Packers Restructure S Xavier McKinney’s Contract

The team has restructured safety Xavier McKinney‘s contract, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. McKinney was due to count $19.09MM against the cap next season, but that will no longer be the case. As Fowler notes, both his base salary ($4.25MM) and pending roster bonus ($8.5MM) are set to be converted into a signing bonus.

A simple conversion only affecting McKinney’s salary would have generated nearly $6MM in savings; that figure would have been sufficient to get the Packers out of the red in terms of cap space. Converting his roster bonus will create even more in the way of additional funds, though, and Fowler notes McKinney’s cap hit for 2026 should drop to below $10MM as a result of today’s move. More cost-cutting will no doubt be coming from Green Bay.

The Packers could free up more cap space by releasing the likes of offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins and edge rusher Rashan Gary. Over the coming days, the status of those two veterans will be worth watching closely as general manager Brian Gutekunst and Co. prepare for the new league year. In any event, McKinney will of course be in Green Bay’s plans for the foreseeable future.

The former Giant took a big-ticket deal in free agency during the 2024 offseason. McKinney thrived during his debut Green Bay campaign, notching eight interceptions en route to first-team All-Pro honors. The 27-year-old remained a full-time starter for the Packers this past season, posting double-digit pass deflections for the third year in a row. McKinney’s contract runs through 2027, a season in which an inflated cap figure will be in store unless void years are added or an extension is eventually agreed to.