Patriots defensive captain Ja’Whaun Bentley reportedly out for season with torn pec

Bentley has totaled 100-plus tackles in each of the last three seasons.

The Patriots’ defense might be without one of its most impactful leaders for the remainder of the 2024 season.

According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, veteran linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley suffered a torn pectoral muscle during Sunday’s overtime loss to the Seahawks and is expected to miss the rest of the year.

It’s a sizable loss for New England’s defense, with the 28-year-old Bentley establishing himself as one of the team’s top leaders over the last few years.

The four-time defensive captain went down with an injury in the closing minutes of the first quarter of Sunday’s home opener at Gillette Stadium, with the Purdue product eventually ruled out for the remainder of the game.

While a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Monday morning offered optimism that Bentley would be cleared to play in Thursday’s primetime game against the Jets at MetLife Stadium, further testing apparently revealed more significant damage than initially expected.

Bentley has long been an effective force against the run, totaling 100 or more tackles in each of the previous three seasons. Despite only playing in four-plus quarters of football his season, Bentley is currently tied for second on the team with 12 tackles.

Bentley, who has also developed into a solid interior pass-rusher when called upon, and also offered added value to Jerod Mayo and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington by wearing the green dot as the defense’s signal-caller out on the field.

Raekwon McMillan is expected to earn more reps at linebacker with Bentley reportedly done for the year, with New England also left with Jahlani Tavai, Christian Elliss, and Curtis Jacobs at linebacker on the 53-man roster.

Joe Giles-Harris could be called up from the practice squad, while veteran linebacker Sione Takitaki is on the PUP list and is eligible to return after Week 4’s matchup against the 49ers.

Bentley’s injury stands as the latest setback for a defense that was expected to be a pillar of strength for the Patriots this fall.

Along with trading star pass rusher Matthew Judon in August, New England is currently playing without defensive tackle Christian Barmore — who could miss the rest of the year after dealing with a blood-clotting issue in July.