Giants safety Xavier McKinney: I was doing 'nothing that was reckless' at time of injury

Giants free safety Xavier McKinney had surgery on his left hand after breaking multiple fingers in what he called a “freak accident” while riding an off-road vehicle in Mexico last week — something that could potentially cost him the rest of the season.

McKinney said Tuesday that he addressed the issue with his teammates after the incident, which occurred on a Can-Am — a large all-terrain vehicle — while sightseeing. The Giants defensive captain will be out a minimum of four weeks, and defensive play-calling duties will now fall to safety Julian Love, coach Brian Daboll said.

McKinney wouldn’t say whether he was driving the vehicle, though he insisted he was doing “nothing that was reckless” at the time. Because he was placed on the non-football injury list, the Giants may opt to withhold his salary for however long he’s out, though it’s unclear whether they’ll go through with it (if he misses the minimum four games, the team would save $305,000).

McKinney said there was no timeline on his return; Daboll said “we’ll see” when asked if he’ll come back this season.

“Obviously it hurts,” McKinney said. “These guys, we’ve put in the work — countless amounts of hours together. I know what I put into this game. I know how much we have collectively as a group put into what we’ve done to build where we’re at now. It hurts a lot for me. [It’s been a] mental roller-coaster, but I’m going to continue to be here for my team, I’m going to continue to lead . . . whether I’m playing or not.”

McKinney, who was in a sling with a hard cast around his fingers, wouldn’t say how many fingers he broke or exactly what happened, only that the vehicle “tilted over” and he fell on his fingers. Daboll wouldn’t comment on what discipline, if any, McKinney will face for essentially violating his contract during the bye week. However, the coach took a sympathetic tone when talking about the 23-year-old the Giants view as a foundation piece of their defense.

“I feel bad for Xavier,” Daboll said. “Disappointed that he got injured, and he’ll do everything he can do to get back and be ready to go . . . I feel bad for him. I feel bad for us. It’s an unfortunate thing that happened.”

With McKinney out, Love will take on an even greater role in the Giants' defense, and Daboll said he plans to use  rookie Dane Belton and Jason Pinnock, as well. Love said that he’s had the mic in his helmet during practice since OTAs and is comfortable in the play-calling role.

“I’m not one to say he let us down because he didn’t let us down,” Love said. “Freak things happen. I think he’s feeling fine. Right now, he’s been in the meeting rooms leading us still, being vocal about the defense, because that’s who he is — he’s our vocal leader . . . What makes this team special is that he’s staying around and helping us, helping us communicate, helping the young guys, helping Dane, helping some of the other guys come up. That’s huge right there. You can either fold or you can rise to the occasion, and he’s been rising for us.”

McKinney said the rest of his hand is uninjured and that he doesn’t expect the fractures to cause any lasting damage. He went to a hospital in Mexico immediately after the injury, which occurred last Wednesday, but he had surgery in New York.

“I take full responsibility in what was going on,” he said, adding he'd understand if his salary is withheld. “I’m an accountable person . . . I’m still going to be able to help as much as I can. Like I said, I’m going to be in meetings, I’m going to be out there in practice and helping as much as I can so we can keep this thing rolling.”

By Laura Albanese

laura.albanese@newsday.com@AlbaneseLaura

Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.