New England Patriots incumbent free agent predictions

Devin McCourty

For the second time in a little over a year, the Patriots find themselves in mysterious, unpleasant territory with one of their star players. It was right around February of 2019 — leading up to Super Bowl 53 — that longtime safety Devin McCourty created an uproar when he suggested he might retire after the game, whether New England won or lost.

His twin brother Jason, who plays corner for the Pats, laughed off Devin’s statements and called him a “drama queen.” As it turned out, brother knows best: Devin decided to come back for another season, and he was downright sensational in 2019 — putting together his best season in almost a decade.

The problem now is that McCourty is set to become an unrestricted free agent. The good news is he’s put all thoughts of retirement away — at least for the 2020 season. The bad news is he’s coming off a career year and he could get offered big-time bucks to star somewhere else before he decides to hang up his cleats.

Would McCourty actually take the money to move on though? It’s hard to say.

On the one hand, his brother Jason is going to be on the Patriots’ roster in 2020 — New England just picked up the option on his contract, according to new reports. Devin has also spent his entire 10-year career playing for Bill Belichick, and he’s a model Patriot.

There’s little reason to think he’d want to play somewhere else — especially this close to his retirement — unless money is a major factor in his line of thinking.

So what do we think? We’re betting that of all the free agents this spring on the roster not named Tom Brady, the Pats prioritize McCourty and finding a way to keep him on a deal that allows him to retire with the only team he’s ever played for.

Prediction: Stays