Devin McCourty, longtime New England Patriots captain and Pro Bowl DB, announces retirement

Longtime New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty has called it a career.

McCourty announced his NFL retirement Friday afternoon on social media.

“BREAKING NEWS!!! It’s not about the destination, McCourty posted on social media. “It’s about the JOURNEY!!”

McCourty spent his entire 13-year career with the Patriots. He produced 971 tackles, 110 pass deflections, 35 interceptions and 11 forced fumbles in 205 career regular-season games — all as a starter. He was one of the most durable players in franchise history. He last missed a regular-season game in 2015.

The 35-year-old is retired as one of the most celebrated players on the Patriots. He was a 12-time team captain, three-time Super Bowl champion and was selected to two Pro Bowls.

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"It is a rare group of players who win games at a historic rate, exude team culture, lead, win awards, and win championships," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said in a statement. "And then there is Devin McCourty. Devin did all of those things as a player and more.

"But, what I think of first when I think of Devin is the type of man he is, his character, his values and how high he raised the bar for spreading goodness and justice in the community. For 13 years, Devin made everyone in our organization feel better and be better because of who he is – a pillar of professionalism, unselfishness, work ethic, preparation, intelligence and performance."

The Patriots originally drafted McCourty No. 27 overall in the 2010 NFL draft out of Rutgers.

McCourty’s twin brother, Jason, retired in 2022.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Devin McCourty retires: New England Patriots DB ends NFL career