Patriots retain Devin McCourty on two-year, $23M contract

New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty is coming back for his 11th season in the NFL, thanks to a new deal with the only team he’s ever played for.

Just a day after the New England Patriots came to terms on a contract extension with their leader on special teams — gunner Matthew Slater — the team negotiated a new contract with their leader on defense, safety Devin McCourty.

Per Bleacher Report’s Tim Daniels, the Pats have given McCourty, who was set to hit unrestricted free agency on Wednesday, a new two-year deal worth $23 million. Of that total, $17 million is reportedly guaranteed.

The deal ensures that McCourty will likely finish his career with the only team he’s ever known. A former first-round draft pick out of Rutgers way back in 2010, McCourty is the fourth-longest-tenured player on the Patriots’ current roster, behind only Tom Brady, Matthew Slater, and Julian Edelman. He expressed contemplation about retiring as recently as February 2019.

That being said, McCourty came back better than ever in 2019. Though he ultimately was passed over for a Pro Bowl nomination, he did play 16 regular season games for the fourth consecutive season. He also snagged five interceptions — tied for the second-highest total of his career — and he forced two fumbles and recovered one fumble.

The Patriots, who also picked up the contract option on Devin McCourty’s twin brother, Jason McCourty, have essentially guaranteed us a third straight season of watching twin brothers play together on the same defense (barring injury of course).

With both Slater and McCourty locked up for the foreseeable future, the Patriots now must turn their attention to the offensive side of the ball. The most important position of all — quarterback — figures to get resolved over the next three days.

Will the Patriots find a way to re-sign Tom Brady? Let us know your prediction in the comments section below!