Former Patriots Starter Joins Opponent Before Game

The New England Patriots have some momentum going into Week 3. Their Week 2 33-27 victory against the Miami Dolphins wasn't perfect, but there were a lot of positive takeaways. The defense came up big, special teams kept them in the game late, Drake Maye looked poised, and there was an iconic footage of Mike Vrabel running down the sidelines in stride with Antonia Gibson.

Now attention shifts towards the Pittsburgh Steelers coming to town, and for a game that could be more challenging for the Patriots, even if it's in front of the home crowd.

Much of the positivity surrounding the Patriots this season, and why they're on many fans' radar right now, stems from the extensive house cleaning they conducted in the months leading up to kickoff. One instance was moving off of linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley, who spent the first seven years of his career as a Patriot.

Bentley was banged up for most of the 2024 season, as he only played two games before being ruled out entirely as he suffered a torn pectoral muscle. The Patriots would release him in March.

Now, according to ESPN, the 29-year-old linebacker has signed with the Steelers' practice squad. It's still unclear how much of an impact he will have this Sunday when he returns to Foxborough, Massachusetts.