Dont'a Hightower -- a 3-time Super Bowl champion and one of the leaders of the Patriots' defense -- has also chosen to sit out this season.
Hightower, according to NFL Network's Michael Giardi, just had a baby this month ... and his mom also has type 2 diabetes.
"Me and my fiancée are just more concerned with the health of our family than football," Hightower said in a statement to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, "especially the new addition to our family."
The opt-out is a big blow for the Pats, Hightower recorded 71 tackles and 5.5 sacks for New England last season ... but he's also now one of FIVE Patriots choosing to forego the season.
Pats running back Brandon Bolden and offensive linemen Najee Toran and Marcus Cannon have also joined Hightower and fullback Danny Vitale in sitting out 2020.
There could be more on the way as well ... players still have until the end of this week to make opt-out decisions. [Reply]
Originally Posted by tk13:
That's kind of the unspoken truth that will never really be said out loud because it might seem offensive, but it's a concern. The NFL probably does have more guys with health concerns if they get this thing.
If you broke the numbers down to the numbers of the nfl with percentages we would have 4 players die from this, I don't expect that but that would be just equaling out the numbers. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88:
Most of these players will regret their opt-out decisions by October when the NFL season is progressing as relatively normal.
No opting back in... when you are out, you are gone until 2021 (assuming you even get your job back).
Well there it is folks, now we know the season will be cancelled. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88:
Most of these players will regret their opt-out decisions by October when the NFL season is progressing as relatively normal.
No opting back in... when you are out, you are gone until 2021 (assuming you even get your job back).
All these guys who are opting out already got paid a big contract with solid guaranteed money. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88:
Most of these players will regret their opt-out decisions by October when the NFL season is progressing as relatively normal.
No opting back in... when you are out, you are gone until 2021 (assuming you even get your job back).
The NFL season will not be successful unless the following happen:
1) We find a vaccine in the next month (ha)
2) They play in a bubble
Even then I would expect tons of guys to opt out who have a family.
I think that is just the harsh reality. Any season we have is going to be a farce because people will diminish it by the amount of players sitting out and/or the Covid-19 cases we will undoubtedly see during the season forcing players to sit out.
I'd vote playing in a bubble and shortening the season, but if guys still don't want to do that then I don't think there is anything the NFL can do. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88:
Most of these players will regret their opt-out decisions by October when the NFL season is progressing as relatively normal.
No opting back in... when you are out, you are gone until 2021 (assuming you even get your job back).
Originally Posted by Mecca:
Well there it is folks, now we know the season will be cancelled.
Yes, please continue to predict doom and gloom, after all your predictions during last season about the Chiefs’ championship chances were so accurate....
Originally Posted by Mecca:
Basically if you go look up the history if a coach doesn't take a team to the superbowl in 5 years, it's not happening.
Originally Posted by Mecca:
They're worse.....and Mahomes isn't bailing them out the way he did last year because every team that plays us figured out not to do the track meet.
Run the ball, isolate the LB's in coverage and you're going to have 10+ play drives over and over.
Source: #Eagles speedy WR Marquise Goodwin plans to opt-out for the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns. He has informed the team, who traded for him during the draft. Goodwin has a 5-month daughter after his wife previously had three miscarriages. Family is the most important.
Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88:
Yes, please continue to predict doom and gloom, after all your predictions during last season about the Chiefs’ championship chances were so accurate....
Oh man I said some shit that was true at the time I said it and changed over the course of the season, oh man. Would you like me to pull some of the complete batshit things you've said?
There's a reason it's a running joke that people with 88 in their usernames are fucking nuts. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88:
Yes, please continue to predict doom and gloom, after all your predictions during last season about the Chiefs’ championship chances were so accurate....
In fairness, the Packers defense did look like it had done a complete 180 for most of the season.
Then the 49ers just physically manhandled them. I still can't quite figure that one out. Clark is a monster and the Smith's aren't pussies.
Had to be a LBer issue that I just never cared to dig into. How a team that had gotten premier play by their front 4 most of the season was just ground into a fine powder like that, I'll never understand.
Then again, Rodgers bitching up on the game 3 drives in didn't help them. Man he looked real old, real fast. I understand that his overall numbers looked fine, but Rodgers played them right out of that game in the 1st half.
I mean the Packers DID give up 6 fewer points/gm than they did in 2018 and went 13-3. It's hard to say they didn't do a damn fine job rebuilding that D.
The problem is that they still don't seem to think they need to do anything to address the offense... [Reply]
