Boston
Hightower’s agency, SportsTrust Advisors, tweeted the agreement on Wednesday and his agent Pat Dye, Jr., confirmed it.
The new pact is for four years and $43.5 million, with $19 million guaranteed, according to media reports.
It brings back one of the Patriots’ biggest free agents, who has helped New England win two Super Bowls in his five NFL seasons. He has 372 tackles and 17 sacks since being a first-round pick out of Alabama in 2012.
He also had one of the biggest plays in last month’s Super Bowl. He forced a fumble on a sack on Atlanta’s Matt Ryan in the fourth quarter, helping swing the momentum New England’s way in its comeback 34-28 overtime victory.
Hightower, selected for his first Pro Bowl last season, also had a big play in the Patriots’ previous Super Bowl win two years ago. He tackled Seattle’s Marshawn Lynch at the 1-yard line, and Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson on the next play to help seal the Patriots’ 28-24 win.
Hightower took free agent visits with both the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers, but will return to captain a defense that allowed a league-low 15.6 points per game during the regular-season in 2016.
The Jets, interested in signing the big free-agent prize away from their AFC East rival, apparently tried to pull out all the stops during their meeting.
ESPN reported that Hightower, who turned 27 on Sunday, was taken out for dinner by the team and given birthday cupcakes to help celebrate. “Happy Birthday Dont’a Hightower” was shown on the screens inside the Jets’ facility in Florham Park, N.J., and the team sent Hightower’s mother some Jets merchandise.
The Steelers were searching for a replacement for veteran Lawrence Timmons, who signed with Miami last week after spending a productive decade with Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh declined to splurge on the 30-year-old Timmons, who signed a two-year deal with the Dolphins that will play him around $12 million.
Pittsburgh rarely gets into a bidding war for free agents.
The team’s two highest-profile acquisitions in recent years have been safety Mike Mitchell, who signed a five-year, $25 million deal in 2014, and tight end Ladarius Green, who played sporadically in 2016 due to injuries after agreeing to a four-year, $20 million contract.
The Steelers won the AFC North reached the AFC championship game, but were outclassed in a lopsided loss to Hightower and the Patriots.
Improving the pass rush and finding depth at cornerback are considered the top priorities.