Patriots’ Devin McCourty Reportedly Intends to Play in 2022

Prior to the start of the 2021 season, New England Patriots’ safety Devin McCourty was named a team captain for the eleventh time in his career. Since being drafted in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft McCourty has been a stalwart in the Pats defense. Following his conversion from cornerback to safety, the Rutgers product has been one of the Pats most prolific on-field defenders, as well as one of its most respected leaders in the locker room.

At age 34, having just completed his 12th NFL season, McCourty is apparently willing to continue to journey, for at least one more year.

According to multiple reports on Friday, McCourty is planning to continue his career in 2022.

It was also reported by Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal that the veteran defender underwent surgery on his thumb since the Patriots’ season came to an end earlier this month. Despite the injury, McCourty’s overall physical well-being seems to be sufficient to warrant a return to the gridiron in the upcoming season.

“I haven’t had a drop-off in athletic ability and the physical traits to play the game,” he recently said on his Double Coverage podcast, which he hosts alongside his twin brother Jason. “It all really comes down to mentally and being ready, and being able to tap back in and go through a full season. I think those are the things you have to think about, but I’m definitely going to take my time and see what happens for the future.”

Will that future include a Patriots uniform? Only time will tell…

Since his rookie season in 2010, McCourty has appeared in a combined 212 regular season and playoff games as a member of the Patriots. He has become a three-time Super Bowl champion, as well as being voted to two Pro Bowls, three All-Pro teams and the Patriots’ Team of the 2010s.

McCourty was once again a key component of the team’s success on defense in 2021. He served as a leader in the team’s defensive backfield, anchoring the team’s vaunted three-safety sets along with Kyle Dugger and Adrian Phillips. McCourty appeared in all 18 games (17 regular-season, one playoff), compiling 68 total tackles, ten passes defensed and three interceptions. In the Pats lone playoff game in 2021, McCourty tied Brett Favre and Gene Upshaw for the fourth-most postseason starts with 24.

McCourty is set to enter unrestricted free agency in mid-March. While technically under contract through 2024, his contract will void if he is not signed by the first day of the new league year on March 16, 2022.

While he has repeatedly expressed his preference for returning to New England, the Patriots must decide whether they wish to retain McCourty’s services. Should the two sides agree on a deal, it would likely be of the short-term variety.

Still, the tallest hurdle for McCourty’s potential return to Foxboro appears to have been cleared with his intentions now known.

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