What Absence of Dont'a Hightower Means for Patriots
As of Tuesday, six New England Patriots players have chosen to opt out of the 2020 season. Those players are linebacker Dont'a Hightower, right tackle Marcus Cannon, safety Patrick Chung, fullback Dan Vitale, running back Brandon Bolden, and offensive lineman Najee Toran.
Although most of those players' absence from the team can be replaced in some form or fashion, there's one player's absence that will significantly impact the team's ability to succeed this upcoming season. That would be three-time Super Bowl champion and former Pro Bowler, Dont'a Hightower.
Hightower is a pillar of New England's defense, and that role was only increased after Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins and Elandon Roberts left the team this offseason. In 2019, Hightower had 71 total tackles and five and a half sacks. He is one of the best pass rushers on the Patriots roster. Over the years he has also earned the nickname "Mr. February" from Bill Belichick for the big plays he's made during the team's four Super Bowl appearances over the last decade.
The reasoning behind Hightower opting out is understandable. He recently just became a father and his mother has Type 2 diabetes. Also, there is the data from the CDC that indicates that minorities are at an increased risk of contracting the coronavirus and possibly dying from it.
There is no denying the impact of Hightower opting out. The pressure will now be put on players like Ja'Whaun Bentley, who was previously behind Hightower on the depth chart. He has shown some promise since entering the league in 2019, but he would still benefit from a few more years of studying under Hightower. Bentley really made a name for himself in his rookie season, but an injury early on ended his rookie year abruptly. Last season he had a combined 44 tackles.
It also wouldn't be surprising to see New England throw some of their rookies into the fire. Josh Uche was a high draft pick and could help mitigate the loss of Hightower with his edge-rush abilities.
Also, the loss of Hightower puts more pressure on the defensive line and the entire defense as a whole. New England was already going to rely on the defense immensely due to the departure of Tom Brady, but now their ability to control a game just got a bit tougher even though the demands are the same.
As if the odds weren't already tough enough to overcome as the six-time Super Bowl champions entered the post-Tom Brady era. Now, the team has a quarterback competition on their hands, two key veterans who backed out before training camp, and many other questions pertaining to the team and how the NFL season will play out because the pandemic.
The Patriots have dealt with quite a bit of adversity during the Bill Belichick era. But this season is already shaping up to be Belichick's toughest task to date.
