(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Putting an end to speculation about his retirement, Patriots safety Devin McCourty has confirmed he will return to the field in 2019.
"Yeah, I'm gonna play," McCourty said on Sports Spectrum.
Addressing earlier comments about a Super Bowl win alongside twin brother Jason being his last game, McCourty explained he got caught up in the moment and realizes there's more to football than just winning the big game.
"If you play this game just for Super Bowls, you're going to be very empty," McCourty said. "Because as soon as you win it, it's all about how you can win it next year."
"I've been five times and won three times, and all anybody cares about is if we win a 7th championship for the New England organization," the defensive back said. "So you have to play for so much more."
What exactly is McCourty playing for, then?
Mentoring and inspiring younger players, both in and out of the league, is what keeps the veteran going. "I still want to be around these other young guys that come in," the 31-year-old veteran said. "Next week, I want to do a football camp in Puerto Rico with the family."
"It really starts to make you realize the platform that you get to use to do some special things."
WBZ NewsRadio's Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) reports