FOXBORO, Mass. -- Dont'a Hightower took a New England Patriots practice field for the first time since the 2019 season last week, and it was as if the defensive captain never was gone.
Hightower looked like himself in his return to the practice field after opting out for the 2020 NFL season and skipping the early portion of organized team activities.
"He's worked right in very quickly," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Monday. "Obviously a smart player with a lot of experience. A lot of leadership for us on the team. But again, we're not really in an evaluation mode; we'll see how that goes for everybody when we get to that point."
Hightower, 31, is in the final year of his contract. He's set to make $9,897,059 this season.
