Three-time Super Bowl champ, Dont’a Hightower is opting out of the 2020 season and it is a big deal for the New England Patriots.

Patriots’ three-time Super-Bowl champion and Pro-Bowl ILB Dont’a Hightower is opting out of the 2020 season, league sources tell ESPN.

Hightower is scheduled to make $8 million in base salary. He had a baby July 16.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 28, 2020

Hightower, who also just became a father for the first time on July 16th, was scheduled to make $8 Million this year, which would have been his ninth season with New England.

New England’s defense takes a huge blow here. He is now the 4th player to opt out of the 2020 season. Hightower joins Patriots Marcus Cannon, Danny Vitale, and Najee Toran as other opt outs.

Another thing to consider is the Patriots lost linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins in free agency.

While the Patriots did draft in free agency, inside linebacker Josh Uche, it is still a big void to fulfill.

So, Who else is opting out?

As if it wasn’t enough for Belichick to deal with, Brandon Bolden also adds himself to the list of players opting out of the season due to COVID-19 concerns.

Brandon Bolden becomes fifth Patriot to opt out of 2020 NFL season https://t.co/ac2OqTNpy1

— Boston Herald (@bostonherald) July 28, 2020

With Bolden removing himself from the backfield, the running back depth chart would look as followed:

• Sony Michel, James White, Rex Burkhead, Damien Harris and JJ Taylor.

Bolden leaves a big gap to cover. But he also leaves a scheduled cap hit of $1.98 Million this year. That number now gets removed from the team’s salary cap as well.

The very next thing that can happen too is that Sony Michel decides to opt out of the season as well, in which case, it would leave Belichick with no other choice but to immediately apply those extra funds for emergency recruiting.

In Conclusion:

Honestly, with the way COVID-19 seems to be hitting across the nation and its impact on the MLB and now the NFL, I highly doubt there will be a Football season to be played this year.

Roger Goodell’s time to shine and be a commissioner is now. He needs to sincerely address the health concerns surrounding COVID-19. Until a plan is drafted that addresses that, be prepared to see more players dropping out of the season like flies.

~Diego Galvis (@Diego_TheDJ on Twitter).