New England Patriots Captain Devin McCourty Announces Retirement After 13 NFL Seasons

After 13 seasons with the New England Patriots, Devin McCourty has played his final down.

The team captain announced his retirement from the NFL on Friday, ending a run that began as a cornerback in the first round of the 2010 draft and went on to include three Super Bowl victories as a safety.

“I am officially retiring from the NFL,” McCourty announced in a video posted to Instagram alongside his twin brother and former teammate, Jason. “It has been a great ride.”

McCourty, who turns 36 in August, started all 205 of his appearances in the regular season for New England. The No. 27 overall pick out of Rutgers stayed in to total 12,506 defensive snaps over that span, marking the most in the league since his entrance.

“Unbelievable ride, man, and I think it’s always tough to kind of come to the end, as you know,” added McCourty. “This whole offseason has been so much back and forth for me mentally. Probably not even sharing as much of the thoughts that I was just going between from one day and the next day. But ultimately I think this is the best decision for me, my family, for my career, to be able to now look back on my 13 years and just enjoy it.”

A two-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection, McCourty stands as a member of the franchise’s All-Decade and All-Dynasty teams. He was first elected a captain in Foxborough in 2011 and continued to hold that title through 2022.

McCourty’s tenure brought 971 tackles, three sacks, 110 passes defensed, 11 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries. It also brought 35 interceptions and four combined touchdowns, including a blocked field goal that became a 44-yard return and a kickoff that became a 104-yard return.

His contract is scheduled to void when the new league year opens on March 15.

“It is a rare group of players who win games at a historic rate, exude team culture, lead, win awards, and win championships,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said in a statement released by the organization. “And then there is Devin McCourty. Devin did all of those things as a player and more. But, what I think of first when I think of Devin is the type of man he is, his character, his values and how high he raised the bar for spreading goodness and justice in the community. For 13 years, Devin made everyone in our organization feel better and be better because of who he is — a pillar of professionalism, unselfishness, work ethic, preparation, intelligence and performance. I am excited to see him bring those same traits to his next chapter and brighten the lives of even more people.”

From Januaries into Februaries, McCourty’s 24 playoff starts reside in a tie for fourth in NFL history. Those playoff starts included five Super Bowls.

“Now, I get a chance to reminisce and not have to focus on how can I be better for next year,” McCourty said. “I get to just say I’ll never be better again next year and just enjoy it, man. So I’m excited, I’m excited about what’s to come. I never thought I’d be able to retire from the NFL. That’s all I’ve ever done, really, is play football.”

After reaching a one-year extension worth up to $9 million last spring, McCourty saw 97% of the snaps in the secondary while starting all 17 contests. He tied for the team lead with four interceptions. The last of which arrived along with a fumble recovery and end-zone pass breakup in the season finale versus the Buffalo Bills.