New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty may still have a little bit of time before retirement, but that hasn’t stopped him from thinking about post-career plans.
Coaching is one of the options that several players go into once they are done playing in the NFL. Nevertheless, McCourty doesn’t see that in his future.
The safety is entering his 12th season in the NFL. It’s been a productive career for the former Rutgers standout, as he has three Super Bowl rings and two Pro Bowl appearances in addition to other accolades. He is now 35 years of age and has begun thinking about what his future holds. He may have several opportunities at the end of his playing career. However, he doesn’t think coaching would be the right fit for him.
“No, I can’t coach,” said McCourty, via NESN’s Dakota Randall. “My wife has been very strict on no coaching. And listen, I think … it is a lifestyle. And I’ve only been here, so that’s all I’ve seen. And I know what our coaches give to give us one leg up on one play in the game. And sometimes that means 10 hours of film just to try to give us an edge on one play. And that’s why I have a ton of respect for our coaches and what they put in day in, day out.
“And I don’t think in retirement I would be able to give that to a young player who’s in here trying to learn. I don’t know if I want to give that up and choose that lifestyle. So, I think coaching definitely would be on the back burner for me.”
For now, the safety is in the midst of a successful season on a personal level. He currently has 46 tackles on the season, as the Patriots look to inch their way up in the playoff race.
If nothing else, it will be intriguing to see what McCourty elects to do when he hangs up the cleats.
