Four stalwart members of the Patriots plan to play in the NFL next season. The question is, will they suit up for New England?
NFL Media’s Mike Giardi reported Wednesday that Dont’a Hightower, Devin McCourty, Matthew Slater and James White all want to come back for the 2022 campaign. There have been questions about the futures of all four vets.
Hightower, who recorded 64 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 15 games last season, will be an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins March 16. While the 32-year-old linebacker remains one of the Patriots’ leaders on the defensive side, his play suffered last season after sitting out 2020. The Patriots released fellow veteran linebacker Kyle Van Noy Monday.
Earlier this week, NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran speculated that Hightower’s days with the Patriots may be over. “The Patriots could still use the leadership and smarts of Hightower but his performance is declining,” Curran writes.
The same can’t be said for Slater, who made the Pro Bowl in his age-36 season. The special teams ace has been a regular at Gillette Stadium this offseason, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
McCourty becomes even more valuable to the Patriots in the wake of J.C. Jackson’s likely departure, given the team’s lack of depth in the secondary. His contract voids March 16. McCourty recorded 60 tackles and three interceptions last year. The 35-year-old safety underwent minor surgery on his right thumb earlier this winter.
White, meanwhile, is recovering from a right hip subluxation in Week 3. He is willing to play for the Patriots or elsewhere, reports the Herald’s Karen Guregian.
While all four veterans may not be what they once were, they possess championship pedigrees on a team that lacks players with postseason experience. Their value to the Patriots goes beyond the field.