Patriots Players Are Dropping Out in Droves

It has been a wild journey following the timeline of Adam Schefter this morning, as one New England Patriot after another is dropping out of the NFL season. The list now stands as follows:


The most notable of these is Hightower, who was due to make $8 million this season but says he is dropping out because he and his wife just had a baby this month. Cannon is also a stalwart -- he's been a protector on the offensive line since 2011.

It remains to be seen how prevalent this will be across the NFL, but it is certainly worth monitoring. You can't think it's a coincidence that it came the day after it was revealed that a bunch of Miami Marlins tested positive for coronavirus.

This is all going to spell a further challenge for Bill Belichick and Cam Newton, both of whom have a lot to prove this season -- Belichick is aiming to prove that he can continue to thrive without Tom Brady, while Newton must prove to the world that he is still a starting caliber quarterback. It'll be interesting to watch play out.

UPDATE: Patrick Chung has dropped out too, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss.






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Ryan Glasspiegel grew up in Connecticut, graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison, and lives in Chicago. Before OutKick, he wrote for Sports Illustrated and The Big Lead. He enjoys expensive bourbon and cheap beer.