New England now has 5 players planning to opt-out of the season as former Ole Miss player joins the growing list of Patriots planning to sit
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The New England Patriots are going to look a lot different on the field in 2020.
That was to be expected following the departure of Tom Brady, but that news we all knew was coming. Now, in recent days, five Patriots have made the decision to sit out the 2020 NFL season due to concerns regarding the health and safety of playing during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Offensive linemen Marcus Cannon and Najee Toran, fullback Danny Vitale, linebacker Dont’a Hightower and now running back Brandon Bolden have all decided to sit the upcoming season.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter was the first to report the news of Bolden’s decision to sit out the season.
Bolden made 15 appearances for the Patriots last season, including two starts. The 2019 season was his first back with the team after leaving for one season to play for the Miami Dolphins. During his NFL career, the former Ole Miss Rebel has rushed for 1,071 yards and 11 touchdowns with 59 receptions for 497 yards and four touchdowns.
The Patriots have an 11-year active NFL playoff streak — which is the longest mark in league history, but if young players don’t step up and fill the void in 2019, there’s reason to believe that streak could finally be coming to an end without Brady and these five players around to help engineer the team to the postseason.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
