‘High’ Road: Patriots LB Deserves Better Ending

Dont’a Hightower is still a free agent as training camp approaches.

FOXBORO – It is always satisfying to see a New England Patriots great get a happy ending to a career, or at least a Foxboro tenure. Legendary players like Ty Law, Willie McGinest and Vince Wilfork all spent time on different teams after their time in New England, but returned in some capacity.

While linebacker Dont’a Hightower, who is a future shoo-in for the Patriots Hall of Fame, is still in limbo with the remainder for his NFL career, it is a disappointing situation for one of the greatest defensive players in Patriots history.

The three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time Pro Bowler is yet to make a decision on his football future, but regardless of what he picks, it is disappointing to see such a legendary career seem to vanish into thin air.

Hightower is 32 years old and is coming off two straight years of either lackluster football, or in the case of his COVID-19 opt-out, no football at all.

Although Hightower might not make sense for the team’s 2022 plans for a multitude of reasons, it would be nice to see something on the Dont’a Hightower radar. Whether a return to New England for a final season or seeing him cap off his career in another city would be a nice closure for the former first-round selection.

Teams like the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers showed immense interest in the former Alabama Crimson Tide product, but Hightower chose to take hometown discounts and stay with the Patriots. Would those teams be interested in the former All-Pro or does he leave the gridiron as a career Patriot?

With the return of Cameron McGrone, Ronnie Perkins and Raekwon McMillan off of injuries, Hightower is not in a place to contribute in this defensive unit, at least not on every snap.

The team would welcome him back with open arms, according to a report in The Athletic back in June. Will he try and lace them up for an 11th pro season or will his career end with a tough loss to the Buffalo Bills in last January’s AFC Wild Card matchup?

Hightower most certainly will be back in Foxboro for his inevitable Hall-of-Fame induction, but his playing career, which has seemed to stop at a screeching halt, deserves more recognition if this is truly the end.