Packers add safety McKinney on $68M contract

Free agent safety Xavier McKinney is signing a four-year, $68 million deal with the Green Bay Packers, agent David Mulugheta told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

McKinney’s addition comes as the Packers earlier on Monday lost safety Darnell Savage, who agreed to a three-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars, a source confirmed to ESPN.

Safety was perhaps the biggest offseason priority for the Packers, who are starting fresh on defense with new coordinator Jeff Hafley.

Two other safeties who played significant snaps last season, Jonathan Owens and Rudy Ford, also are free agents. That left Anthony Johnson Jr., a rookie last season, as the only returning safety under contract.

Versatile McKinney, who has been used extensively as a deep safety and in the box, was a defensive captain who logged 100% of the New York Giants‘ defensive snaps this past season. He finished with a career-high 116 total tackles, 3 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries.

An early second-round draft pick, McKinney, 24, missed most of his 2020 rookie season with a foot injury. He also missed eight games in 2022 after an ATV accident in Cabo during the team’s bye week.

Overall, McKinney has appeared in 49 games over his first four NFL seasons. He has 279 career tackles, 9 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles.

ESPN’s Rob Demovsky and Jordan Raanan contributed to this report.