Patriots Safety Patrick Chung Opting Out Of 2020 NFL Season
BOSTON (CBS) -- And then there were six. Patrick Chung is reportedly opting out of the 2020 season, the sixth member of the New England Patriot to do so.
WBZ-TV's Steve Burton has confirmed that Chung is opting out, after ESPN's Mike Reiss was first to report the safety's intentions late Tuesday morning.
Chung has been a key part of the New England secondary the last six seasons, and for 10 of his 11 years in the NFL. The 32-year-old played in 13 games last season, defending three passes and racking up 51 combined tackles.
Veteran safety Adrian Phillips, signed by New England in the offseason, will likely slide into Chung's starting spot on the Patriots depth chart. Rookie Kyle Dugger, a second-round pick in this years draft, could also see some immediate action as the Patriots try to fill the void left by Chung opting out.
Chung joins linebacker Dont'a Hightower, right tackle Marcus Cannon, running back Brandon Bolden, fullback Danny Vitale and offensive lineman Najee Toran as Patriots players to opt out of the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Patriots training camp is set to open later this week, with an Aug. 3 deadline for players to opt out of the season.
