spoke only to ESPN, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News did get a look at his hand sans cast and, well… Let’s just say it doesn’t sound good.
Giants free safety Xavier McKinney has the cast off his left hand. It is severely swollen with several pins in the back of his hand, beneath his knuckles, across. He’s not speaking to the media. But there’s your update for today #Giants
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) November 29, 2022
Perhaps even more than the pins, the level of swelling is what’s concerning. It’s also why McKinney hasn’t been able to simply club the hand and play with a hard cast similar to what Jason Pierre-Paul did after his infamous July 4th fireworks accident.
The Giants have just five games remaining this season after Sunday’s matchup with the Washington Commanders, so McKinney’s window is tight.
