FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts – Old New England Patriots safety and captain Devin McCourty said Friday it is both “great” and a “little bittersweet” to see former teammates Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski play in Super Bowl LV.
“To see those two guys leave our team and bring everything they’ve learned to Tampa, a team that didn’t make it to the playoffs last year and now have the chance to win a world championship, it was great to See, McCourty said on ESPN’s Get Up on Friday. And a little bittersweet, of course, because you’d rather those two guys be with you on Sundays.
“But it’s still great to see those guys go out and do it again. Obviously, for Tom and his legacy and what he’s done in this league, he doesn’t have to do anymore. its greatness, and getting better and better every year, it’s just incredible. “
Brady won six Super Bowl championships in New England, while Gronkowski – who was part of the team’s concept class in 2010 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, organization, we moved on. But you lost Tom Brady. You lost the best quarterback in the NFL. You can’t just replace that. You don’t just make up for that. We certainly felt that. We Losing Tom, we don’t have an offseason to even try to process that, and prepare and get ready. The man has been the best quarterback in the NFL for the past two decades, “McCourty said.
McCourty’s comments echoed those of others from last week’s Patriots, when veteran defensive tackle Lawrence Guy told SiriusXM Radio that he’s after Brady. Owner Robert Kraft said something similar to CBS in an interview set to air Sunday in the lead-up to the Super Bowl between the Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs.
“We had the privilege of having him here for twenty years, and he’s one of the best people I’ve ever met. He knows how to lead and I wish him the best,” Kraft said in the CBS interview.