Packers React Immediately to Xavier McKinney’s Bold Statement

Without a doubt, safety Xavier McKinney was among the top performers in the 2024 NFL season for the Green Bay Packers. The defensive back provided incredible presence downfield for the Packers’ stop unit that finished the campaign ranked sixth in the league with 20.0 points allowed per game, eighth against the pass with 209.9 passing yards surrendered per contest and fourth with a 2.9 percent defensive interception rate.

Individually, McKinney concluded his first year with the Packers with eight interceptions, 11 passes defended, a sack and a quarterback hit through 17 games (all starts).

However, McKinney failed to get a Defensive Player of the Year finalist nod. In fact, no other safety was named a finalist for the said award. Only one defensive back made the cut, with Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II earning a spot. The other finalists are Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ Watt.

Packers react to McKinney’s post

McKinney made his feelings known about the DPOY finalists’ snub of safeties with a social media post on Thursday.

No safety nominees on DPOY . Crazy work

— Xavier McKinney (@mckinney15__) January 23, 2025

The Packers later reacted to McKinney’s sentiment via Instagram by using a face emoji to caption the player’s reaction.

It has been a while since the last time a safety won the Defensive Player of the Year. The last player of the position to take home the award was Pittsburgh Steelers legend Troy Polamalu in 2010.

Despite the snub, there is no denying that the Packers have a solid defensive contributor in McKinney, who signed a four-year deal with Green Bay worth $67 million in March 2024.