The New England Patriots decided to move on from their longtime linebacker Dont'a Hightower this offseason. That doesn't mean they have forgotten about him and his impact on the franchise during his time with the team.
As Hightower remains a free agent, the Patriots have opted to leave his locker empty for the time being. This isn't really a sign that Hightower could potentially return, as he would have been signed with the team by now. But it is a neat sign of respect from the Patriots and their head coach, Bill Belichick, for all that Hightower has done for New England throughout his career.
“The Patriots are leaving longtime linebacker Dont’a Hightower’s locker open at the moment. It’s not necessarily that they are planning on the free agent's return, which seems unlikely, as much as it is a show of respect amongst players.” – Mike Reiss, ESPN
The Patriots made it a goal of theirs to get younger and faster on defense this offseason, and that unfortunately meant moving on from Hightower. Hightower returned last season after sitting out the entire 2020 season due to his concerns regarding COVID-19, and appeared to have lost a step during his absence.
Still, Hightower's impact on the Pats has been hard to miss during his time with the team. He helped New England win their three most recent Super Bowls, and without him chances are they don't win two of those three.
Hightower was responsible for tackling Marshawn Lynch a yard short of the end zone against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX, which allowed Malcolm Butler to make his famous game saving interception on the next play. Hightower also had a key strip sack of Matt Ryan against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI that helped spark New England's legendary rally from a 28-3 deficit.
Without Hightower, the Patriots would be in a worse place, and this classy yet subtle act shows the franchise's appreciation for their longtime defensive star.
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