If Dont’a Hightower gets a chance to hit Tom Brady this season, he’s going to hit Tom Brady for real.
The New England Patriots linebacker sat down with the Boston Globe recently to discuss opting out this past season and his preparation for 2021. But, like many things these days with the Patriots, the conversation eventually landed on Brady, who will be returning to Gillette Stadium as an opposing player on Oct. 3.
Hightower said that he’s looking forward to taking of Brady as an opponent when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Patriots in Week 3. When asked if he would take a little bit off from his hits on Brady “for old time’s sake,” Hightower shot that line of thinking down.
“Oh, you mean, like, ‘soft sacking’ him? Nah, you can’t do none of that stuff with him, man. He’s trying to throw touchdowns,” Hightower said to the Globe. “No, in between the lines, it’s football. I’m sure he wouldn’t expect anything different.”
Hightower was also asked about the Brady vs. Belichick narrative and the supposed battle for legacies on the line. He wasn’t having any of it.
“I’m playing to win,” Hightower said to the Globe. “I got nothing for you on that aspect.”
After missing some time during early in OTAs, Hightower is back with the Patriots following his 2020 opt-out and seems on track to return to his position as the control tower of the New England defense. At age 31, Hightower is the unquestioned leader of that linebacker corps and will be counted on to lend his versatility and knowledge of the defense to help the Patriots rebound from a down year in 2020.
When he appeared at OTAs earlier this month, Hightower shot down rumors that his opt-out would ultimately lead to retirement, like it did for former teammate Patrick Chung.
“All them rumors about retirement and stuff, y’all had me thinking somebody was trying to kick me out,” Hightower said earlier in June. “I did what I did for what I thought was better for my family... if I had to go back and do it I would absolutely do it again. It was literally just for the season. I wasn’t planning one, two steps ahead or anything like that.”
With mini camp wrapped up, the Patriots are off until training camp at the end of July, at which point the team will start preparing for the 2021 season -- and that matchup with Brady.
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June 25, 2021 at 07:59PM
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