Patriots Free Agents Address Uncertain Futures After Season-Ending Loss

The season is over for the New England Patriots, and a group of free agents discussed their future with the team. Will they return? Ted Karras is one of them.

Karras probably had nightmares following the loss to the Tennessee Titans. He watched the loss to the Tennessee Titans four times in an effort to see what really happened in that game. Is this the end of his time with the New England Patriots? The offensive lineman is one of 19 Patriots players set to become free agents in March.

“There’s a lot of unknowns,” said Karras. “This is a business, and obviously, I’m just so grateful for the time I got here. I guess we’ll just have to see. Like a lot of guys on this team, it’s going to be a different spring.”

Kyle Van Noy wouldn’t take a hometown discount to stay with the Patriots, and he has already thought about his free agency.

“If I told you I didn’t, I would be lying,” Van Noy said. “But right now, it’s just sit back and wait and get better in this offseason, which I’ve done each and every year. This time is going to be nothing different.”

When asked if he’d come back with the team next season, wide receiver Phillip Dorsett gave an unprecise answer.

“We’ll see,” he said. “We’ll see what happens. I can’t answer that question. We’ll see what happens. I don’t know what’s going to go on. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t make those decisions.”

Safety Devin McCourty has spent his entire pro career with the Patriots. Retirement isn’t an option for him.

“I’ve had a lot of fun this year with this group of guys,” he said. “Each year, we get young guys in here, get to stay in the locker room, mold this guys, tell them stories of my past 10 years and how much fun I’ve had. So I can’t see it happening, me not playing football next year. So I think over time, I’ll take some time away from football, and I think the rest will kind of work itself out. We’ll see how that goes, but I definitely plan to be playing.”