Xavier McKinney appears to take shot at Giants' Kayvon Thibodeaux

The New York Giants took a lot of heat for letting star running back Saquon Barkley defect down to Philadelphia in free agency last March, only to see him become the best version of himself.

But Barkley was not the only player the Giants chose not to retain who ended up on the All-Pro team this year.

Safety Xavier McKinney, who signed a four-year, $67 million free agent deal with the Green Bay Packers in March, was named All-Pro and to the 2025 NFC Pro Bowl Games roster.

Is McKinney bitter about the way his Giants’ career ended? He might be. He recently posted a puzzling message on his social media accounts apparently blasting the Giants and some former teammates, one believed to be linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux.

“To think he ever thought he was better than me and for them to try to push that … lol

“Oh and somebody tell buddy to hop hop [sic] off the melo podcast gossiping and lock back in on his craft.

“Yeah it’s always smoke … remember that ! Write it down take a picture IDGAF !”

Thibodeaux was on Carmelo Anthony’s podcast nearly a year ago and spoke about how his linebacker role equates to the safety role on the Giants’ defense. It seemed innocuous at the time. He was not disparaging McKinney or the safeties in any way.

But McKinney apparently did not see it that way. It looks as if he has a lot of unresolved issues with his former team and Thibodeaux.

“We are not the same,” McKinney wrote on X.

Not sure why McKinney dug out a year-old interview and decided to taunt the Giants and Thibodeaux here. Perhaps he’s just gloating over his success while his old team was among the league’s worst this year.