Lions
Lions DT Alim McNeill talked about what it was like to suffer a season-ending injury for the first time in his career and was adamant about attacking rehab in order to get back on the field as quickly as possible.
“I had no clue what it was, but I knew it was something a little fishy about it, how it was feeling at the time,” McNeill said, via the team’s website. “As far as the season cut short, it was definitely tough, 100 percent tough. This is the first time I’ve ever had a season-ending injury and first time having surgery so it was all new stuff to me. Now that we’re done, I gotta get back on the field as fast as I can. I’m not gonna rush or anything but I’m gonna push myself for sure.”
McNeill doesn’t believe the team’s window to win a Super Bowl has closed and has confidence in their core as a reason to believe that they’ll be one of the favorites to win once again next year.
“It’s tough. Not what anyone expected this year. We put in a lot of work and had goals set out for this year,” McNeill said. “Things took a different turn, and we are here now. It happens. It’s tough to swallow. We’re just going to put in that much more work to get that more prepared. There’s no blueprint to it. There’s no hiding from it. You have to put in the work to get (to the Super Bowl) and that’s what we’re going to do. It’s just going to continue to grow for us. We still have a fairly young squad and still have guys still coming into their form. I for sure see a great future for us.”
Packers
Packers S Xavier McKinney signed on with Green Bay last offseason and achieved a career year with eight interceptions. He reflected on how the Giants elected against re-signing as a free agent.
“I could tell they didn’t really want me there,” McKinney said, via GiantsWire. “I kind of knew that but for me, it was like I’ve still got to play well and I still have got to do the best I can for this team right now. I was still with the team and I was still all in but I could kind of tell the direction they were going.”
New York has allowed several key players to leave the team, including Saquon Barkley, Leonard Williams, Julian Love, and McKinney. When asked about how the Giants have let players walk, McKinney responded the Giants go about the business their own way.
“That’s my old team,” McKinney said. “They go about their business a certain way and they feel like how they do things is the right way. Ultimately, that’s how they feel. I can’t do anything but respect it and wish them the best of luck. That’s really all I can do.”
Vikings
Following a career resurgence in 2024, the Vikings have a decision to make regarding QB Sam Darnold‘s free agency. With plenty of teams in the market for a quarterback, Darnold revealed he’s thought about his upcoming free agency but will keep all the details between him and his agent.
“I’ve put a little bit of thought into it,” Darnold said, via SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I’m not gonna share anything about what I’ve been thinking or the conversations I’ve behind closed doors. There’s obviously a lot that’s gonna happen still, even after the Super Bowl. Just going to continue to talk to my agent and figure things out from there.”
Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on X.com and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!
