Brady has heartfelt reaction to Hightower retiring from Patriots originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

You could make a strong argument that over the last decade no defensive player for the New England Patriots made more important plays in Super Bowl victories than Dont'a Hightower.

The veteran linebacker officially announced his retirement Tuesday. After being drafted in the first round by the Patriots in 2012, Hightower played a total of nine seasons in New England. He did not play in 2020 or 2022.

Hightower was at the center of the Patriots' wins in Super Bowl XLIX, Super Bowl LI and Super Bowl LIII. His tackle of Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch at the goal line during Super Bowl XLIX and strip sack of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan in Super Bowl LI are two of the most impactful plays in recent playoff history.

Tributes and well-wishes for Hightower poured in on social media after his announcement. One of them came from former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who posted the following to his Instagram story:

Instagram/@tombrady

"Clutch. A great teammate, captain and champion. Congratulations on an amazing career," Brady wrote.

Hightower will one day be enshrined in the Patriots Hall of Fame. The more important the game, the better he played.