Xavier McKinney had perfect response after accidentally wanting Bart Starr's number
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The Green Bay Packers upgraded the secondary by signing Xavier McKinney, one of the league's best moves in the opening week of free agency.
Not only was McKinney the number one available safety, but he also perfectly fits Jeff Hafley's scheme. McKinney can line up as the single-high safety—he is outstanding in coverage and rarely misses tackles.
Before McKinney dives into the playbook and gets to know his new teammates, he has to choose his jersey number.
After wearing No. 29 in New York, McKinney wondered whether to make a change but didn't initially realize the number he wanted was unavailable.
Packers safety Xavier McKinney reacts to accidentally wanting Bart Starr's jersey number
McKinney asked his followers on X (formerly Twitter) whether he should stick with No. 29 or switch to No. 15. He wasn't aware that Packers legend Bart Starr wore the No. 15 jersey, which is now retired in Green Bay.
What number should I get?Keep that 2 9
— Xavier McKinney (@mckinney15__) March 13, 2024
Or bring that 1 5 mf 🤔
Only minutes later, McKinney realized his mistake and quickly corrected it, and he had the perfect reaction.
Bart had 1 5… playas F up sometimes too 🤣🤣 my bad
— Xavier McKinney (@mckinney15__) March 13, 2024
We can safely assume McKinney will be wearing the No. 29 jersey in Green Bay, after all. He quickly corrected himself with a hilarious follow-up to his initial tweet.
There was similar confusion a year ago after the Packers drafted Jayden Reed. The initial announcement had Reed with the No. 1 jersey, but that was quickly changed to No. 11. While the No. 1 jersey hasn't been officially retired by the Packers, no player has worn it since Curly Lambeau.
It doesn't matter what number McKinney wears—whether it's No. 29, No. 99, or No. 0—the fact that he will be wearing green and gold next season is all that matters. The Packers needed to find a game-changer at safety. McKinney is a rising star and could be a home-run addition to this defense.
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