Devin McCourty, Former Patriots Defensive Back

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Let's go out to the guest line right now. And it's bizarre to call this guy a former NFL safety, but he was drafted out of Rutgers. First round, 27th pick overall by the New England Patriots. Played his entire career with the Pats and won three Super Bowls. And now he's fresh off the football field right to the Sunday Night Football Desk.

And he does a great job for NBC. And that is our pal Devin McCourty. DMAC always appreciate the time.

Thanks for it. How you been? What's up, man? Good to see you. And we're not at a Super Bowl. We usually see each other always at a Super Bowl on Radio Road.

Yeah, no doubt about that. So I appreciate you jumping on board. You've been good on TV. We knew last year as your adorable kids now in the background. That's great.

So we see the entire McCourty family. I know last year you tried out some TV work with CBS during your bye week. How have you been enjoying the NBC experience so far? Man, it's been awesome just to be able to be around the game, but also, you know, not having my body go through the torture and the hard times of that.

I'm just okay. And then, you know, I think, you know, what NBC allow me to even do player interviews. So sitting down with Jamar Chase and obviously Matthew Judon, who I got to, you know, play with and then Jason Kelsey has been a whole nother, you know, experience. And that's been fun. So I've enjoyed every minute of them calling games for Westwood One Radio. So that has been probably, you know, one of the neater things to be on the field on game day, talking to guys on the sideline and then still getting that kind of rush, calling the game and being involved in the game.

So I've enjoyed that as well. Like it's important to get that football fix, like you're saying, so you're not detached from the game, but it's still tough. First you're out where you like kind of wake up and you go, Oh, it's game day. How much do you still miss it? And, and do you wake up some days and go, man, I wish I was still playing. I have not woken up now one day and said, Oh, I wish I was still playing really.

Oh, I haven't, man. I think, I think for me too, I had a chance to still play this year. You know, even before announcing my retirement, like I'd never even contacted bill or had any conversations about coming back because I wanted to make that decision for myself without anybody else talking to me. So even this year, one of my friends reached out to me and was like, yo, one of our personnel guys was like, do you think he would be interested in coming back?

And I just don't, man. I think football was a awesome time in my life. Like I had so much fun playing.

Uh, but I think it was time. I think, you know, everything I was able to do in new England, um, with the guys I was able to do it was special. Um, but you know, the only thing that I do miss is the camaraderie being in the locker room, um, being around the guys, the laughs, the jokes. Um, and I've got a little bit of that with NBC, you know, Sunday, we watch all the games together. So I still get a little bit of that, uh, rush, but you know, actually going out there and playing the game.

I like this side. I went every week. I haven't lost a week yet since retiring.

So that's a lot more fun. Now, with that being said, Devin McCourty, you're a championship player. You live for the big moments. It's one thing to pass up those phone calls. Now, phone call comes in December with like three weeks left in the season. Hey Devin, we just lost our safety. You got a team that's ready to go win a Superbowl. Would you then maybe think about returning if they need a hundred and probably 85 pounds safety that hits the Peloton every few days?

Uh, I don't think, I don't think I'll be much of a help. If I do get the call, the first guy call, I'll call Eric Weddle and ask them how it felt. Was it worth it?

I know he tore his peg at the end of it. I talked to him after they went on that great Superbowl run. Um, but now like all jokes aside, I don't want to say like, no, I would never do that. But I would say sitting here right now, beginning of part of November, it would be really hard for me to think about putting on a helmet and pads again and going to play football.

Like, I just think, uh, it would be really hard to do that. And let's be real. I know why you retired. You may not admit this. You may not confirm this when I'm saying it, but the biggest reason you retired is your brother went to TV. He started to get all the spotlight and you go, you have to show him who the best McCourty is and that you're better at TV than Jason.

You know what is that? The crazy thing is my whole football life and career. I've built it up.

So people would only know Devin McCourty playing in New England and they would always mistake Jason for Devin. Then he goes on good morning football. Everywhere I go, people come up to me and go, man, I watch you every morning, man.

I love your fit list segment. I'm like, that's not me. I want to, I even went to his son's football game while he's in Germany. And everybody was like, coach, I can't believe you came all the way back from Germany. I'm like, I'm not him. So I definitely had to come and jump in this field to try to steal his spotlight.

That's absolutely gold. Devin McCourty with us. So we just ranked our top five teams in the NFL. I had the Ravens in at number two, the Eagles at one. Would you agree right now that the Ravens are the best team in the AFC?

I would take the Ravens. You know, I think, um, it's always hard, you know, I got an opportunity to play with Tom Brady for 10 years. So you get that one guy in the league at quarterback where you're like, man, I don't know if I ever want to bet against him. And that is Patrick Mahomes right now. Like, I don't know if you ever really want to bet against him, but if you are going to bet against him in the AFC, I'm taking action Jackson, what they built. I think that defense is playing out of its mind, have a really close relationship with Kyle Benoist. I'm talking to him all the time and what he's been able to do, adding onto that defense. But I think what Lamar Jackson has turned into, he's a guy that can stay in the pocket and throw the ball. He's a guy that can, you know, take a loose play that breaks down and make an unbelievable play. And they're still running him on those QB design run plays, not all the time, but enough to make the defense have to plan for it.

