Devin McCourty returns to Pats
Reportedly agrees to 2-year deal
Hours ahead of the start of NFL free agency, Patriots safety Devin McCourty broke the news he will return to New England for the 2020 season.
McCourty announced his return Sunday night on his podcast, Double Coverage, which he hosts with his brother, Jason. McCourty has served as the team’s defensive captain since 2011 and grown to be an indispensable part of the Pats’ secondary. According to the NFL Network, his new deal is a 2-year contract extension worth up to $23 million with $17 million guaranteed.
McCourty had been set to hit the open market this week as a free agent. The 32-yearold has spent his entire 10year career with the Patriots.
“I will be staying here in New England to play alongside this guy,” Devin McCourty said. “So sign me up.”
Jason McCourty had his 2020 team option picked up earlier this offseason and will enter his third season with team.
McCourty’s new extension aligns with the upperechelon contracts signed by free-agent safeties in recent years. His deal holds a lower average annual value than contract Earl Thomas signed last offseason with the Ravens. However, a higher percentage of McCourty’s money is guaranteed.
McCourty was a top priority for the team this offseason. He nabbed five interceptions over a career year in 2019, when he led the league’s top-ranked defense. The former first-round pick has started every Patriots game dating back to the start of the 2016 season.
Immediately after the Pats’ Wild Card playoff loss to the Titans, McCourty announced his intentions to play in 2020. One year earlier, he had openly contemplated retirement.
“We’ll see. It’ll work itself out,” McCourty said in January. “I definitely see me playing football next year. I’ve had a lot of fun this year. … How much fun I’ve had, I can’t see it happening — me not playing football next year.” That deal is now done. In addition to his defensive production, which included 58 tackles and two forced fumbles last season, McCourty calls pre-snap adjustments for the defense. He’s a sound tackler and excellent deep-field defender. Among safeties who played at least 300 defensive snaps, McCourty graded out as the eighth-best in football last year, per Pro Football Focus. Quarterbacks who threw in his direction registered a passer rating of 44.4.
Ahead of a win over the Redskins last October, Patriots coach Bill Belichick detailed what makes McCourty a special player.
“Devin has a lot of experience in our system so he’s very well-versed in what we do, but he’s a smart player that understands the entire defensive concept, not just his position; what everybody else does, what the strengths and weaknesses of the defense are … Just instinctively he does a lot of things right,” Belichick said.
“He’s a very good communicator. All of those things are strong points. He’s fast, he’s a good athlete, he’s tough, a strong tackler, he’s out there every day, he practices and continues to get better. Players that are smart, that work hard and improve and they help your team – he certainly falls into that category.”
Other impending Patriots free agents of note include quarterback Tom Brady, linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins and offensive guard Joe Thuney.
NFL free agents can officially sign at the start of the new league year Wednesday at 4 p.m. However, free agency will kick off with a “legal tampering” period set to open Monday at noon.