New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney offered more information about the ATV accident from last season that nearly cost him more than just some playing time.
“I was on like a dune buggy almost,” McKinney explained during an appearance on New York sports radio station WFAN, per Ryan Chichester of Audacy. “It’s like a bigger version. It’s the one with more seats in it. But basically, the buggy just tilted over, I tried to put my hand down. I was in the seat belt. So I tried to put my hand down and the top bar just kind of smashed on it.”
The 2022 Giants were 6-2 when McKinney injured his left hand in the accident that occurred in Cabo during the team’s bye week. He ultimately missed seven consecutive games following the incident and later revealed in January he “coulda really lost three fingers,” but he was able to make the victory-sealing tackle late in the wild-card playoff win at the Minnesota Vikings.
McKinney also played in the 38-7 postseason loss at the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Luckily, I was able to come out that that situation with just a hand, because it could have been a lot worse,” McKinney added during the radio interview. “I didn’t come out with any scratches or anything else. I tried to recover myself, putting a hand on the ground, but you know, the bar was there.”
As shared by Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, Giants general manager Joe Schoen told WFAN on Monday he doesn’t plan to address McKinney’s contract status until after this season.
McKinney, a 2020 second-round draft pick, is in the final year of his rookie deal and needs to prove to the executive who wasn’t associated with the franchise several years ago that he can stay healthy and smart for an entire campaign.
The 25-year-old played in only six games (four starts) as a rookie after he missed time with a fractured foot.