Patriots right tackle Marcus Cannon has decided to opt out of the 2020 NFL season because of concerns over playing amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Boston Herald‘s Karen Guregian reported late Monday night.
Cannon is the third Patriots player to opt out, joining fullback Dan Vitale and guard Najee Toran. The deadline for players to inform teams of their decisions is Aug. 3.
It’s likely Cannon qualifies as a “higher risk player opt out,” as he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma leading up to the 2011 NFL Draft. After getting selected by the Patriots in the fifth round, Cannon continued his chemotherapy treatments and began his rookie season on the Non-Football Injury list.