Devin McCourty has been a stalwart in New England’s secondary for nearly a decade, and it sounds as though that might be coming to an end soon.
McCourty said Monday if the Patriots come away with yet another Lombardi Trophy on Sunday, that could be his last as a player in the NFL.
"I don’t know for sure, man, but I do look at (retirement)," McCourty told NFL Network’s Deion Sanders during Super Bowl LIII Opening Night. "If we can win this game, win it with my brother, I don’t know what else I could do that’ll top that. So I’m just trying to make sure I enjoy this season and enjoy these last couple days with these guys."
McCourty has spent his entire career in New England, racking up 714 tackles, 80 passes defensed, 21 interceptions, nine forced fumbles, three sacks and one defensive touchdown in his nine seasons as a Patriot. He’s made two Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams, all as a second-teamer. His resume isn’t quite Hall of Fame good, but it’s more than solid, and one of which he can be very proud.
His brother, Jason, hasn’t enjoyed as much team success, spending the majority of his career with the Tennessee Titans, where he tallied 505 tackles, 73 passes defensed, 13 interceptions and six forced fumbles with the team in eight seasons. His career as a Titan never landed him a Pro Bowl or All-Pro honor, but he was dependable in Tennessee’s secondary. Then, his 30th year of life found him temporarily out of a job, leading him to the talent-devoid 2017 Browns.
That’s when the defensive back was a veteran leader of a defense that, unfortunately, didn’t get to savor the sweet taste of victory even once in a season. Meanwhile, his brother was busy performing as part of a team that won the AFC before falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII.
As football fate would have it, Jason McCourty went from Cleveland to New England, where he joined forces with the better-known Devin. As part of the Patriots family that included his own sibling, Jason McCourty enjoyed his most successful season in terms of team performance, appearing in 16 games, recording 70 tackles, 10 passes defensed and one interception as the Patriots finished 11-5 and won the AFC yet again.
Now, the two get to play for football’s ultimate prize together, as part of the same team. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could lead to the next phase of life for one of the twins.
We’ll find out if Atlanta is truly the last stop on Devin McCourty‘s career journey Sunday.