Packers Sign No. 1 Safety in Free Agency, Xavier McKinney
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers have their safety, agreeing to terms with New York Giants star Xavier McKinney on the opening day of NFL free agency.
According to reports from ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, it’s a four-year deal worth $68 million. Between signing bonus and salary, the contract includes $25 million in Year 1.
The deal was confirmed by the man himself.
McKinney was the No. 1 safety available in free agency and our overall No. 1 free agent.
The 24-year-old McKinney – he’ll turn 25 on Aug. 9 – was a second-round pick by the Giants in 2020. He was healthy for only two of his four seasons – he missed half of 2022 following an ATV accident. In 17 games in 2021, he had five interceptions and 10 passes defensed. In 17 games in 2022, he had three interceptions and 11 passes defensed.
At the Scouting Combine, general manager Brian Gutekunst said he was looking for versatile safeties rather than specialists to fit new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s scheme, which relies on one safety to play deep coverage and another safety to play in the box to stop the run and limit the underneath passing game.
This is versatile: Of his 1,128 defensive snaps in 2023, 464 came at free safety, 388 came in the box and 167 came in the slot, according to Pro Football Focus.
Unlike Darnell Savage, the team’s first-round pick in 2019 who agreed to a three-year deal with the Jaguars on Monday, McKinney has the ball production and tackling skills to be a game-changer..
In 2023, Savage had zero interceptions, one pass defensed and 51 tackles in 10 games. Along with the interceptions and breakups, McKinney had 116 tackles. Also unlike Savage, McKinney is a reliable tackler. Of the 74 safeties to play at least 500 defensive snaps, McKinney was fourth with a missed-tackle rate of just 5.7 percent. Savage was 69th at 18.5 percent.
Last year, Savage and fellow free agents Rudy Ford and Jonathan Owens combined to play almost 2,000 snaps. They combined for two interceptions, 10 passes defensed and one forced fumble. By himself, McKinney had one more interception, one more pass breakup and as many forced fumbles.
McKinney was our No. 1-ranked safety ahead of the 2020 draft, as well.
He was a second-team All-American in 2019. A two-year starter at Alabama, he had five interceptions, 20 passes defensed and six forced fumbles.
“I think he would say a lot of great things,” McKinney said of renowned coach Nick Saban at the 2020 Scouting Combine. “Me and him, over the years, we’ve grown, our relationship has grown. At first, it was a little rough my freshman year. I used to think he didn’t really like me. But over the years, I think we’ve grown. He’s come to trust me, have a lot of trust in me and a lot of faith in me.”
This story will be updated.
