When the New England Patriots lost linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley to a torn pectoral early in their Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, they lost more than just the player on the field. They also lost a great leader.
Bentley was named a captain before the season, one of just two on the defensive side of the ball (the other being Jabill Peppers).
On Wednesday, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo informed reporters that Bentley is being placed on injured reserve, and with that, safety Kyle Dugger will serve as a captain.
Mayo said that the original vote at the beginning of the year was very close, and Dugger had a lot of support from his peers at the time. He also added that Dugger has done a tremendous job for the Patriots and has grown both on and off the field.
Through three games, Dugger has recorded 18 tackles (three for a loss), one pass defensed, one sack and one forced fumble.
"He's meant a lot (to the team)," Mayo said about Dugger. "His first year when he came in, you knew he was a physical player. Small school guy, so first of all, that's always a surprise and they can go either way. What I will say is he brings that mentality, that physicality that you want on your defense. Last year, he had the green dot quite a bit, and I think two years ago he had the green dot quite a bit as well. But, he's able to handle the communication, the adjustments and he's able to get guys lined up.
"When I talk about growth with Kyle... his first couple of years, it was more like he would just go out there and perform at a high level but really didn't have much to do with the communication and stuff like that and the development of his teammates. I would say here over the last few years, he's done a tremendous job mentoring those young guys and even the older guys. I had a conversation with (Jabrill) Peppers today, and he talked about how important it was for him to learn from Dugger and Devin (McCourty). That just talks about his leadership style. It's a little different. It's mostly through just the way he approaches the game, but I'd say here, as of late, this year and last year, he's been more vocal, which I definitely appreciate. Everyone doesn't always feel comfortable doing that, but he's been doing that."
MORE PATRIOTS NEWS
NFL picks, predictions: Patriots vs. 49ers
Former Patriots offensive tackle suffers season-ending injury
Patriots fall dramatically in Week 4 power rankings
Free agent offensive tackles New England could still sign
