The Patriots will have a big hole to fill in their secondary following Devin McCourty’s retirement.
But the veteran safety’s leadership and presence off the gridiron were arguably just as valuable for a Patriots locker room undergoing a major retool in the post-Brady era.
The Patriots still have established veterans like Mattew Slater, David Andrews, and Matthew Judon holding court in elevated roles on the roster. But New England will need a few more regulars to step up into featured roles with McCourty out of the equation.
That potential leadership void is not lost on McCourty, who addressed the current level of accountability and authority in New England during the “Up & Adams” show on FanDuel TV Monday.