Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower will miss Pro Bowl
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Feb 3, 2019; Atlanta, GA: Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff is tackled by New England Patriots outside linebacker Dont’a Hightower during the second half in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports)
By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
The bumps and bruises of the 2019 NFL season will keep Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower out of the Pro Bowl, as the 29-year-old has opted out of next week’s festivities due to injury.
In action for 15 of New England’s 16 games in 2019, Hightower totaled 71 tackles (eight for a loss), and his 5.5 sacks were the second-most in any single season of Hightower’s eight-year career.
Hightower’s honor was just the second of his career, and his first since 2016.
He will be replaced on the Pro Bowl roster by Bills linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
The Patriots’ other two Pro Bowlers, cornerback and potential Defensive Player of the Year winner Stephon Gilmore and special teams ace Matthew Slater, are both expected to play in the 2019 Pro Bowl as of right now.
This year’s Pro Bowl will be held on Jan. 26, 2020 in Orlando, Fla.