In addition to his earning a freshly-inked lucrative contract, New England Patriots linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley has also secured the respect of a longtime Pats legend.
Bentley, per a Thursday afternoon NFL Network report, has agreed to a two-year extension with the club, worth up to $18.75 million. In short order, several of the two-time team captain’s teammates took to social media to express their support for New England’s decision to keep Bentley in a Pats uniform through 2025.
However, active members of the Pats roster were not the only ones to voice their endorsement of Bentley’s recent deal with the club. The move was also commended by Patriots legend, and anew retiree, Devin McCourty.
Since being drafted in the first round (27 overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft, McCourty was a stalwart in the Pats defense. In his 13 seasons with the Patriots, McCourty appeared in a combined 229 regular season and playoff games. He was selected as a team captain 12 times, while becoming a three-time Super Bowl champion, the Rutgers product was also voted to two Pro Bowls, three All-Pro teams and the Patriots’ Team of the 2010s.
Following his conversion from cornerback to safety, McCourty cemented his legacy as one of the Pats most prolific on-field defenders, as well as one of its most respected leaders in the locker room. Accordingly, McCourty was often given on-field play-calling duties for the Pats defense.
For their first post-McCourty season in over a decade, the Patriots are likely to bestow those responsibilities to Bentley.
Drafted by the Pats in the fifth-round (No. 143 overall) in 2018, Bentley has emerged as the leading candidate to secure a prominent role in the team’s front seven. He not only became New England’s starting off-the-ball linebacker, but he also accepted the responsibilities of being the team’s defensive play caller. However, Bentley did not simply inherit the role by default. Since his rookie season in 2018, the 26-year-old had exhibited a heightened ability to communicate effectively with his teammates. In fact, he occasionally wore the communication device in his helmet throughout his first two years in the league — a task typically reserved for former Pats linebacker Dont’a Hightower, as well as McCourty.
Prior to the 2020 season, Bentley was voted a defensive team captain by his teammates, solidifying him as a team leader. Though he ceded the captainship to Hightower for 2021, he returned to the ranks in 2022. He finished the year with 62 solo tackles (125 combined,) six quarterback hits, three sacks and one fumble recovery.
Though Bentley is entering 2023 with rather large proverbial shoes to fill, replacing McCourty is unlikely to be his primary motivating factor. With training camp set to open on Jul. 26, the Pats linebacker will be a stabilizing force within the Patriots defense — making plays on the field, while keeping his teammates in proper alignment.
In short, Ja’Whaun Bentley is a leader. As such, it is unsurprising that he has earned both the respect and support of one of the franchise’s most-effective, and most-beloved captains.
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