Report: Jets trying to sign Dont’a Hightower

Free agent linebacker Dont’a Hightower is still shopping his services on the open market, and a division rival is reportedly trying to steal the former Alabama star away from the New England Patriots.

According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the New York Jets have emerged as one of the favorites to sign Hightower.

Jets and Pats appear to be leading the pack to sign LB Dont'a Hightower but several others monitoring closely as well

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 12, 2017

The Patriots chose not to franchise tag Hightower, which would have guaranteed him roughly $15 million for the 2017 season. Hightower is an inside linebacker, and the franchise tag encompasses both inside and outside linebackers. Outside linebackers are paid more, and $15 million would have made Hightower by far the highest-paid inside linebacker from an average annual salary standpoint. Luke Kuechly is currently the top-paid player at the position with a salary of $12.3 million per year.

New England has reportedly kept in good communication with Hightower throughout the offseason, so there’s a chance he could be back. The Tennessee Titans were supposedly close to signing the 27-year-old earlier in the week, but no deal came together.

Hightower made arguably the biggest play of his career in Super Bowl LI when he sacked Matt Ryan late in the second half to push the Atlanta Falcons out of field goal range. The Falcons could have gone up by 10 and all but iced the game before Hightower came up big.

When the Patriots traded another star linebacker in a shocking deal last season, many took that as a guarantee that Hightower would be getting an extension. The Jets are trying to prevent that from happening.