Xavier McKinney’s ‘leadership’ dig hurts the Giants’ locker room: Wink Martindale
Wink Martindale has become known for conducting player meetings he calls “keep it real’’ sessions.
Players have lauded him for them, because they represent what the Giants defensive coordinator calls a “safe space’’ where players can air grievances, make game-plan suggestions or share personal issues that may be plaguing them — and do so without repercussions.
This is why the comments made by safety Xavier McKinney to a reporter after the Giants’ 30-6 loss Sunday in Las Vegas represented a slap in the face to Martindale.
“I think 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,” McKinney, one of the team’s 10 captains elected at the start of the season, told ESPN.com following the game. “It was one of those things where you have some of your leaders, captains from a defensive standpoint, trying to switch things up and just not really being heard.’’
Martindale was blindsided when he read McKinney’s comments.
“It surprised me, because it’s the first time in my career that a player would make a statement like that,’’ Martindale said. “First time you read and go, ‘What is he talking about?‘We spoke. We cleared it up. I think it was a case where the kid was just frustrated with losing.
“The example that he gave me of what he was talking about was an in-game adjustment. It really took a while for him to point out to me exactly what it was. What he explained to me was a coverage that we ran one time. He explained that to me afterward. I didn’t hear about it during the game. That’s another reason why it caught me by surprise.
“I just told him that’s something that hurts the locker room. It hurts the defensive room when you say something like that. I understand about [internet] clicks and all the things that you [reporters] do, and I respect your profession. But the example I used in front of him and the entire defense is when you make a statement like that, it puts money in [the media’s] pockets and takes it out of ours.’’
McKinney, usually one of the most accommodating and engaging players in the locker room, didn’t make himself available for interviews Thursday.
Both Martindale and head coach Brian Daboll said McKinney would not be benched, that he’ll remain in his role as a starter.
Asked if this incident may have an impact on the team re-signing McKinney, who’s a pending free agent after the season, Martindale said, “We’ve got eight weeks left, so we will see where we are at the end of the season.’’
This hit Martindale particularly hard, because of those “keep it real’’ sessions.
“I end every meeting with, ‘Does anybody have anything, any questions, any concerns? Are we OK? Are your families OK? If you have something, say something. Do we like the plan?’ ’’ Martindale said. “It’s a safe space. I check all boxes, and I mean it when I say it. We’ve had discussions. We’ve had some different personalities that have been in those rooms. That’s a good thing [to discuss issues] before the game.’’
Asked if what McKinney said “hurt’’ him, Martindale said, “Yeah, it did, because I’ve always been open, I’ve always been honest with players and I think if you have a problem, it’s just how we handle things in that room.’’
Martindale said the comments prompted him go back to some veteran players to reassure that he’s doing the right things and that the McKinney issue was an isolated incident.
“I had to go back and talk to the leaders,’’ he said. “And when I say leaders, you don’t have to have a ‘C’ on your chest to be a leader. I talked to the vets — A’Shawn [Robinson] and Nacho [Rakeem Nunez-Roches], Bobby [Okereke], all of them, and said, ‘Hey, is there something that we’re not discussing? Is there a problem here?’ And to a man, they said, ‘No.’ ’’
