It was incumbent upon the Jets to make Dont'a Hightower feel as though he was appreciated. It was his birthday, after all.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Hightower's free-agent visit to the Jets happened to coincide with his 27th birthday, and the team did all it could to make him feel wanted.
PATRIOTS REPORT: MARCH 13
- Curran: It's surprising that a market for Hightower hasn't materialized
- Stephon Gilmore hopes Malcolm Butler returns to the Pats
- Ealy thinks playing with Brady will help him learn how to sack QBs better
- Report: Patriots bring in Bengals RB Rex Burkhead for a free-agent visit
- Now there's another Gisele in the Patriots family
"They sent his mother Jets merchandise, the brought him out to dinner last night, and had cupcakes given to him on his birthday," Schefter said on ESPN's NFL Insiders Monday. "They had 'Happy Birthday Dont'a Hightower' on all the screens inside the Jets training facility."
Hightower is reportedly scheduled to make a visit to the Steelers this week, but Winter Storm Stella could make traveling to PIttsburgh difficult.
The Patriots are still interested in keeping last year's captain and one of the heroes of Super Bowl LI, but it seems as though Hightower wants to get a better feel for his market and weigh all of his before making a decision on his future.