Giants Safety Xavier McKinney Making Progress in Rehab from Broken Foot

But his return from his injury this season still is up in the air.

You remember Xavier McKinney, right?

He is the Giants second-round draft pick this year, a player whose versatility likely had defensive coordinator Patrick Graham's dreaming about the different ways the youngster's talents could be deployed in various defensive personnel packages.

Unfortunately, all that came to a screeching halt when McKinney suffered a broken foot during training camp and was added to the injured reserve list after having surgery to repair the fifth metatarsal on his injured foot.

Since suffering the injury and having the ensuing surgery, McKinney has been working non-stop at his rehab to return to the practice field this year, something that, while not a given, also hasn't been ruled out.

"He's doing a really good job in his rehabbing of the trainers are pleased with the progress he's making," head coach Joe Judge said Tuesday. 

The Giants have kept McKinney involved as much as possible through team meetings and other activities as allowed by league rules for players on IR.

"This guy's in good spirits. He does a tremendous job for some meetings, staying engaged, staying up on scout reports of other teams," Judge said. 

"We get in some projects internally to make sure he improves his own football IQ in terms of how to look at the other teams that he's mentally preparing and mentally advancing while he can't physically be on the field for us."

While every effort is being made to keep McKinney up to speed with the mental part of the game, it's the physical part that's still a bit cloudy, as his return to the field this year isn't a sure thing. 

"(McKinney) along with all the other guys that are on IR are doing a good job working directly with the trainers and what they ask them to, and they're making daily improvement," Judge said. 

"We'll see where he is in terms of the long-term getting back on the field. We're all very optimistic and eager to get him back on the grass."  

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league lifted the limit on the number of players teams are allowed to activate from the injured reserve list. 

The new number, agreed to in the CBA ratified in March, was three, up from two from the last CBA.