Did Gloomy Patriots Outlook Factor Into Devin McCourty’s Retirement?

Devin McCourty left his filter in Foxboro before transitioning to the media world — and thank goodness for that.

The legendary New England safety hasn’t shied away from voicing his opinions since retiring last March. And that trend continued Wednesday when McCourty appeared on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show.”

McCourty was asked whether he thought the Patriots were in for a rough campaign, and whether that contributed to his retirement decision. The 36-year-old claimed he was going to retire regardless, but also indicated he could’ve made a different decision if the Patriots had a chance to win a championship.

“I think I definitely thought it was gonna be a tough season,” McCourty said. “I think, overall, I just didn’t think there would be enough. … Will you be a contender in 2023? No. But, like, in my overall decision, I would say no. Because I was kind of done no matter what. … I could’ve easily said, ‘You know what, I don’t wanna play in New England, but I could go play elsewhere and maybe have a chance to win a Super Bowl.’ But I think, overall, for me, I was at the stage where football was done.

“But I think when you play a season, and you’ve been on Super Bowl teams, you know, ‘Like, alright, this team is close.’ And I played on teams where we didn’t go to the Super Bowl or we might’ve lost, but I’m like, ‘Man, next year, we’re still gonna have a chance.’ I think this team’s just a few years away from having a chance to get back into being contenders. .. I didn’t think they would be 2-7 right now. But I think, overall, I was gonna be 36 this year. I’m like, ‘Man, if I’m not playing for a Super Bowl, what’s the point of putting my body through more pain?’ So, they’ll just have some ways to go, but I think they have the leadership under Bill (Belichick) to still get that done in the future.”

The Patriots are one of the NFL’s worst teams through nine weeks. At 2-7, they have the worst record in the AFC and currently own the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The scariest part? Things might get worse before they get any better.

New England will look to inject some positivity into its season this Sunday when it hosts the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany.