After the Giants lost to the Raiders last Sunday, safety Xavier McKinney said that he doesn’t think Giants coaches have “done a great job of letting the leaders lead” and that “it’s hard to go out there and be able to make plays” when you don’t feel like you’re being heard.
McKinney said this week that he met with defensive coordinator Wink Martindale about his feelings and that they are now on the same page. On Thursday, Martindale had his chance to talk about McKinney’s comments and his exchange with the safety.
“It surprised me, because it’s the first time it’s ever happened in my career,” Martindale said, via Charlotte Carroll of TheAthletic.com. “That a player would make a statement like that. I think it was a case where the kid is just frustrated from losing. We spoke. We cleared it up. The example he gave me of what he was talking about was an in-game adjustment. And it really took a while for him to point out to me what exactly it was, but I think you grow from that.”
Martindale said “it hurts the locker room” when players publicly air their grievances and shared what he told McKinney and the rest of the team about handling such feelings.
“When you make a statement like that, it puts money in your pockets and takes it out of ours,” Martindale said. “Talking about the media. You just have to understand that it was an emotional thing right after the game.”
Giants head coach Brian Daboll said that McKinney’s spot in the starting lineup won’t be impacted by his comments, but the safety is an impending free agent and his future with the Giants beyond this season remains up in the air.
