Did Xavier McKinney call one of his former Giants teammates?

McKinney, now with the Packers, shared a cryptic message on his Instagram Story on Friday evening.

“To think he ever thought he was better than me and that they’re trying to push that…lol,” McKinney wrote. “Oh, and someone tell their buddy to get out of the Melo podcast gossip and get back to his craft.

“Yes, there is always smoke… remember! Write it down and take a photo IDGAF!”

McKinney also posted on X around the same time.

“We are not the same,” McKinney wrote.

McKinney did not reveal who he was talking about.

He spent the first four years of his career with the Giants and developed into one of the NFL’s best safeties before entering free agency last offseason and signing a four-year, $67 million contract with the Packers.

And McKinney thrived in Green Bay, being named to the All-Pro First Team.

He also recorded eight interceptions – the second most in the league.

McKinney and the Packers will face the Eagles in the wild card round, while the Giants finished the season with a disastrous 3-14 record.

Giants outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, who was McKinney’s teammate for two years, notably made an appearance on Carmelo Anthony’s podcast “7 PM in Brooklyn” on the show’s January 25, 2024 episode – almost a full year ago.

As a result, Thibodeaux compared his role as a pass rusher to that of a safety.

“I was given the hardest and easiest position in the NFL,” Thibodeaux said. “It’s the hardest one because when you talk about size, strength, power output and physics, offensive linemen are the most dangerous. Unlike a safety who comes down at full speed, these are offensive linemen. To physically hit or push them every game – I weigh 250 (pounds). The average O-lineman weighs 320 (pounds). They talk about the attitude that I must have or like a Lawrence Taylor or all these guys who are relentless on defense.”

Thibodeaux brought up the safety position on another occasion later in the episode.

“Would I want to play offense? No, I don’t want to go on offense,” Thibodeaux said. “What people miss about D-lineman is that people always think D-linemen are the dumbest guys. We have the least influence. Even though we have the same impact, I take two steps with these safeties, these linebackers. Like a guy like Ray Lewis? I don’t know how he played the way he played for as long as he played. God is good.”

However, these comments appeared to be more about praise for the security situation than criticism.