Patriots' Devin McCourty unsure if he'll return to defending champions

New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty remains unsure whether he'll be suiting up for a new club this fall. 

McCourty was a vital piece in the Patriots' Super Bowl run, as New England defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24. 

The 27-year-old appeared to be inclined to stay with New England in its title defense, but didn't rule out the possibility of joining a new team in free agency. 

"It could happen that I could be playing somewhere else. I think it would be crazy not to think that that could be reality," McCourty said Wednesday, as reported by Comcast Sportsnet New England's Phil Perry. 

McCourty's twin brother, Jason, a cornerback for the Tennessee Titans, has tried to recruit him to the struggling franchise. 

Although he appeared hesitant to commit to his immediate future, McCourty said he imagines that he'll be back with the Patriots for at least a year, due to the franchise tag.

"I've kind of broken it down as worst-case scenario would be that I get franchised and come back to play for another year here," McCourty said. 

Although some players have viewed the tag as an oppressive way for teams to retain their players, McCourty was a proponent of it Wednesday.  

"To me that's no reason to stress," he said. "I love it here. The franchise tag is player-friendly now. It's a good number."

NFL Network's Albert Breer reported that the salary cap for safeties will reach $9.6 million this spring.

McCourty remained optimistic that he'd get fair value for his play, whether it's from New England or other suitors. 

"If I hit free agency, I hope there's some teams that want me to play there," the corner said. "Hopefully that goes over well. It's still exciting.

"I've thought about all different scenarios whether I'm here or whether I'm somewhere else. At this point I don't have a contract."