Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney stretched his interception streak to four games on Sunday by picking off Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.
McKinney joined the Packers in free agency during the offseason, and so far, the former Alabama standout has intercepted a pass in every game in a Green Bay uniform. No player in franchise history had ever intercepted a pass in each of his first four games with the Packers until Sunday.
With 10:24 left in the third quarter against the Vikings, McKinney intercepted a deep pass intended for running back Aaron Jones at the Packers 2-yard line.
McKinney entered the 2024 season with nine interceptions in 49 regular-season games with the New York Giants. He joined the Packers as a free agent in March for a four-year, $67 million contract.
McKinney intercepted former Alabama teammate Jalen Hurts in the Packers’ 34-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 6, Anthony Richardson in Green Bay’s 16-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 15 and Will Levis in the Packers’ 30-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 22.
McKinney became the 17th player during the NFL’s AFC/NFC era to intercept a pass in his team’s first four games of the season.
During the NFL’s AFC/NFC era, the longest interception streak to start a season is six games, accomplished most recently by another former Alabama teammate of McKinney’s, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs. Diggs started the 2021 NFL season with at least one interception in each of the first six games. Brian Russell of the Minnesota Vikings in 2003 and Barry Wilburn with the Washington Redskins in 1987 also opened the season with an interception in six straight games.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
