On Sunday, the New England Patriots lost a lot more than their Week 2 game against the Seattle Seahawks. They also reportedly lost standout linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley for the year after he tore his pec during New England's loss to Seattle, according to NFL Media.
A team captain, Bentley sustained the injury during the first quarter and was initially labeled as questionable to return. Fellow linebacker Oshane Ximines also left Sunday's game early with an injury.
The 28-year-old Bentley is a valuable part of the Patriots defense. He had more than 100 tackles each of the last three seasons and had 12 tackles and 0.5 sacks in New England's Week 1 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
A 2018 fifth-round pick, Bentley has spent his entire career in New England. As a rookie, he made two starts before suffering a season-ending injury. The Patriots won their sixth and most recent Super Bowl that season.
Bentley returned in 2019 and emerged as New England's top linebacker in 2020. He logged 91 tackles and 1.5 that season, his first as a full-time starter. Bentley's play continued to improve over the last three years. Last year, Bentley had 114 tackles while setting a career-high 4.5 sacks.
Raekwon McMillan is slated to replace Bentley in the starting lineup. A 2017 second-round pick, McMillan is in the middle of his fourth season in New England after breaking into the NFL with the Dolphins and spending the 2020 season in Las Vegas. He had 33 career starts that included one start for the Patriots during the 2022 season. He returned to the fold this year after missing all of the 2023 season after injuring his Achilles that spring.