The defensive captain isn’t thinking about anything

beyond the 2019 season." Patriots First ReadDevin McCourty on thinking about retirement: NahNew Womens N'Keal Harry Jersey ,12commentsThe defensive captain isn’t thinking about anything beyond the 2019 season.EDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:Devin McCourty on thinking about retirement: NahTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Harry How/Getty ImagesFor most of us, retiring sounds like living the dream. If you’re Devin McCourty, though, retirement is like the God of Death. You know, the one we say “not today” to.Being that Devin’s contract only goes through the 2019 NFL season, which, coincidentally, is the same season when #32 turns 32 N'Keal Harry Jersey Patriots , he’s been in more than a few talks this offseason about either getting an extension to ease up on his $13,435,000.00 cap hit, or potentially hanging the cleats up for good.According to the venerable scribe and cancer’s-ass-kicker Jeff Howe of The Athletic, though, D-Mac is all in on 2019 and has given retirement after this year approximately zero thoughts at all.You know how everyone says the average NFL career is 2.5 years or whatever that stat is? D-Mac was shooting for being a 10-year guy this whole time, to probably nobody’s surprise.About that whole “being healthy” thing: Devin’s not a large guy, by defensive back standards (5’10 Youth N'Keal Harry Jersey , 195lbs), and yet he’s been an absolute hoss when it comes to making sure he’s on the field all the time. Check this “Games Started” column out:If math and/or Pro Football Reference aren’t your thing, here’s the deal: McCourty’s missed five starts since he was drafted. In 2010. More fun with numbers: that shakes out to missing 0.56 games per season. The Rutgers man might be made of adamantium.Also fun: Devin played 96.26% of the Pats’ defensive snaps in 2018 in addition to 40.62% of the special teams snaps, so if you remember that part from the Wes Welker episode of A Football Life where Wes was like, I’ll play offense, defense, and special teams just to get on the field, yeah Color Rush N'Keal Harry Jersey , D-Mac is basically that. An 8-time team captain that still plays special teams. And, as the latest episodes of the NFL Top 100 nicely pointed out, he’s also the man with the plan that gets everyone lined up on defense, and has been for the better part of this past decade when Bill moved him from cornerback to safety in the first place.As for now, Devin’s on to 2019. The Patriots picked up special teams captain Matthew Slater‘s roster bonus this offseason, ensuring he’ll stay for a 12th season in New England. He wants to be nowhere else.“I was really excited to hear from Bill [Belichick] that they wanted me part of the team moving forward. I’m so thankful that the Patriots saw fit to continue to make an investment in me as a player and as a leader for our team,” Slater told Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. “I’m so glad I’ve been able to be here the entirety of my career; it really means a lot to me that I’ve been able to be in one place and be a part of such a great organization.”That means a lot to Slater in part because his father, Hall of Famer Jackie Slater New England Patriots Jersey 2019 , played his entire 20-year career with one franchise, the Rams. But the 33-year-old Matthew Slater has no illusions about being guaranteed a 20-year career. As a special teams player, losing a step could easily mean the Patriots decide to move on.“I think I’ve always approached my career as every year could be my last year because of the nature of my position and the unique role I have on the team as a core special teams player,” Slater said.Whenever his tenure with the Patriots ends, it will end a unique chapter in NFL history, of a player who made a major contribution to a great dynasty almost exclusively by covering kicks.