Dont’a Hightower retires from NFL after decade with Patriots

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Dont’a Hightower is making a quiet exit to a memorable career with the New England Patriots.

The veteran linebacker, who did not play last season, announced his retirement Tuesday in an essay posted on the Players’ Tribune website.

It ends a decade-long run in New England that began with the Patriots selecting him 25th overall in the 2012 draft. It included three Super Bowl rings (2014, 2016, 2018) and a pair of Pro Bowl selections (2016, 2019). He also was named a second-team All-Pro in 2016.

Hightower called his decision “a happy day.”

“People always ask what makes the Patriots culture so different. Easy answer: it was about professionalism, period. You knew that you had to show up every single day — not just physically but more so mentally,” he wrote. “We had a saying, ‘If you do it right, you do it light.’ Being good was expected. Being great might even get you a thumbs up from (coach) Bill (Belichick). Luckily, I knew a thing or two about that from my time at Alabama under Coach (Nick) Saban.

“For nine seasons, I lived that mentality 24/7. Today, I’m totally at peace knowing that I gave this franchise every ounce of sweat I had left.”

Hightower appeared in 117 games in his NFL career, amassing 27 sacks and 353 tackles.

With his wife expecting their first child, he opted to sit out the 2020 season because of concerns about COVID-19. He returned in 2021, but his production was down. He played in 15 games, logging 64 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks.

He became a free agent that summer but didn’t sign a new contract.

Hightower likely will be most remembered for tackling Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch on the 1-yard line late in the Super Bowl following the 2014 season. The play preceded Russell Wilson’s pass that was intercepted by Malcolm Butler in the end zone to clinch the Patriots’ 28-24 victory.

“When I saw Seattle line up in that I-form, I knew Beast Mode was getting it, and I knew they’d been gashing us with that strong-side lead all game,” Hightower recalled in his essay. “I knew he was going to walk through a huge hole if I didn’t take a risk. … I figured we had nothing to lose. So I ripped up under (Russell) Okung and shot my shot. All I saw was Marshawn’s two legs churning, and I just prayed to God that I could clip him up or something. I reached out … and you already know what happened next.”

Two seasons later, he came up big again in the Super Bowl. With the Patriots trailing the Falcons 28-12, his strip-sack of Atlanta’s Matt Ryan in the fourth quarter was recovered by Alan Branch. New England used a short field and scored to get within one possession. The Patriots ultimately tied it and capped off a historic comeback win in overtime.

“I’ll never get tired of inscribing ‘The Strip Sack’ on anything I sign,” Hightower wrote.

Jakobi Meyers knew the question was coming at some point in his introductory news conference. A Las Vegas TV sports reporter finally posed it.

The question concerned Meyers’ lateral on the last play of the Dec. 18 game between the Raiders and New England Patriots. He tossed the ball backward in a tie game that seemed destined for overtime.

Las Vegas defensive end Chandler Jones snagged the lateral and scored on a 48-yard touchdown to beat the Patriots 30-24.

“I knew what it meant to the team that I was on at the time, so it really hurt me,” Meyers said. “When I went through it in the moment, my heart was broken, but days after just seeing how guys kind of rallied around me, it built me up as a person.”

Now Meyers will play in that same Allegiant Stadium as a member of the home team. He joins a Raiders team with receivers Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow as well as newly acquired speedster Phillip Dorsett, who last season played for the Houston Texans.

Jimmy Garoppolo will be the new quarterback after signing a three-year deal Friday.

“They’ve got some real dogs on the offensive side,” Meyers said. “I feel like they can really play football, and I’ll just be another piece of the puzzle just trying to do my role and do my job and hopefully keep this machine rolling smoothly.”

AUBURN, Ala. — After not playing at all during the 2022 season, Cam Newton got to show what he can still do.

Newton threw in front of scouts at a pro day event on Tuesday at Auburn, where he won a Heisman Trophy and a national championship in the 2010 season.

The 2015 NFL Most Valuable Player was invited to throw at Auburn by his younger brother, Caylin — a former quarterback at Howard who finished his collegiate career as a wide receiver at Auburn and William & Mary.

“This was him showing love to me,” Caylin Newton said of his older brother. “He doesn’t owe anybody anything. He has had an amazing journey, an amazing career in the NFL. He has nothing to prove to anybody. … He came to show his ability, show he still has it.

“I think, for him, this was a selfless act. But it was also to show and prove to everybody he’s not sitting around. He’s still got it. Whatever organization wants to get a winning quarterback, his number’s still open and available.”

Cam Newton declined to speak to reporters in Auburn on Tuesday. During the workout, Newton threw more than 30 passes to several NFL hopefuls from Auburn, including wide receiver Shedrick Jackson.

The Buffalo Bills restocked their offensive backfield by signing free agent Damien Harris to a one-year contract.

Harris spent his first four NFL seasons with the division-rival New England Patriots. He joins the Bills a day after they lost starter Devin Singletary, who agreed to a deal with Houston.

Harris led the Patriots with 2,094 yards rushing and 20 TDs rushing since being selected in the third round of the draft out of Alabama. He also had 40 catches for 281 yards.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed longtime Philadelphia Eagles guard Isaac Seumalo to a three-year, $24 million contract. Seumalo’s arrival fortifies the interior of the Steelers offensive line as Pittsburgh builds around second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett.

The 29-year-old Seumalo started 60 games across seven seasons with the Eagles, who selected him in the third round of the 2016 draft. Seumalo appeared in 81 games in all for Philadelphia and won a Super Bowl with the Eagles following the 2017 season.

Seumalo is considered an excellent run blocker, though he has improved in pass protection during his career. He allowed just one sack while playing 1,137 offensive snaps in 2022.

The Minnesota Vikings have agreed to terms on a new contract with defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard. He played in 12 games with seven starts last season.

Bullard joined the Vikings last year for his fifth team in five seasons. The eighth-year veteran had 23 tackles and five tackles for loss. He suffered a biceps injury on Dec. 4 and missed the next four games.

Bullard gives the Vikings another experienced player on the interior with returning starter Harrison Phillips and newcomer Dean Lowry. Dalvin Tomlinson was their most accomplished defensive lineman. He signed with Cleveland.