And that puts so much pressure on you. I think that right now, I think during the team to beat, but one of their biggest issues is the AFC North still has Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and probably the hottest team right now is Cincinnati. So I think that'll muddy the waters a little bit. Whereas the AFC West with Kansas City, they should probably be able to run through what's left of the AFC West, depending on if the Chargers can get it rolling.

Yeah. And regardless of what the records indicate right now, I think those are the three best teams in the AFC, the Ravens, the Chiefs, and then the Cincinnati Bengals as a defender. Out of those three quarterbacks, is it still Mahomes that would keep you up the latest at night in terms of preparation when you look at three great ones in Mahomes, Borough, and then Lamar Jackson?

Yeah, he would, because I would think about having to play him second week in January, and that time in the AFC Championship, I would see him being at the absolute best, continuing to build. Like this team last year at Kansas City, Washington beginning the season, they lose Tyreek Hill. Everybody's kind of like, that doesn't look the same. Like, I don't know. And then by the time we got to January, where it was like, man, this team is rolling.

They're great. Patrick Mahomes. So like that would be the thing that kept me up at night is that guy's probably, and that team under Andy Reed is going to probably be playing their best ball at the end of the season. Not to say these other teams can't, but they have a proven track record of being able to do that over the last, you know, whatever, six or seven years that they played in that AFC Championship game.

That would kind of keep me up at night. Devin McCourty here with us. I remember that AFC Championship game. It was one of the best games I've ever seen you guys in Kansas City going up against the Chiefs. We barely saw you on the TV because you were so far down the field, just making sure that Tyree kill.

Yeah, everyone goes. Devin McCourty played a great game. I go, I know Devin McCourty starts. I know he's a great player. I didn't see him once in the TV, but you did a great job up against Tyreek. You knowing how difficult it is to prepare for Tyreek and now what he's been able to do in Miami with Tua. Do you think he has a case if the Dolphins pick up some more wins to maybe win MVP this year? Yeah, I mean, I think it's time to stop, you know, naming this basically the best quarterback in the league for the year, because as we look at these guys, what Tyreek Hill has been able to do is phenomenal. Like we thought Patrick Mahomes is a huge part of Tyreek Hill being successful and all he's done since then is put up career years and career numbers. And if he goes out there and breaks Calvin Johnson's record this year, and even if he doesn't just what he's been able to do week in and week out is unbelievable. Like teams have come in and I've come into games and said, we can't let Tyreek Hill beat us. And then you look up and you're like, Hey, he finished 160 yards in the touchdown.

It's remarkable. So I do think it's time to, you know, especially this year, there hasn't been a quarterback consistently, like, obviously, Joe burrows hot right now, Lamar Jackson's had some unbelievable games, too, was obviously played well, because he's throwing the ball to Tyreek Hill. So, you know, he has numbers to would, you know, throwing a waddle, and he's done a great job of running out offense. But I think when you look at MVP, like what the team would be without, you know, this most valuable player, Tyreek Hill has been that, you know, I think by a long shot this year, Devin McCordie here with us, when you look at Buffalo, is it just something missing with them? Because like, they've been so inconsistent. I think they're just a playoff team. I have no expectations for them, though, once they get into the postseason. You know, I said it before the season, you know, we were, you know, I think in the preseason, we had the Hall of Fame game, and we're talking AFC teams, and I picked Buffalo to have, you know, a fall off. I didn't predict this because I think one of the reasons why it hasn't been the injuries on defense. Yes, Josh Allen and Stephon Diggs. This offense has been very productive, but that defense has been so consistent.

It's led to charge. Okay, go over there for a second. But there's a lot of parenting. I love it. Yeah, right.

And the boys are so wild. You'll be going back to the NFL. The moment a team calls, you're right off to the NFL for a Super Bowl run.

Exactly. But that defense, I think the injuries have hurt them. I would love to see them run Josh Allen more, not, not like to the way he would get hurt, but like just to make the defense come in and say, Hey, we have to plan for Josh Allen running the ball.

All right. I got to ask you about the Patriots before we let you run. There was a report by Ben Volin that if Belichick comes home from Germany, going up against the Colts this week with a two and eight record, he thinks there's a chance that the crafts could make the move in the buy. We can install Jerrod Mayo as the interim coach for the final seven games. How do you react to that about Ben Volin potentially thinking Belichick could be canned after this week?

I don't see it. I think for, for what he's done and what that team is. I don't see, I don't see the coaching change being what gets this team over the hump.

