The Giants took a gamble by allowing Xavier McKinney to enter free agency, and the safety ultimately chose to leave for a lucrative contract with the Packers. Prior to committing to Green Bay, the Giants were very interested in keeping McKinney, as reported by Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
However, the Giants’ management was hesitant to offer McKinney the $17 million average annual value he eventually received from the Packers, which would have placed him among the top five highest-paid safeties in the NFL.
Instead of using the transition tag on McKinney, which would have cost the team $13.8 million, the Giants opted not to, viewing it as a gesture of goodwill, though this decision backfired when the Packers swooped in with a lucrative offer.
Despite this, McKinney remained willing to honor a verbal agreement with the Giants. Schwartz noted that McKinney “circled back” with the Giants, giving them a chance to match the Packers’ offer. However, the Giants ultimately deemed the price too steep for a safety, unwilling to exceed the value of the transition tag by approximately $3 million per year.
Although McKinney lacks a Pro Bowl accolade, he is entering his age-25 season and stands out from other recently released safeties due to his youth. Ranked 14th on Pro Football Reference’s free agents list, McKinney played every snap for the Giants last season, showcasing his durability and performance with three interceptions, a forced fumble, and a career-high 116 tackles in his contract year. Despite some injury setbacks, including a foot injury in 2020 and injuries from an ATV accident in 2022, the Packers were undeterred, making a significant commitment to McKinney in free agency, marking one of the team’s largest deals in history.
