While many see Bill Belichick as that grumpy of a head coach, “The Hoodie” seems like a pretty balanced guy behind the scenes. Of course, he often makes ruthless decisions on the roster and staff as the New England Patriots boss, but when it comes to serious issues like the current COVID-19 pandemic, he is not the type to blame if a player decides to retire from 2020.
A total of six Patriots players – including three full-time starters – made the decision on Tuesday and will be out of the 2020 season due to coronavirus concerns. Safety Patrick Chung is one of those starters, and the three-time Super Bowl champion has pulled the curtain back a bit for his brief conversation with Belichick by letting the head coach know he won’t be in 2020.
“He got it,” Chung told “CBS This Morning” Wednesday. “He understands that this is a serious pandemic going on. He totally understood it. You think Bill is like that drill sergeant, but he’s actually a very caring person. He totally understood and it was. is all. It was a short phone call. “
Linebacker Dont’a Hightower, right tackle Marcus Cannon, running back Brandon Bolden, fullback Danny Vitale and reserve offensive lineman Najee Toran were the other Patriots to retire from the season. All of these players have chosen to be absent for various reasons. For example, Cannon is a cancer survivor after battling non-Hodgkin lymphoma when he entered the league in 2011. He is in a high-risk category for COVID-19, which was a primary factor in the decision to withdraw.
As for Chung, he explained that he had a number of family issues that led to his decision.
“Of course, it’s a tough decision,” he said. “You want to play soccer. I’m in the second half of my career, so I wanted to play soccer, but at the end of the day I think money isn’t that important. I have a pregnant girlfriend. , a little girl is coming. soon, my son has a little asthma, my dad is 75, so I just felt it was the best decision for my family to keep everyone safe. ”
Chung was due to start his 12th NFL season in 2020 and 11th with the Patriots under Bill Belichick. With him on the sidelines, New England will likely look to 2020 second-round safety pick Kyle Dugger to help cushion the blow of Chung’s absence.
Of course, COVID-19 is set to dominate the NFL year round as long as a vaccine for the virus is still in development, leaving the possibility of a canceled or shortened season open. Chung is hoping the NFL will be able to play all the slate, but noted cautiously, “Only time will tell.”
