For the latest on the Patriots, check out WEEI and Audacy's "1st and Foxborough."
The Patriots already got one of their veteran leaders back for another go-round with Matthew Slater announcing last week he'll return for a 16th NFL season.
But the team is still waiting on Devin McCourty, who hinted after the end of the 2022 season that he might finally walk off into the sunset.
In a Tuesday interview with "The Patriots Report," McCourty told the Boston Globe's Chris Price that his decision still isn't made with free agency approaching in mid-March.
"I've gone back and forth," the longtime Patriots safety and captain said. "The good thing is I actually have a vacation coming up with the family, and then I'm going to go hang out with Jay (his twin brother Jason McCourty) for a week. I think just being able to get away from football, especially as you get older -- I think it helps you put things in perspective doing other things."
"…I think, then, it'll be early March, second of March. We'll start, for me and my wife, decide and plan what the next year looks like. That's around the time -- free agency will be coming up -- that'll be the right time to start digging in and make a decision."
McCourty admitted this is the first year he's truly thought about retiring instead of jumping back into off-season workouts shortly after the end of a season. He also said he's begun leaning on his twin brother Jason's experience with retirement, from first making the decision and accepting the end of his career. Devin said he will spend a week on NFL Network's "Good Morning, Football!" before free agency starts, signaling a potential move into the media sphere himself.
"I look forward to next year. I see me doing different things. I also see me playing," Devin said. "That's the really hard thing about trying to decide what's best for you and your family."
From an on-field perspective, McCourty can still get the job done on the backend, racking up four interceptions in the 2022-23 season. His leadership, along with Slater's, also remains a valuable asset to a Patriots team still trying to find its way after the departure of Tom Brady.
But with McCourty soon to turn 36 years old and potentially embarking on a 14th NFL season, the clock is ticking regardless of what his decision is. This time next month, we will probably know what the Patriots mainstay's future is.
