Patriots linebacker and defensive captain Dont’a Hightower is opting out of the 2020 NFL season. Hightower, who became a first-time father on July 16, joins four other Patriots notably including offensive lineman Marcus Cannon and running back, Brandon Bolden. According to the NFL’s guidelines regarding players who opt out, Hightower can make $350,000 if the NFL considers him at a higher risk than usual and $150,000 for the year if the NFL does not consider him at risk.

This is a significant blow to the Patriots and possibly to the NFL’s restart plan as a whole. Hightower has been a crux of the Patriot’s defense for the majority of the 2010s, and he has had a knack for making big plays in big moments, most notably his stopping of Marshawn Lynch on the one-yard line during the Seahawks Super Bowl,  which led to the famous Malcolm Butler interception and his strip-sack of Matt Ryan in the Falcons’ Super Bowl, which opened the door for the infamous Patriots 28-3 comeback. It’s a crack in the armor for the NFL’s restart plan – with a more significant player choosing to opt-out, this could start a trend that may gut some teams of their talent for the upcoming season.

With the MLB’s mostly disastrous restart so far and the NBA and UFC’s smooth restarts up to this point, it seems that the only way to successfully get a sport going in a COVID world is to employ some kind of bubble where you can keep all of your athletes in the same place. The NFL has no such plans and the massive roster size for NFL teams pose higher risk for players.

The New England Patriots’ defense seemed to be making substantial improvements, but it has now lost another high-ranking member.

Patriots LB Dont’a Hightower Injury News

Linebacker Dont’a Hightower, 27, will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn pectoral, according to several reports. He underwent surgery Thursday.

Hightower — a former first-round pick out of Alabama — has been with the Patriots since 2012. He was injured in Sunday’s 23-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons while tackling running back Devonta Freeman with 3:04 remaining in the third quarter.

The 6-foot-3, 265-pound linebacker missed games in Weeks 2 and 3 with a knee injury suffered during the third quarter of the season opener.

He has recorded 14 tackles and two sacks this season.

In Hightower’s absence, the Pats have Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts, David Harris, Marquis Flowers and Trevor Reilly on their off-the-line linebacker depth chart. Roberts missed the game against Atlanta with an ankle injury.

“That’s terrible news for a guy like Hightower to go down with that injury and to be out for the year,” Harris said. “What he means to this defense, knowing the defense like the back of his hand, to lose a guy like that is a huge blow for the team. … As a linebacker group, we have to try to fill his place, which is going to be tough to do.”

Hightower was one of the most coveted unrestricted free agents this past offseason. He signed a four-year, $35.5 million contract with New England that included a $10 million signing bonus. He helped lead the Patriots to their Super Bowl LI victory in February, as well as Super Bowl XLIX in 2015.

Meanwhile, six-year veteran LB Shea McLellin — who began the season on injured reserve — is eligible to return Nov. 12 against the Denver Broncos.

The Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 05: Dont’a Hightower #54 of the New England Patriots celebrates with Devin McCourty #32 after forcing a fumble from Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Dont’a Hightower is staying in New England.

Dont’a Hightower Signs Four-Year Deal with Patriots

Following a week-long free agency tour during which he visited the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers, the linebacker is returning to the Patriots, signing a four-year contract worth $43.5 million, Hightower’s agent announced Wednesday.

The deal includes $19 million guaranteed, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.

Hightower’s agency, SportsTrust Advisors, revealed the news on Twitter Wednesday afternoon:

According to NFL Research, the contract for the Patriots’ defensive captain— who turned 27 on Sunday— ranks second only to Carolina’s Luke Kuechly among inside linebackers.

The Jets had reportedly courted Hightower—a Pro Bowler who was drafted by the Patriots as a first-round pick out of Alabama in 2012— with many gifts including cupcakes, happy birthday greetings and merchandise for his mother.

Hightower helped lead New England to their Super Bowl XLIX and LI victories.

The Patriots have also recently added physical cornerback Stephon Gilmore, dynamic wideout Brandin Cooks, tight end Dwayne Allen, versatile running back Rex Burkhead and defensive end Lawrence Guy. Also returning to their roster is All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski, who missed the playoffs after undergoing back surgery in December.

Hightower earned $7.751 million in 2016, as New England had picked up the fifth-year option of the five-year deal he had signed as a rookie. The linebacker finished the 2016 season with 65 tackles, 2.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits.

Hightower’s fourth-quarter strip sack of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan in Super Bowl LI was named by head coach Bill Belichick as a game-changing play in the Patriots’ 25-point second-half comeback.

In Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, Hightower’s big moment came when he tackled Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch at the 1-yard line on the play before cornerback Malcolm Butler’s game-ending interception for the Patriots.

Hightower has played a full NFL season only once in his career due to injuries. He played 67.9 percent of the defensive snaps in the 2016 regular season, 54.2 percent in the 2015 regular season and 76.7 percent in the 2014 regular season.

Butler is set to visit New Orleans on Thursday to discuss possibly signing with the Saints.

In other NFL news, a judge on Wednesday dropped all five charges against 31-year-old former Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis stemming from an alleged altercation in his hometown of Pittsburgh last month.

HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 05: Dont’a Hightower #54 of the New England Patriots celebrates with Devin McCourty #32 after forcing a fumble from Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Linebacker Dont’a Hightower is now the third New England Patriots player, after safety Devin McCourty and tight end Martellus Bennett, to announce he’ll skip the team’s trip to the White House after winning Super Bowl LI on Sunday.

Dont’a Hightower, Devin McCourty and Martellus Bennett to Skip White House Visit

However, Hightower cited a different reason than his teammates did for choosing to miss the visit.

“Been there, done that,” the linebacker said when asked about his plans Wednesday on SportsCenter.

Hightower also skipped the Patriot’s visit to the White House in 2015. He had already made the trip in college after Alabama won the national championship.

Bennett was the first to announce he would miss the visit just moments after the Patriots’ big victory on Sunday, and McCourty followed suit shortly thereafter. Both cited the fact that they don’t support President Donald Trump as their main reason for not going to the White House, although neither explicitly mentioned Trump’s name in their comments.

“I’m not going to the White House,” McCourty told Time on Monday in a text message. “Basic reason for me is I don’t feel accepted in the White House. With the president having so many strong opinions and prejudices I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won’t.”

McCourty added: “I can’t imagine a way I go there.”

President Trump has long admitted he’s friends with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, head coach Bill Belichick, and owner Robert Kraft. Kraft recently explained that he’s close with Trump because of how compassionate the former real estate mogul and ‘”Apprentice” star was to Kraft when his wife died in 2011.

Unsurprisingly, Trump predicted the Patriots would beat the Falcons in Super Bowl LI.

Patriots running back James White, who set a Super Bowl record with 20 points scored– including the game-winning touchdown in overtime– is also reportedly deliberating on whether to make the trip.

“I’ll wait ’til the time comes and decide then,” White said on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday.

HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 05: Dont’a Hightower #54 of the New England Patriots celebrates with Devin McCourty #32 after forcing a fumble from Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)