Giants Don't Tag Safety Xavier McKinney
New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney, who had been rumored to be a candidate for the seldom-used transition tag, will not receive that tag and will hit the open market as a free agent, barring he reaches a new deal with the Giants before the March 13 start of free agency.
The 24-year-old McKinney, the Giants' second-round pick in 2020, finished the 2023 season with career highs in tackles (116) and pass breakups (11). He played some of his best ball in the second half of the season in a variety of roles.
But overall, McKinney's career has been up and down, mainly due to his losing large chunks of his first and third seasons due to injuries, time missed that potentially hurt his overall production, and his chances at Pro Bowl and All-Pro berths.
Still, after finishing his fourth NFL season on such a high note, McKinney wasn't shy in expressing his opinion that he was among the top-performing safeties in the league and deserved to be compensated accordingly.
While the door on McKinney isn't completely closed (same as with running back Saquon Barkley, who didn't get tagged either), the Giants and McKinney could have a ways to go to bridge the gap as to what they believe is a fair number for the safety, who per Spotrac has a market value of $52.4 million based on a five-year contract.
The Giants, who have an estimated $38.288 million in total cap space, are thought to be planning to add veterans to the offensive line, edge rusher, and defensive backfield.
They will also likely add veteran depth at running back and to the defensive backfield, where at safety, they have third-year player Dane Belton as a potential replacement for McKinney in the starting lineup.
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