Photo: Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty

New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney (29) prior to the National Football League game between the New York Giants and the Indianapolis Colts on January 1, 2023 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“First of all, to show how bad the injury was,” the 23-year-old told the outlet. “I don’t think people understood the magnitude of what it was. They didn’t really understand how broken that it really was.”

“I think a lot of people didn’t understand that I coulda really lost three fingers,” he added. “I was almost close to losing three of my fingers.”

McKinney recently shared x-ray images of his broken fingers on his Instagram Story. He told thePostthat doctors were unsure whether they would be able to put the “pieces” of his finger bones back together.

“When we were doing surgery, actually the doc told me afterwards, he was like he wasn’t sure how he was even gonna be able to get all the pieces back together ‘cause there was so many,” he recalled.

He added: “My fingers were shattered.”

Shortly after the incident happened, McKinney updated his fans onTwitter, explaining that it occurred during a guided sightseeing tour and that he would be unable to play for “weeks.”

McKinney eventually rejoined the team earlier this month.

“That’s why I say the time is so valuable; everything is precious,” McKinney told thePost. “I try to take nothing for granted… It was a life-changing experience for me.”

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“It was traumatizing for me,” he continued. “I never saw anything like that with my own eyes. It was different. It made me change my perspective on a lot of things.”

The Giants are now in the hunt for a Super Bowl berth. They will face the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs on Saturday.

source: people.com