After the 2022 season, it didn’t take former New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty long to come to the realization that it was time to hang up the cleats.
Part of his decision stemmed from his overall view of where the team was headed.
New England finished the 2022 season with a record of 8-9 and missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. McCourty finished the year with 71 combined tackles and four interceptions. The interceptions were his most since the 2019 season.
The former Rutgers star closed out the year on a high note, recording five tackles and an interception against the Buffalo Bills in the finale. Nevertheless, he admits he knew it was time to hang up the cleats even after the stellar finish, as transcribed by Pro Football Network’s Arif Hasan.
“But I think especially as you get older, you start to only play to win a Super Bowl. And I was like, if I go back, I don’t think we’ll go win a Super Bowl,” said McCourty. “So as I started to sit there and be like, alright, ‘what did we really set myself up for? We were eight and nine last year? Am I gonna go to another team? Is it worth it for six months?’”
It wasn’t just the state of the team that helped McCourty come to the realization that his time was up as a football player. The workouts also started to feel different for the longtime veteran.
One session in particular with special teams legend Matthew Slater changed everything.
“A good friend of mine, Matt Slater, is in there working out as I’m rehabbing so I’m like, ‘alright,’” said McCourty. “And I forgot what day it was, I was like, ‘These next two days, I’m gonna go in here and workout.’ And I’m in there working out and like, I’m now thinking, ‘I’m doing kind of an old man workout.’ And I’m watching him, and I’m seeing a difference between the way he’s working out and the way I’m working now.
“I kind of knew from right there it was probably it. I then went on vacation and just being with my family, I knew I didn’t want to do that anymore. And I knew some of the things I wanted to pursue, going on TV, doing those things, felt more important than going and playing football at the time.”
No one can doubt McCourty’s dedication and productivity for the Patriots throughout his incredible career. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end at some point.
