New England Patriots Linebacker Dont'a Hightower Out for the Season With Torn Pectoral
Dont'a Hightower's season has officially come to an end.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport was the first to report that Hightower has been diagnosed with a torn pectoral muscle and he's expected to miss the remainder of the season. The linebacker visited noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews for an evaluation on Thursday before he went under the knife, and he's expected to make a full recovery.
On Friday, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick confirmed that Hightower's done for the season.
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"Obviously we're all disappointed for High," Belichick said, via the Patriots' official website. "He's one of the leaders on our defense and one of our captains. He gives us a lot. It's unfortunate, but it'll give somebody else opportunities. We'll see how that goes," he added.
Hightower went down with the injury in the third quarter of their 23–7 Victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday when he tackled running back Devonta Freeman. He has also missed a pair of games earlier this season due to a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL).
With Hightower sidelined, Kyle Van Noy, David Harris, Elandon Roberts, Trevor Reilly and Marquis Flowers will have to step up moving forward.
"As a linebacker group, we have to try to fill his place, which is going to be tough to do," Harris said, according to ESPN.
"When a guy like that goes down, a bunch of guys have to step up and try and fill that role, and in this case, a bunch of different roles," eight-year safety Devin McCourty stated.
Losing a key player member of their defense is obviously a huge blow for the Patriots, but they will have to find a way to deal with his absence if they want to defend their title this year.
Meanwhile, Hightower quoted Isaiah 43:2 and thanked his fans for the support in a recent Instagram post. The linebacker's season is over, but he will come back stronger than ever next season.
