Xavier McKinney is adamant about his worth.
And he’s made it a mission to be paid as such.
McKinney just completed the fourth and final season on his rookie contract with the Giants, and now the star safety is set to be an unrestricted free agent.
“I want to be appreciated in every way for what I do and bring to the table,” McKinney posted on X Friday afternoon. “As a player and as a leader . I’ve stood by myself ten toes through the critics , the hate etc. sacrificing what those around me didn’t want too or were afraid too for those same people to make it a better situation for all of us .
“May not always have been beneficial for me but it was for US . Don’t let that go over your head . And I’d do it 10 times over again [sic].”
McKinney, a Giants captain, was certainly a team player and sacrificed for those around him, playing as a hybrid safety that often acted as a linebacker.
It led to him recording a career-high 116 tackles this past season, but at times kept him away from shining where he’s best: in pass coverage.
Still, McKinney’s 87.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus was fourth-highest among all safeties in 2023.
He notably played every defensive snap, and recorded three interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, while allowing a 69.8 passer rating when targeted in coverage.
Though he sacrificed on the field, McKinney doesn’t intend on taking any hometown discounts to stay with the Giants.
He views himself as the best safety in the league, and wants to be paid accordingly.
“And stop trying to compare me or even mention me in the same convo,” McKinney wrote in a separate post on X on Friday. “Because no we are not the same!”
It mirrors the sentiment he held as the Giants’ season wrapped up, when he told The Post’s Mark Cannizzaro that “I don’t think nobody’s on my level from the standpoint of being able to do every single thing on the back end. I think a lot of safeties have certain things that they’re good at and a lot of stuff they’re not good at. But with me, if you just look at my whole game and how I am, I’m able to do everything at a high level and be very productive doing it.
“I’m the most complete safety out there, and it’s about time for some respect to that, too. So, I definitely think I am the best safety in this league and I’ll continue to prove that.’’
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