Devin McCourty says Tom Brady’s departure from Patriots ‘isn’t the end of the world’

The show goes on in Foxborough.

The show goes on in Foxborough, with or without Tom Brady.

Two decades full of championships and winning seasons make it hard to believe things will be okay without the 42-year-old quarterback. But, Bill Belichick is still around and the New England Patriots are back to their regularly scheduled program.

Devin McCourty reiterated that point on Friday in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio.

“I honestly didn’t think twice about Tom Brady’s free agency, because I was a free agent,” McCourty said. “That was my main concern, where my family would end up. Would we be back in New England? Then when I signed my deal and I was back, you kind of think of all the guys. Tom, the Kyle Van Noys, the Jamie Collins’. All of those guys you had relationships with, Mathew Slater. That you kinda know, man, this could be it. That coulda been the last game I played with these guys. When he made a decision, to me it wasn’t like the end of the world.

“He’s a free agent and when free agency hits, there’s always a chance a guy could go to another team,” McCourty said. “I’m happy for him. He played 20 years for one organization. The knowledge he’s passed down. How open he has always been with guys learning from him, asking him questions. Always so open. Great teammate. You become a free agent, that’s what our league is about. That’s what players before us have fought for. Be a free agent and choose. I was happy for him if he did what makes him happy.”

McCourty’s leadership and humble approach toward Brady’s departure will help alleviate some of the fear that things won’t be the same. Belichick carries the mentality of winning with the players on the roster and excluding any outside noise. McCourty, Matthew Slater, Julian Edelman and Dont’a Hightower are just a few veterans who’ll keep the ship running from a skill and leadership standpoint.

The Patriots will be fine without Brady. They’ll make adjustments — which Belichick has proven to do every single season.

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