The Green Bay Packers rarely offer players a third contract, as the organization has long preferred avoiding major commitments to aging veterans whose production may no longer match the money. However, Xavier McKinney appears to be a realistic exception to that rule.
Xavier McKinney signed a four-year, $67 million deal with the Packers in 2024, so there is no real urgency for the organization to begin extension talks right now, especially with two years remaining on his contract. However, McKinney is only 27 years old and should still have several prime years ahead of him, which already makes this situation different from the type of veteran extensions Green Bay has typically avoided over the years.
More importantly, McKinney has earned All-Pro honors in each of his first two seasons in Titletown. Players with that level of impact and consistency are hard to find, which is why the Packers should at least be thinking ahead about keeping him in Green Bay long term.
I have seen some people say that McKinney is due for a “bounce-back season” in 2026, but that wording implies he did not play well in 2025, which was not the case. The perception mostly comes from the raw interception numbers. McKinney finished with only two picks last season after recording eight in 2024, so it’s easy for people to assume his play declined when looking only at the stat sheet.
The reality is that quarterbacks were far more careful throwing toward No. 29. He didn’t see nearly as many targets. Even when offenses decided to test him, he was more effective in coverage than he had been the year before, allowing just a 57.7% completion rate compared to 69.4% in 2024.
While interception numbers dropped, that does not necessarily mean his play declined. In many ways, it reflects the opposite. Offenses had less success attacking him, and quarterbacks were clearly more hesitant to challenge the areas he was covering.
That’s often how elite safeties impact games. They don’t always pile up interceptions because quarterbacks stop looking toward their side of the field altogether. Sometimes the best defensive backs are the ones you barely notice on tape, because offensive coordinators spend the entire game trying to stay away from them.
Suppose McKinney continues to play at an All-Pro level, and there’s really no evidence right now suggesting his play is about to decline. It’s fair to wonder whether a player on a three-year stretch of elite production would be comfortable entering a contract year without pushing for another long-term deal.
From his camp’s perspective, it would make a lot of sense to seek an extension before the final season of his current contract and secure more guaranteed money for the future while his value is at its peak.
That’s especially true at a position where truly elite players are difficult to find. All-Pro safeties are rare, and McKinney has already shown he can be the centerpiece of a defense in Green Bay. If he keeps performing at this level through 2026, pursuing another long-term contract before reaching the final year of his deal would be a completely reasonable move and likely in the best interest of both the player and the organization.
I believe both sides will eventually work out a new deal that would place Xavier McKinney in the exclusive group of players who have earned a third contract with Green Bay. Considering the level he has played at so far, it would be fully justified.
