The Green Bay Packers know that if they want to compete for a Super Bowl, free agency and the draft will be vital roles. Green Bay has prided themselves on building through the draft, however, with recent salary cap freedom they dived into free agency as well.
With how things turned out on both sides, expect that to continue.
Packers’ Starter Shares Exactly How He Was Treated Arriving In Green Bay
With the signing of safety Xavier McKinney to a four-year, $67 million contract, the Green Bay Packers made one of the biggest splashes in recent free agency history:
He immediately stepped and elevated Green Bay’s defense. After finishing second in the league with eight interceptions, McKinney notched his first All-Pro nod and Pro Bowl selection. He was arguably the best safety in all of football in 2024.
His success makes the New York Giants’ decision to not re-sign him head-scratching. Yet, another man’s trash is another man’s treasure. And for the Green Bay Packers, McKinney’s impact helped transcend the defense into a near top-ten unit.
His ascension in 2024 is a story people want to know more about and something McKinney opened up about on Tuesday.
On the latest episode of NFL Spotlight with Ari Meirov, Xavier McKinney was asked about his free agency journey and transition to the Green Bay Packers.
“It was super smooth from the day that I got in. The fans were loving. The organization brought me in and had open arms. They accepted me for who I was.” McKinney continued, “They never tried to change me or make me a certain way. They said, “We know you’re X, be you.” That’s really all it was. Even with the players, same thing. It was such an easy transition. I always tell people it’s one of the easiest transitions that I’ve ever made in my life, especially joining a new team. It was good.”
McKinney absolutely balled out in his first season in Green Bay:
| Def Interceptions | Fumbles | Tackles | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Team | Opp | Result | Int | Yds | IntTD | Lng | PD | FF | Fmb | FR | Yds | FRTD | Sk | Comb | Solo | Ast | TFL | QBHits | Sfty | |
| 2025-01-12 | GNB | @ | PHI | L 10-22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2025-01-05 | GNB | CHI | L 22-24 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2024-12-29 | GNB | @ | MIN | L 25-27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024-12-23 | GNB | NOR | W 34-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2024-12-15 | GNB | @ | SEA | W 30-13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024-12-05 | GNB | @ | DET | L 31-34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024-11-28 | GNB | MIA | W 30-17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2024-11-24 | GNB | SFO | W 38-10 | 1 | 48 | 0 | 48 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2024-11-17 | GNB | @ | CHI | W 20-19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024-11-03 | GNB | DET | L 14-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2024-10-27 | GNB | @ | JAX | W 30-27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024-10-20 | GNB | HOU | W 24-22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2024-10-13 | GNB | ARI | W 34-13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2024-10-06 | GNB | @ | LAR | W 24-19 | 1 | 28 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0.0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024-09-29 | GNB | MIN | L 29-31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2024-09-22 | GNB | @ | TEN | W 30-14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024-09-15 | GNB | IND | W 16-10 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2024-09-06 | GNB | @ | PHI | L 29-34 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
For More Wisconsin Sports:
Follow me on Twitter at @mcquadewarnold, follow us @WiSportsHeroics. You can also reach out to McQuade Arnold via email at mcquadewarnold@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Wisconsin sports, click here! Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks, Wisconsin Badgers. Go Pack Go. On Wisconsin. Fear The Deer. This Is My Crew
