FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Patriots safety and longtime captain Devin McCourty said on Friday that it was both “wonderful” and “a little bittersweet” to see former teammates Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski playing in Super Bowl LV.
“To watch the two boys leave our team and bring everything they learned to Tampa, a team that didn’t make the playoffs last year and now has a chance to win a world championship, it was great to watch it,” McCourty told ESPN’s Get Up on Friday. “And, obviously, a little sweet-bitter, because you would prefer those two guys who fit you on Sunday.
“But it’s still great to see those guys go out there and do it again. Obviously, for Tom and his legacy and for what he did in this league, he doesn’t have to do it anymore. But to continue to do it. follow him and his greatness and continue to get better every year, it’s just incredible ”.
Brady has won six Super Bowl championships in New England, while Gronkowski – who was part of the 2010 draft class with McCourty – is a three-time Super Bowl champion.
The Patriots went 7-9 without Brady in 2020, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008, and McCourty was asked to what extent Brady’s departure was a factor among players and coaches.
“I think as a team, as an organization, we’ve moved on. But you’ve lost Tom Brady. You’ve lost the best defender in the NFL. You’re not just replacing that. You’re not just compensating for that. I certainly felt that. We’re losing him. “On Tom, we don’t have an off-season to even start trying to process this and get ready and get ready. The guy has been the best defender in the NFL for the last two decades,” McCourty said.
McCourty’s statements echoed others from the Patriots last week, while veteran striker Lawrence Guy told SiriusXM NFL Radio that he is rooted for Brady. Owner Robert Kraft said something similar to CBS in an interview that will air until the Super Bowl between the Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
“We’ve had the privilege of having him here for two decades and he’s one of the best human beings I’ve ever known. He knows how to drive and I wish him well,” Kraft said in a CBS interview.