Dont’a Hightower on his contract situation: ‘I’m not looking beyond this year’
Hightower, making $7.75 million in the last year of his rookie deal, is due for a raise.
After recently being crowned AFC Defensive Player of the Week and having forced a safety for the second straight week (this time without linebacker partner Jamie Collins), Dont’a Hightower was asked about his current contract situation.
“That’s just something that will be handled down the road,” Hightower said via the Boston Herald. “Until then, I’m going to do business as business is being done. I’m a Patriot. I love being here. I love the coaching staff. I love the fans. I love the teammates. I’m not looking beyond this year. I’m not worrying about anything else but this year right now.”
“Honestly, I’m sure it’s in the back of everybody’s mind, but it is what it is,” he said. “Honestly, I’m under contract. I’m not worried about it. It’s just football. That’s all I’m worried about.” According to the Herald, Hightower is working hard with the team to structure a new deal that will keep him in New England.
Hightower also said the situation has been eased by the fact that he has not been alone.
“I feel like it’s a little bit easier knowing that I’m going through it with Jamie [Collins], Duron [Harmon], Logan [Ryan], a lot of guys on our defense,” he said. “Obviously, guys want to be able to take care of themselves and their families, and that’s why we do it. But at the same time, right now, nobody on this defense is worried about their contract problems.”
The 26 year-old linebacker prides himself on being a “smart, aggressive, tough, physical football player” and his impact is always apparent in the games he is not on the field, or not fully healthy. Though his 23 tackles and 1.5 sacks don’t jump off the page, the team’s only loss this season came in his first game back from a knee injury. Hightower had 13 of those tackles in Sunday’s game alone.
He has also become a leader of the young defense, having been voted a captain for the first time this season. Leadership is a quality Bill Belichick values, though he has a reputation for letting players walk in free agency, he did sign Hightower’s fellow defensive captain Devin McCourty to a lucrative deal after the team’s latest Super Bowl victory.
“Contracts are contracts. We’re under contract this year, so the other stuff doesn’t matter. In my mind, if I take care of my business, and I take care of myself and the team plays well and I play well, everything else will take care of itself. As long as we’re winning, everything will take care of itself.”
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