New England Patriots linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley's injury appears to be worse than the team initially thought.
NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported Monday evening that Bentley will miss the rest of the season due to a torn pec suffered in Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Hours earlier, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the team was "optimistic" that Bentley would be able to suit up for Thursday's game vs. the New York Jets.
#Patriots standout LB Ja'Whaun Bentley’s injury is worse than publicly known, and sources says he’s out for the season with a torn pec.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 16, 2024
Bentley had more than 100 tackles in each of the last three seasons and was on his way again. A brutal reality. pic.twitter.com/ysMGlNCwkR
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If Bentley indeed is done for the year, it would be a tremendous loss for the Patriots defense. The 28-year-old, who was recently named one of New England's captains, has tallied at least 100 tackles in each of the last three seasons.
The Patriots defense is already down two stars from last year's roster. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore is out indefinitely after being diagnosed with blood clots, and veteran outside linebacker Matthew Judon was traded to the Atlanta Falcons before the season.
New England's linebacker depth chart includes Jahlani Tavai, Raekwon McMillan, Christian Elliss, and Curtis Jacobs heading into Thursday's Week 3 showdown vs. the Jets. Sione Takitaki will be eligible to return from the PUP list after Week 4.
