New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty had some revealing comments when talking about why he retired in the offseason.
McCourty was a staple of the Patriots defense for 12 years and became one of the cornerstone players for the franchise. He had an incredible career that included three Super Bowl wins, two Pro Bowl selections and 971 total tackles.
The Rutgers product was drafted in 2009 and was one of the most successful first-round picks of the Bill Belichick era. Still, McCourty knew when it was time to hang up the cleats.
He appeared on “The Greg Hill Show” recently and was asked if the Patriots’ struggles factored into his decision to retire.
“I think I definitely thought it was gonna be a tough season,” said McCourty. “I think, overall, I just didn’t think there would be enough. Like, last week we talked about is this team going to be a contender next year? No. So coming off last year and think we would be a contender in 2023, no. But in my overall decision, I would say no because I was kind of done no matter what.
“…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?'”
"If I'm not playing for a Super Bowl then what's the point of putting my body through more pain"
Devin McCourty speaks on his decision to retire and the expectations that he had for the Patriots going into the season pic.twitter.com/p446njWCsA— The Greg Hill Show (@TheGregHillShow) November 8, 2023
It could be argued that McCourty was simply done with football after a long career. However, it could also be argued that he realized the Patriots were heading towards a struggle period for the franchise.
New England is struggling this year, and they are hobbling to a losing season for a second straight season. Whatever the case may be, McCourty might have made a smart decision in hanging up the cleats.
