Patriots Get Terrible Injury News on Captain to Begin Week 4
The New England Patriots are looking to bounce back in Week 4 after they were smoked by the New York Jets 24-3 last week. They have dropped two straight games after securing a surprising 16-10 Week 1 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
During this losing streak, they've also dealt with some injuries to key starters. One of the guys who went down was linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley. The Purdue product went down with a torn pec in the Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Now, on Wednesday ahead of Week 4, the Pats decided to end his 2024 season.
LB Ja’Whaun Bentley will be placed on injured reserve today, according to Jerod Mayo.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 25, 2024
Mayo says that safety Kyle Dugger will be a captain in his place. Mayo adds that Dugger was nearly a captain in the initial vote.
Patriots News: Ja’Whaun Bentley Placed on Injured Reserve
According to head coach Jerod Mayo, Bentley was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday, effectively ending his campaign.
On Sept. 16, Ian Rapoport reported that Bentley was going to miss the rest of the season but Mayo confirmed it today.
The 28-year-old has led the team in tackles over the past three seasons so this is a massive loss for the defense. Mayo also announced that safety Kyle Dugger will become a captain in his place for the remainder of the 2024 season.
Bentley provided more than a steady presence on the field. He was a respected voice in the locker room and in the huddle.
Linebackers Jahlani Tavai and Raekwon McMillan will now have more on their plates and will need to step up. Neither player had a good performance last week in the loss to New York. Tavai missed three tackles and logged a season-low 30 tackling grade per PFF. As for McMillan, the 27-year-old notched a 46.7 defensive grade and also missed two tackles.
New England will need better production from these two going forward.
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