Patriots re-sign safety Devin McCourty to 1-year, $9 million contract

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On the eve of the NFL’s legal tampering period, the New England Patriots have taken care of one of their most prominent free agents-to-be. Safety Devin McCourty has re-signed with the club on a one-year contract with a total value of $9 million, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

McCourty himself confirmed the news by posting a short clip on social media:

A first-round draft pick by the Patriots in 2010, McCourty, 34, has been a fixture in New England’s secondary for the past decade-plus. Originally aligning at cornerback and later moving to safety, he helped the organization win three Super Bowls while appearing in 188 regular season games and 24 playoff contests.

The 2021 season was business as usual for McCourty. He was again among the league’s better players at the safety position due to his elite combination of athleticism and experience, as well as his communication skills, anticipation and vision. Starting all 18 of the team’s games, McCourty hardly ever left the field and finished as New England’s leader in defensive playing time for the third year in a row.

All in all, McCourty was on the field for 1,075 of a possible 1,135 defensive snaps for a playing time share of 94.7 percent. He also intercepted three passes and helped the Patriots’ secondary rank among the best in the league.

While the full details of his contract are yet to be determined — including his final salary cap number — keeping the veteran in the fold is good news for the Patriots defense.