FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said the team would place linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle on Wednesday.

Raekwon McMillan is expected to replace him on defense. Mayo said it was too early to say whether Bentley would be able to return this season.

Bentley is in his seventh season with the Patriots. He topped 100 tackles in each of the previous three years. He had 12 tackles in the season opener against Cincinnati but was injured against Seattle on Sept. 15.

Safety Kyle Dugger was promoted to captain in Bentley’s absence.

“To me, it’s important that we still have leadership and representation for that side of the ball,” Mayo said, adding that Dugger was nearly elected captain by his teammates at the start of the season.

“He brings that mentality, that physicality, that you want on your defense,” Mayo said. “Over the last few years, he’s done a tremendous job mentoring those young guys and even the older guys.”

Dugger is in his fifth season with New England. He had 109 tackles last year, and has 18 heading into Week 4 against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Dugger said his style was to lead by example and he wouldn’t change what he was doing now that he’s a captain. He said he learned a lot from former Patriots safety Devin McCourty, who was with the team for 13 years before retiring in 2022.

“The way Dev took notes, the way he took care of his body, the way he talked to guys. He didn’t talk to everyone the same,” Dugger said. “The way he talked to the group and pulled guys to the side for one-on-one conversation — I really learned a lot.”

Also Wednesday, offensive lineman Sidy Sow returned to practice and hoped to make his 2024 debut against the 49ers.

The game’s on FOX! Watch the Patriots face the 49ers at 4:05 p.m. Sunday on FOX Providence.

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