In a devastating turn of events for the New England Patriots, defensive captain Ja’Whaun Bentley suffered a major injury during the Week 2 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Bentley tore his pec and will miss the rest of the 2024 season. This news contrasts with an earlier report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who had suggested that there was optimism within the Patriots organization that Bentley’s injury was not severe and that he could potentially return for the upcoming game against the New York Jets on Thursday night.
The absence of Bentley will undoubtedly leave a significant void in the Patriots’ defense. The 28-year-old linebacker has been a key contributor for the team, consistently recording over 100 tackles in each of the previous three seasons. In the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, Bentley notched a team-high 12 tackles, showcasing his importance to the defense.
Bentley sustained the injury early in the first quarter of the Seahawks game. Despite briefly staying in the game for one more play, he ultimately had to leave and did not re-enter. It’s a tough blow for the Patriots to lose such a pivotal player for the remainder of the season.
With Bentley out, rookie Curtis Jacobs is next in line on the depth chart for the Patriots at inside linebacker. Jacobs, a former standout at Penn State, has yet to see action in an NFL game after initially signing with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted rookie. The Patriots also have other options in Raekwon McMillan and Christian Elliss to help fill the void left by Bentley’s absence on the field.
The Patriots will need to rely on the depth of their roster and the next man up mentality to overcome the loss of Bentley and continue to compete at a high level in the challenging AFC East division. As head coach Bill Belichick often says, “It’s all about the next man up and stepping up to fill the gaps left by injuries.”
