New England Patriots Star Reacts To Retirement Rumors

The New England Patriots will enter the 2021 NFL season with a different roster. At least one Patriots star has been linked to multiple retirement rumors. Can you guess his name?

Linebacker Dont’a Hightower opted-out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns, but he is back now. He missed an entire season and analysts are worried about his performance on the field. Some even thought that Hightower may retire at this point. The veteran linebacker is fed up with these rumors and he decided to shut down each and every comment.

Hightower talked to the media and dismissed the possibility to retire. The linebacker joked that things got really intense that it felt like fans/experts tried to kick him out of the NFL.

“All the rumors about retirement,” Hightower said, via the Boston Herald. “Y’all had me thinking someone was trying to kick me out.”

The Patriots star is fed up with all the retirement rumors

Hightower decided to opt out just because the situation was pretty bad. The world struggled with the coronavirus and the pandemic was really awful. Millions of people died and Hightower decided to sit out the season. Seven other Patriots players made the same decision.

“If I had to do it again, if I had to go back and do it, I would absolutely do it again,” Hightower said. “It was really just for the season. I wasn’t planning or discussing anything like that.”

The linebacker made the Pro Bowl in 2019. It was his second season with the team. He was brilliant on the field, and finished the season with 71 tackles, 13 quarterback hits, 5.5 sacks, and four passes defended. The last number is actually a career high for the linebacker. Head coach Bill Belichick sure likes these numbers. That’s the main reason he had to bring the linebacker back.

Hightower struggled with injuries throughout his entire career. He went No.25 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft and played just one full season. There were no injuries on the table in 2020, and Hightower is ready for another long season.