Xavier McKinney tweets he injured hand in ATV accident: How will NY Giants replace him?

New York Giants co-captain and safety Xavier McKinney suffered a hand injury during an ATV accident while on vacation last week that will keep him sidelined for "a few weeks," according to a post on his verified Twitter account Monday morning.

The details provided are accurate, an individual with knowledge of the situation confirmed to NorthJersey.com, part of the USA TODAY Network. The person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to talk about the situation pubi

McKinney plays an integral role for the Giants on and off the field. He's a leader and signal caller on the defense, a respected teammate and emotional spark plug on game days, not to mention one of the best players on a surprising playoff contender as Big Blue returns from its bye week at 6-2.

The Giants placed McKinney on the reserve/non-football injury list on Monday in addition to placing defensive lineman Nick Williams on injured reserve due to the bicep injury he sustained in the team's loss to Seattle two weeks ago.

McKinney (and Williams) must now miss a minimum of four games before being eligible to return to practice and ultimately the active roster.

Don't let anyone minimize the significance of McKinney's absence, especially given the circumstances with the injury occurring away from the football field and during the Giants' bye week.

McKinney has not missed a snap since Week 3 of last season, so that streak will end Sunday. It was the longest such streak in the NFL. He's played every snap this season and his run of 1,432 snaps, impressive as that is, will end when the Giants return to action at MetLife Stadium against the Houston Texans.

McKinney must now miss, at least, the home games against the Texans and Lions followed by the Thanksgiving rematch against the Cowboys and then Dec. 4 at home against Washington. He would be eligible to return from NFI for the Giants' Dec. 11 game against the Eagles at MetLife Stadium, provided what is believed to be a broken hand is healed by then.

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This was McKinney's explanation: "During our bye week, I went away to Cabo. While there, I joined a group for a guided sight-seeing tour on ATVs. Unfortunately, I had an accident and injured my hand. The injury will keep me sidelined for a few weeks. I will do everything I can to get back as quickly as possible so I can contribute to what we're building here in NY."

The Giants do have depth at the safety position with co-captain Julian Love one of two starters alongside McKinney.

Expect Love to take over as signal caller in Wink Martindale's defense, so even more on his plate. Rookie Dane Belton has been a major contributor on the back end. Veteran Landon Collins has been a practice squad elevation the past two weeks and could be in line for an even bigger role. Former Jet Jason Pinnock has primarily played special teams, while another veteran, Tony Jefferson, must miss at least one more game on IR with a foot injury before being eligible to return.

What we know: McKinney hurt his hand in an ATV accident on what he says was a guided tour during the bye week in Cabo. We don't know if he was popping wheelies, goofing around, going at a ridiculous high speed or leisurely taking in the sights and something freakish happened.

What we also know: The injury doesn't happen if McKinney isn't on an ATV. That's why such clauses are in standard contracts to stay away from similar activities. It's not worth the risk, and now McKinney and the Giants pay for it on the field when everything they've done to this point should bring positive energy.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Xavier McKinney injury: NY Giants star hurts hand in ATV accident