The Super Bowl champion New England Patriots are keeping a key piece of their defense in place.
Safety Devin McCourty, who was set to become a free agent, will re-sign with New England, he confirmed to Comcast SportsNet New England on Sunday night. According to multiple media outlets, the five-year, $47.5 million deal includes $28.5 million in guaranteed money.
“I’m blessed to say we had other teams that were interested, but I said all along that I knew in my heart that I wanted to be back in New England,” McCourty told CSNNE. “But I also knew the business side of football, and I had to do what I had to do. I’m back, but I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t possibilities over the last two days that I was going to be somewhere else. I’m happy it all worked out.”
McCourty, 27, said he weighed bids from the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars and was close to leaving the Patriots.
“I’m like any other human being,” he said. “You start going over different places. You know — all the places, the money was good. You start crossing off things that you like and all of those teams were good fits for me, so there was a chance I could have wound up at one of those places, but I was happy that myself, and Bill [Belichick, the New England coach] and all of the guys in the front office were able to work out a deal.”
McCourty, a first-round draft pick by the Patriots in 2010, started every game as a rookie, and he made 77 starts in New England’s 80 regular-season games the past five years. In 16 starts last season, he finished with 68 tackles, two interceptions, one forced fumble and six passes defensed.
For his career, McCourty has 388 tackles, 17 interceptions, 58 passes defensed, seven forced fumbles and one sack.