Like Bill's not the issue. You know, I think in this league and we consistently now because of the record of how they've been playing, there was a new report every week, right? It will be mid season. It'll be after the season. It's this, it's that, it's the contract extension.

So when you're not winning, that's going to continue to happen. So what happens next year? I don't see them firing him, but I can't sit here and say, that's definitely not going to happen. Like in this league, crazy things happen all the time, but I, I find it very hard to believe that what coach Belichick has been able to do time and time again, that you would say, Hey, at the bi-week, you know, kind of midway through the year, we're deciding to walk away from a coach who's coached us over the 20 plus seasons, all the Superbowls.

I think that'd be very hard to envision. We know how important Brady was obviously to the Patriot way with him not being there though, the team has regressed in a big way. Is it just as simple as Tom is no longer there? Is there more there as why the Patriots have fallen off? Well, I, again, this is, I know everybody doesn't agree with me in New England because I've said this a lot. I think one of the biggest problems for the Patriots is how good of a coach bill is. Like if we look at 2012, I think it was Peyton Manning had a neck injury and he might've played a game or didn't play any games for the Indianapolis Colts. They won two games that year, I think two or three games. They ended up with the first pick in the draft and since Tom has left, New England has won seven games, then 10 games, and then eight games. And then now this season, if they would have just been bad one of those years, they might've had a chance to draft somebody to take over this team, not just from a quarterback standpoint, but they would have been drafting in the top rounds of the draft every year since then, whether it was one year or two years where they weren't like, that's what we've normally seen for teams that have lost a great quarterback, they've been bad and then they've built that way. But this Patriot team hasn't done that. They haven't, you know, they didn't get the quarterback like, you know, Green Bay did. They didn't draft an Aaron Rodgers to follow Brett Farm.

So they didn't get a guy to learn and watch for a while. So I think that makes things harder, but it was hard to do that with Brady, right? At one point you draft Jimmy, you drafted, you know, rest in peace, Ryan Mallet, you have these guys, but each time you kind of thought Brady was at the end, he went and extended his career another five years at one, another two or three Superbowl. So I think one of the best things that could happen for this team possibly is this year not winning, getting the top pick and now not just getting, you know, a good player somewhere in the first round, but getting one of those blue chip players who I think the last time I drive in the top 10 was Jerrod Mayo, who's now being rumored to take over as a head coach.

So I think that will be a big help for this team, but people don't give credit. I think Bill's greatness is one of the biggest reasons why this team hasn't been able to, you know, be bad and get those good players like Mike Tom and told Chase Young one year. I hope to never be able to draft a guy like you because that means we were really bad the year before and the Patriots haven't had that opportunity. So last thing I'll ask you on this, Devin McCord, then we'll let you run.

We'll let you go back to the daddy daycare duties inside your palatial estate. So they're going to a top five draft pick this year. This team should be as bad as possible.

Like you were just saying, I've been all on board tank, tank, tank, tank, tank. If Robert at the end of the year does say, okay, we just need to change. It's time to move on after 24 years, I'm assuming you'd be disappointed if they move on from Belichick after the season.

Yeah. I mean, one thing I always try not to do is say and act like I know what it's like to be an owner. I would be disappointed because I don't want to see that end to that come like that. I was disappointed that Tom left and went to Tampa, partly because I was still on the Patriots. I want to, if he's going to win another Superbowl, I'll win it with me. But also because of like how awesome it was to watch that you would want everything to kind of, I think we all have this like picture perfect thing of like, let it all end with Bill walking away and never coaching again. And, but I just think like, if they do walk away from him, he is going to coach. Like if he wants to coach, he's going to coach and someone's going to take him. And I think he still is a good coach and will go win games. And I would hate to see him coaching for another team, winning football games. But I can't say that like, I'm like, oh my goodness, this, you know, like I, I've just been in and around this league now for, you know, 14 years, you've seen crazy things happen. I mean, I sat down with Matt Patricia this year when I was in Philly and we talked about him helping the team draft players. And in the next month, putting in a whole game plan and being an offensive coordinator after being a defensive coach for the last like 15 or 20 years.

So that was crazy. So I anticipate and expect crazy things that happen, but yes, it would be a little disappointing because I just don't want to see something I got to be a part of that was so great. And that way, I know you guys for something in football this week have the jets and the Raiders. We've got to spice this up a little bit this week. You smoke in a cigar in the set before the game, man. I text Brian Hoyer and said, I bet not see your old book down there in their coffin, trying to smoke a cigar on your lungs already for that. You're just too old, but it was fun to see that Raiders team, you know, come and get a win like that. But I will say I went back and watched the film. It's a little easier getting ready to go playing against the Giants right now.

And that was the giant stink was not a good team. So it'll be interesting to see what the Raiders look like following that, you know, riding that emotional high and now playing against the Jets, who, I mean, obviously they look great on offense either last week, Devin, always great to catch up with you. Good luck. Thanks so much for doing this. Appreciate it. Now. Good to talk to you, Zach. Have a good one.