Coach Bill Belichick says he fully supports the six Patriots who have opted out of the 2020 NFL season.
“I respect all of them,” Belichick said Friday afternoon. “I respect all the players on our team. We all have to make decisions.”
Running back Brandon Bolden, offensive tackle Marcus Cannon, safety Patrick Chung, linebacker Dont’a Hightower, guard Najee Toran, and fullback Dan Vitale have all elected not to play this season amid the coronavirus pandemic. Belichick said he has spoken to each of the players about their individual situations.
“He understands it’s a serious pandemic going on,” Chung said earlier this week in an interview with CBS This Morning.