After signing with the Cleveland Browns last week, cornerback Jason McCourty explained why he chose not to reunite with his twin brother, Devin, in New England.
His reasoning was simple: With Malcolm Butler returning and Stephon Gilmore joining the fray, the Patriots didn’t have a need for him.
“I think there was definitely mutual interest,” Jason McCourty said Thursday on “Good Morning Football.” “Me and Devin have never hid the fact that us playing together would be a dream come true. My mom kind of has hinted at that since we both got into the league. She knows it would be a lot easier only having to travel to one city during the season.
“I think there was definitely mutual interest, but to be honest, the Patriots are kind of set at cornerback. They have a lot of talent in that room. There really wasn’t room for me. Me and Dev talked about that and that’s just the way of the league. I’m excited about the opportunity I have in Cleveland to work with those guys.”
The McCourty twins last played together at Rutgers, where they both started at cornerback. The Patriots later moved Devin McCourty to safety, and he’s gone on to achieve great individual and team success, earning three second-team All-Pro selections and winning two Super Bowls.
Jason McCourty, meanwhile, spent his first eight NFL seasons with the mediocre Tennessee Titans and has yet to appear in his first playoff game. Had he signed with New England, that personal postseason drought almost certainly would have ended this season. He might have to wait a bit longer with the Browns, who won a grand total of one game last season and haven’t reached the playoffs since 2002.
Thumbnail photo via Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports Images
