After opting out of the 2020 season, it seemed Dont'a Hightower would be back in 2021, but there were rumors this offseason that he would not and would ultimately retire.
Hightower heard those rumors and didn't know where they were coming from.
"Y'all had me thinking someone was trying to kick me out," he said when speaking to the media via Zoom Tuesday.
Even though the linebacker attended OTAs last week and has been at minicamp this week, he was asked directly of he intends on playing in 2021.
"I wouldn’t be out here doing this for free," he said.
Hightower later added: "I don’t know what y’all want for me to say, man. I’m here. I’m working. I’m in minicamp, bruh. I’m not here to write a story for you, dawg. I’m here to work, man. I’m here. I don’t know what else y’all want me to say. If I wasn’t here, then I think that would be something to talk about. But I’m here. Hopefully that knocks all those questions out."
Getting Hightower back in the mix will surely improve the defense, which struggled at times in 2020.