New England Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower will reportedly miss the rest of the 2017 season due to a torn pectoral muscle, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The sixth-year veteran suffered a torn pectoral in Sunday’s game against Atlanta falcons.
As the centerpiece of New England's defense, Hightower has registered 14 tackles and 2.0 sacks in five games this season. He has already missed a pair of contests due to a sprained MCL, and playing without Hightower isn't a foreign concept to the Pats. Losing him is a big loss for a defense that was already working through some deficiencies.
Hightower suffered a knee injury in the Patriots’ season opener against Kansas City, missing Weeks 2 and 3; he returned against Carolina in Week 4.
The 27-year old was a hero in each of the Patriots’ last two Super Bowl wins, stuffing Marshawn Lynch near the goal line late in Super Bowl XLIX, and strip-sacking Matt Ryan in Super Bowl LI.
Hightower ended up signing a four-year, $43.5 million contract with New England after an extended tour featuring visits with the Jets and Steelers. The Jets apparently pulled out all the stops to secure his services, baking him some cupcakes, sending Jets gear to his mother and reportedly offering a deal that averaged over $12 million per year, but it ultimately wasn't enough.
With Hightower out, Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts, and Davis Harris will all presumably see more snaps, but the Patriots may also elect to use more of their three-safety look with Patrick Chung dropping down into the box.
