FOXBOROUGH, Mass. Longtime New England Patriots safety and captain Devin McCourty said on Friday that it was both ‘awesome’ and ‘a little bitterly sweet’ to see former teammates Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski play in Super Bowl LV.
“To see these two guys leave our team and bring everything they’ve learned to Tampa, a team that did not make it to the playoffs last year and now has the chance to win a world championship, it was great to to look at, “McCourty said. said on ESPN’s Get Up on Friday. ‘And of course a little bittersweet because you’d rather the two guys fit in with you on Sundays.
“But it’s still great to see the guys go there and do it again. It’s clear that Tom and his legacy and what he’s done in this league no longer needs to be done. But to go after him and his to keep watching greatness, and keep getting better and better every year, it’s just amazing. ‘
Brady won six Super Bowl championships in New England, while Gronkowski – who was part of the team’s 2010 draft class with McCourty – was a three-time Super Bowl champion.
The Patriots won 7-9 with Bradley in 2020 and missed 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 we moved on as a team, an organization. But you lost Tom Brady. You lost the best quarterback in the NFL. You did not just replace it. You did not just compensate for it. We did. “Definitely felt that. We’re losing Tom, we do not have an off-season to try it out first, and prepare and get ready. The man has been the best quarterback in the NFL for the last two decades,” McCourty said .
McCourty’s remarks last week reflected others of the Patriots when Lawrence Guy, a veteran defensive suit, told SiriusXM NFL Radio that he was rooting for Brady. Owner Robert Kraft said something similar to CBS in an interview airing Sunday to the Super Bowl between the Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs.
“We were privileged to have him here for two decades, and he is one of the best people I have ever met. He knows how to lead and I wish him well,” Kraft said in the CBS interview.