We still have no idea whether Devin McCourty will return for a 14th NFL season.
But if the star safety does continue his playing career, it sounds like he’ll only do so for the New England Patriots.
McCourty sounded like a player eyeing retirement after New England’s season concluded with a deflating road loss to the Buffalo Bills. But he’s seemed conflicted on the issue in the weeks since, a trend that continued during his Monday morning NFL Network interview.
Appearing on “Good Morning Football”, McCourty said he’s gone “back and forth” on whether to retire. He also discussed the possibility of playing for a team other than the Patriots.
“I do believe in ‘never say never,’ ” McCourty said. “But I find it very hard to see myself playing in another uniform. I just think, you know, you do something for 13 years, and now you get to the backend. I never really wanted to be a guy that, if I couldn’t play at the level I wanted to play at, to just jump on another team just to be there along for the ride.”
McCourty has lost a step in recent seasons, but he remains one of the more rock-solid safeties in the NFL. In 2022, the 35-year-old started every game for the eighth consecutive season while seeing 97% of defensive snaps.
Should McCourty elect to retire, his departure could set off a series of dominoes in New England’s secondary while creating a glaring hole at free safety.
