One-time NFL MVP blasts Giants' Xavier McKinney over comments

One-time NFL Most Valuable Player and current "The NFL Today" analyst Boomer Esiason thinks New York Giants safety and team captain Xavier McKinney should sit following controversial comments McKinney made shortly after the team's 30-6 loss at the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday. 

"I wouldn’t start him," Esiason said about McKinney during Friday's edition of the WFAN "Boomer and Gio" program, per Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "He’s not gonna be here next year." 

Specifically, McKinney said after the defeat against the Raiders that "from a leadership standpoint, I don't think they've done a great job of letting the leaders lead and listening to the leaders and the captains" during games. The 25-year-old in the final months of his rookie contract revealed later in the week that he and defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale addressed those comments, and Martindale made it known Thursday that McKinney's words "surprised me because it’s the first time it’s ever happened in my career — that a player would make a statement like that." 

Esiason seemed surprised by Martindale's reaction. 

"That’s kind of passive-aggressive, that’s the way that sounded," Esiason said about Martindale's response. "Most coaches would say, 'That’s a player blowing off steam,' but in this case, Wink is saying, 'That’s the first time anyone’s ever said that about me.' The reason I think Wink is saying that is because the last thing you want is your players turning on you, especially publicly."

The 2-7 Giants suffered five double-digit losses over the season's first nine weeks, are playing undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito at quarterback due to injuries and likely are about to get crushed by the 5-3 Dallas Cowboys this Sunday. It's unknown if Giants co-owner John Mara would part ways with head coach Brian Daboll and Daboll's staff if the club fails to earn another win through Week 18, but even the idea that some team captains may be turning on coaches could grab Mara's attention ahead of the offseason. 

As for McKinney's future, he said at the American Eagle Food Pantry of Northern New Jersey on Tuesday he "would love to continue" being with the Giants past this season. It remains to be seen if the organization feels the same about him by the start of the new league year in March.