Sources: Patriots' Dont'a Hightower, Patrick Chung to opt out of 2020 season

ESPN ^ | July 28, 2020 | Mike Reiss

[C19fan]

New England Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower and safety Patrick Chung are among the starters opting out of the 2020 season, league sources told ESPN on Tuesday.‬ Running back Brandon Bolden also is planning to opt out of the season, a source told ESPN. Starting offensive tackle Marcus Cannon, fullback Danny Vitale and reserve offensive lineman Najee Toran earlier decided to opt out for the Patriots.

[KC_Conspirator]

As a Chiefs fan, I dont give a damn about Pats players taking the season off. :)

[pepsi_junkie]

Belichick telling his players to take a year off. Planning to tank so he can get the top draft pick and grab Trevor Lawrence. You heard it here first!

[petitfour]

He has a two week old baby. He’s defensive captain and a pro-bowler.

[Old Yeller]

I hope there won’t be a season and the fans realize they can live just fine without it.

[freefdny]

I’m opting out of the NFL also. So as a fan I support these guys.

[ETCM]

After the story on Eduardo Rodriguez’s heart issue:

https://www.google.com/search?q=mlb+pitcher+covid+heart&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS553US553&oq=mlb+pitcher+covid+heart&aqs=chrome..69i57j33.12997j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

And the recent article in JAMA:

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2768915

I suspect we will see more athletes sit out, or at least take more precautions to avoid getting sick. For guys whose bodies are already too large for their hearts and lungs, even “minor” damage could end their career.

[Psalm 73]

"As a Chiefs fan..."

Not missing Len Dawson anymore, are you?

[ZOOKER]

Belichick telling his players to take a year off.
Planning to tank so he can get the top draft pick and grab Trevor Lawrence.
You heard it here first!

Makes sense that this would be a "rebuilding year" since their franchise QB already signed with another team.

Do you think they'll finish above .500?

Above .250?

Not that I care anyway, just curious...

[pepsi_junkie]

Well, I'm not a Pats fan so I can't say but I'll say this: since the last collective bargaining agreement when the players got training camp turned into a relaxing couple of weeks at the park NFL football in September has been god awful. Nobody is ready, all the players are on different pages, good teams lose to terrible teams, etc. Around October they've worked out the kinks and start to play for real. September is the new pre-season. September NFL football is absolutely terrible now in a good year.

This is not a good year. They will all be less prepared this year than any other year. Plus distractions, players opting out, it's just a perfect storm of absultely sucky football coming out of the NFL for the entire season.

So bottom line: nobody has any idea what's going to happen this year. Well actually I do. It's going to be absolutely terrible football where nothing goes the way you expect it to. If you have any thoughts of sitting out a season as a way to give the finger to the NFL this is the year. You won't miss anything good.