JACKSONVILLE, FL - NOVEMBER 5: Wide Receiver Marqise Lee #11 of the Jacksonville Jaguars on a catch play during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at EverBank Field on November 5, 2017 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars defeated the Bengals 23 to 7. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
The New England Patriots’ already-questionable roster situation became even more compromised prior to the start of training camp when a league-leading eight players opted out due to concerns about playing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
These losses expectedly proved costly as the Patriots stumbled to their worst season in two decades.