Devin McCourty seems to defend Patriots before Rob Gronkowski comments

It appears veteran safety Devin McCourty and retired tight end Rob Gronkowski view playing for the New England Patriots somewhat differently. 

"The first thing I tell people is, 'Whatever you probably think coming in, it’s not going to be what you think,'" McCourty told NBC Sports' Peter King during "The Peter King Podcast" about advice he offers to younger New England players. "Guys come in with this thought process, almost like you’re going into the military. You have somebody who’s gonna be barking at you all the time. You gotta be 10 minutes early for everything. 

"For example, we start our day with a squad meeting at 8 o’clock in the morning. I’ve been in there at 7:55, and there’s only four people in the entire meeting room. They’re like, 'Where’s everybody at?' I’m like, 'Guys don’t walk in till 7:59. You’re not late till it hits 8:01.' Guys are like, 'Really, in New England?'"

Gronkowski featured for the Patriots from 2010 through the 2018 season and said during an appearance on FanDuel TV's "Up & Adams" program which aired after King's podcast that "it felt like you were in super depression for like two days" whenever he lost a game during his New England tenure. While others have been even more critical of "The Patriot Way" over the years, McCourty insisted that missing out on the postseason tournament no longer bothers him as it did earlier in his career. 

"Watching the playoffs now is fun for me," McCourty explained. "It used to be, if we didn’t make the playoffs, I was angry. I wanted to be there. As I’ve gotten older, watching the game of football being played at a high level is so enjoyable." 

Like Gronkowski, McCourty originally joined the Patriots during the 2010 NFL Draft. McCourty, 35, has never played for any other organization since but could soon follow in the footsteps of twin brother Jason McCourty and embrace a new career in broadcasting. 

Whatever Devin McCourty decides to do, he seemingly attempted to convince others that playing for Patriots head coach Bill Belichick isn't entirely as miserable as some would have outsiders believe.