Patriots: Devin and Jason McCourty reveal why they decided not to opt out
Devin and Jason McCourty are ready to take the field for the Patriots in 2020.
Admit it, New England Patriots fans. After the initial string of opt-outs, which ended up totaling eight players, you had a bad, bad feeling Devin and Jason McCourty were going to be next to sit out of the 2020 season.
After all, they provided a lot of commentary regarding the need for proper safety protocols, as well as their fears with moving forward during the pandemic. They spoke a lot to the media during the offseason and brought up several of the main talking points on their podcast.
On the surface, if anyone was opting out, it seemed like it’d be the McCourty twins. But they aren’t, and they revealed their reason why.
Jason McCourty explained Friday why he and his brother Devin McCourty decided not to opt out of the 2020 #Patriots season:https://t.co/6Z3hqFenTx
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) August 15, 2020
"“Me and Dev have both spoken a lot about our stance on everything that goes on — I don’t think either one of us ever thought about actually opting out,” Jason told reporters on a video call. “The opt-out itself just wasn’t worth it. I think for us, the love of the game and the ability to go out there — we didn’t really have a lot of issues that other people have, whether it was newborn kids, whether it was things that put them in high risk or close family members that put them in high risk.“So for us, it was strictly from a family standpoint, we felt like it was worth it to give it a try and see what we were up against. And being able come into the building, seeing the things that would be done (to protect players), I think we thought it was necessary to go through that process."
What’s even more encouraging about Jason’s response? Him and Devin are comfortable with the safety protocols and measures put in place by the Patriots and the NFL. Not only is that good news for the team’s sake, but it provides a sense of comfort for the longevity of the 2020 season, which many have put in doubt.
https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1293895909936443392?s=20
The secondary took a hit a few weeks ago when Patrick Chung announced he’d be sitting out the year, but the Pats are still in solid shape with the McCourty brothers, Stephon Gilmore and JC Jackson ready for action.
It’s not going to be an easy road for the Patriots in 2020 by any means, but you can bet the guidance will be as strong as ever with Devin and Jason ready to lead once again during these uncertain times.
