KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Benardrick McKinney spent the past two weeks adapting to his surroundings.
They were all so new, from his team (signed by the Giants on Oct. 19) to his roster designation ("I’m still trying to get used to it," he said of being on the practice squad) to his jersey number ("It’s definitely different," as he signed off on the 49 he was issued rather than the 55 he’d worn his entire career).
The football part? That was easy.
McKinney was a gameday promotion and played just 11 snaps at inside linebacker for the Giants in last week’s win over the Panthers, making two tackles in that return to the field for the first time in over a year, but it was, he said, the most natural part of what has been a winding journey for him to arrive here.