The New England Patriots were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 23-20 in overtime on Sunday at Gillette Stadium, but it was believed that a key member of their defense avoided a serious injury.
After leaving the game early with a shoulder injury, Patriots linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley never returned to the field, and with a quick turnaround with a Thursday night game against the New York Jets on the horizon, his status was in question. That was until ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that New England was optimistic about the injury and the linebacker's chances of playing against New York.
However, just hours later, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Bentley actually suffered a torn pectoral that will cost him the rest of the 2024 season.
Bentley, 28, was a fifth-round pick of New England back in the 2018 NFL draft out of Purdue and has ascended to the team's starting inside linebacker and captain. He'll finish this season with just 12 total tackles and a half-sack (all recorded in Week 1).
The Patriots will now have to rely on Raekwon McMillan and Christian Elliss in the middle of the defense. Sione Taktaiki could help when he returns from reserve/PUP.
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