Devin McCourty feels "duped" by "The Dynasty" production: "They only hit anything that was negative"
BOSTON -- Somewhere in the middle of the 10-part docuseries "The Dynasty" for Apple TV+, Devin McCourty makes his first appearance, symbolizing the start of the second half of the Patriots dynastic run over the NFL.
A 12-time team captain, McCourty has plenty of positive feelings toward Bill Belichick and the Patriots. And while he likely shared those sentiments during his sitdown interview, the retired safety doesn't think any of that commentary made the final cut.
"I felt like I got kind of duped," McCourty said in a conversation with fellow former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison, in a clip shared by Pro Football Talk on X. "I was like, 'Man, this is gonna be great. Like the storytelling, we're talking about this, and we're talking about that.' Everything that we all gave to the 20 years that it encompassed, they only hit anything that was negative."
That's a criticism that's certainly been levied against the series, which dedicated entire episodes to Spygate, Deflategate and Aaron Hernandez, while also fast-forwarding through Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX, casting a dark cloud over the Super Bowl LI comeback victory, and focusing heavily on the eventual divorce of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
McCourty said the docuseries didn't capture how or why the Patriots were so good for so long.
"Hey, we won at a high level, and guys stayed there. Like I could've left two times; I signed back. There's reasons why," McCourty said.
Harrison touched on the fact that the series did not dive into the Patriots' Super Bowl runs in 2003 or 2004, which happened after his controversial arrival.
"It didn't tell the stories like of me coming, and Corey Dillon. I interviewed for five or six hours, I was in New York, and all they had me say was 'F--- 'em all, f--- 'em all.' Like, that's it!" Harrison said, referring to the episode focusing on the team's attitude during the Spygate controversy in 2007.
The series has also been criticized for being highly negative toward Bill Belichick, and McCourty and Harrison went to bat for their former coach.
"Think about this: He gave me an opportunity, a fifth-round draft choice," Harrison said. "He gave Tom Brady an opportunity. He sent out a hundred-million-dollar quarterback when no one thought it was popular and started Tom Brady. ... He gives guys who are the underdog an opportunity. No one talks about that. When everybody else is done with a guy, he brings in a Corey Dillon, he brings in a Randy Moss, he brings in a Rodney Harrison. And I just don't think that he got enough credit, enough respect, enough props, man. This dude is the greatest coach of all time."
