Patrick Chung Calls Out People Saying Patriots Are Tanking After Players Opt Out

Patrick Chung is opting out of the 2020 season over COVID-19 concerns, but he's pushing back on any chatter of the New England Patriots colluding to tank for draft position.

Chung is one of six Patriots to opt out of the 2020 season, joining linebacker Dont'a Hightower, running back Brandon Bolden, offensive tackle Marcus Cannon, fullback Danny Vitale and offensive lineman Najee Toran.

An NFL executive told ESPN's Adam Schefter he believes Bill Belichick is "masterminding" all of the opt-outs by the Patriots.

That person is probably worried about the Patriots dropping to the bottom of the standings for 2020, thus giving them a shot at landing Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields in the draft and moving to a new quarterback era to replace Tom Brady over the long term.

Chung is expecting the birth of his second child and Hightower became a father for the first time in July, and both players cited their children as a reason they're opting out.