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Tom Brady was not the only player whose departure from New England precipitated the Patriots’ first losing streak in two decades. The Patriots also had more players who chose to leave the 2020 season than any other team in the league.
The good news is that this means that the Patriots are getting some important players back.
Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower, safety Patrick Chung and offensive tackle Marcus Cannon plan to return to the Patriots in the 2021 season, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Everyone is healthy and ready to get back to work.
In addition to regaining their opt-outs, the Patriots are also close to the top of the league in available wage cap space. Therefore, they should be able to add a few more important participants to the free agency.
There are many reasons to think that the Patriots could be better in 2021 than in 2020. As long as they can find a quarterback.