Within a span of two weeks, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has addressed the retirements of two of his best defensive players in franchise history.
Longtime safety Devin McCourty retired ahead of free agency, while Dont’a Hightower announced he was stepping away from football for good in an article for The Players’ Tribune on Tuesday.
For years, Hightower served as one of the key leaders for Belichick’s defense. So it must have been bittersweet for him to say goodbye to another former first-round draft pick.
“Dont’a’s blend of intelligence, positional versatility and physicality made him one of the rarest of players that I have ever coached,” Belichick’s statement read, via Patriots.