The Patriots captain left Sunday’s game early.
New England Patriots linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley is reportedly out for the remainder of the 2024 season with a torn pec, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Bentley appeared to suffer the injury on a run play with 3:35 remaining in the first quarter of the Patriots’ 23-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. The linebacker stayed in for one more play before exiting the game.
The loss of the four-time captain is another difficult departure for the Patriots defense, who already is without defensive tackle Christian Barmore (blood clots) for the foreseeable future. Bentley, who recorded 12 tackles and half a sack this season, had developed into a three-down player who was a force against the run and a productive blitzer from the second level.
With Bentley leaving Sunday’s game early, linebacker Raekwon McMillan played 41 defensive snaps in relief. Safety Kyle Dugger took over defensive signal caller duties, as Bentley typically wears the green dot on defense.
“Communication was good, and it was Dugger. Remember, Dugger did it all last year as well, so it was not anything new for him,” Jerod Mayo said Monday. “I’ve always been a huge believer in a linebacker having the green dot, but I’ll tell you, the way Dugger played yesterday as a whole and being able to handle the communication, he definitely filled in for that role.”
New England’s linebacker room additionally includes Jahlani Tavai, Christian Elliss and Curtis Jacobs on the 53-man roster, while Joe Giles-Harris is on the practice squad. Free agent addition Sione Takitaki, who’s eligible to return after Week 4, remains on the PUP list.