New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty is one of the few players who has gotten a massive second contract from Bill Belichick. It’s just something the Patriots coach and general manager has avoided, whether he’s drafted and developed a player or he’s signed a star in free agency and made them worth even more money.
McCourty, the Patriots’ first-round pick in 2010, must know just how hard it is to get that second contract. Stephon Gilmore is entrenched in that challenging process. He signed a five-year, $65 million deal with the Patriots in 2017, but the terms of the deal have grown team-friendly, and he wants to earn what he’s worth.