D-Mac is Back: Patriots, S Devin McCourty Agree on One-Year, $9 Million Deal

The Patriots defensive captain will be back in Foxboro for the 2022 season, reaching an agreement prior to the start of free agency.

Prior to the start of the 2021 season, New England Patriots’ safety Devin McCourty was named a team captain for the eleventh time in his career. Since being drafted in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft McCourty has been a stalwart in the Pats defense. Following his conversion from cornerback to safety, the Rutgers product has been one of the Pats most prolific on-field defenders, as well as one of its most respected leaders in the locker room.

At age 34, about to begin his 13th NFL season, McCourty is apparently willing to continue to journey, for at least one more year.

McCourty took to social media to seemingly confirm that he and the Patriots have agreed to terms on his return to the Foxboro fold for 2022. The deal is reportedly for one-year and worth up to $9 million.

Year 13…here we go!!!!!-Dmac pic.twitter.com/pTKoJt1GuI

— Devin&Jason McCourty (@McCourtyTwins) March 13, 2022

Since his rookie season in 2010, McCourty has appeared in a combined 212 regular season and playoff games as a member of the Patriots. He has become a three-time Super Bowl champion, as well as being voted to two Pro Bowls, three All-Pro teams and the Patriots’ Team of the 2010s.

In late January, the veteran defender confirmed that he underwent surgery on his thumb shortly after the end of New England’s season. Despite the injury, McCourty’s overall physical well-being seems to be sufficient to warrant a return to the gridiron in the upcoming season.

“I haven’t had a drop-off in athletic ability and the physical traits to play the game,” he recently said on his Double Coverage podcast, which he hosts alongside his twin brother Jason. “It all really comes down to mentally and being ready, and being able to tap back in and go through a full season. I think those are the things you have to think about, but I’m definitely going to take my time and see what happens for the future.”

McCourty was once again a key component of the team’s success on defense in 2021. He served as a leader in the team’s defensive backfield, anchoring the team’s vaunted three-safety sets along with Kyle Dugger and Adrian Phillips. McCourty appeared in all 18 games (17 regular-season, one playoff), compiling 68 total tackles, ten passes defensed and three interceptions. In the Pats lone playoff game in 2021, McCourty tied Brett Favre and Gene Upshaw for the fourth-most postseason starts with 24.

Sibling Synergy?

With Devin McCourty’s return to Foxboro apparently confirmed, an opportunity may have presented itself for a potential reunion of the McCourty Twins in New England for the 2022 Season. Jason McCourty, is set to enter unrestricted free agency, after signing a one-year deal worth $1.2 million with the Dolphins this past offseason. Prior to his one season in Miami, he spent the previous 12 seasons with the Titans, Browns, and Patriots, where he spent three years, helping the team to a victory in Super Bowl LIII.

Throughout the first seven weeks of the 2021 season, McCourty started four games for Miami. He played on 63 percent of the Dolphins’ defensive snaps, combining on 21 tackles and logging two passes defensed. Much as his brother Devin is with New England, Jason was lauded by his Dolphins’ coaches for his teammates and coaches for his experience and leadership.

McCourty’s season was prematurely ended after he suffered a foot injury against the Atlanta Falcons on October 24. He finished the season on injured reserve, and has undergone offseason surgery to repair his injury. He will officially become a free agent on Wednesday, March 16 with the start of the new league year. As a result, he will be free to sign with any team of his choosing.

Despite a need for New England to infuse both youth and speed into their defensive backfield, a reasonable deal for his return would make sense for both sides. With the Pats likely to lose star cornerback J.C. Jackson via free agency, it is most probably that they look to a talented 2022 Draft class for an impact player at the position.

In addition to the chance to reunite with his brother [perhaps for one final season in Foxboro], McCourty would likely relish the chance to add his veteran wisdom, savvy and stability to the Pats secondary. As he continues to recuperate from his offseason foot surgery, he will reportedly decide his future closer to a May-timeframe, when he is expected to be cleared for action.

Teams may begin negotiating with external free agents at noon ET on Monday March 14, with NFL free agency officially opening at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 16.