Giants safety, captain Xavier McKinney sidelined with injury from ATV accident in Cabo
New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney will miss multiple weeks with a hand injury he sustained while riding an ATV during a bye-week vacation in Mexico.
McKinney announced the injury on Twitter on Monday. He didn't specify the nature of the injury but wrote that it will sideline him "for a few weeks." He noted that it took place during a sight-seeing tour in the Baja resort town of Cabo San Lucas.
— Xavier McKinney (@mckinney15__) November 7, 2022
"During our bye week, I went away to Cabo," McKinney wrote. "While there, I joined a group for a guided sight-seeing tour on ATVs. Unfortunately, I had an accident and injured my hand. The injury will keep me sidelined for a few weeks.
"I will do everything I can to get back as quickly as possible so I can contribute to what we’re building here in NY."
The Giants placed McKinney on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury List on Monday afternoon. At a minimum, he'll miss games against the Houston Texans, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders because of the designation. He'll be eligible to return in Week 14 against the Philadelphia Eagles. His timeline to return is not clear.
McKinney, 23, is in his second season as a full-time starter at free safety. A second-round pick in the 2020 draft, he was voted a team captain for 2022. In 2021, McKinney tallied 93 tackles, 10 passes defended and a team-high five interceptions. He's started every game in 2022, tallying 38 tackles, four passes defended and one sack.
Rookie Dane Belton and third-year pro Jason Pinnock are next up on the Giants' depth chart. Belton, a fourth-round pick out of Iowa, has two starts this season and is the most likely candidate to take McKinney's place in the starting lineup as the Giants enter the second half of the season with a 6-2 record, good for a second-place tie with the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East.
NFL contracts often have clauses prohibiting activities like riding motorcycles and ATVs. It's not clear if McKinney's does, but it's unlikely the Giants would look seek to void the contract of a respected and valuable contributor.
