It's been rumored for some time, including Devin McCourty saying it himself on a podcast, but the Patriots appear to be getting some reinforcements for 2021 before free agency even begins.
According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, Dont'a Hightower, Patrick Chung, and Marcus Cannon are planning to be back for next season after opting out of last year.
The Patriots had a league-high eight players opt-out of the 2021 season.
All three players are in their early 30s, but have been major contributors to the team in the past.
As of now, Hightower has a cap hit of $12.4 million, Cannon $9.6 million and Chung $5.1.
