Patriots Place Captain On Injured Reserve In Awaited Roster Move

The Patriots will be without a key piece moving forward.

Ja'Whaun Bentley reportedly suffered a torn pectoral muscle in a Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. New England didn't immediately make a roster move following the injury, but finally pulled the trigger and placed the 28-year-old on injured reserve Wednesday.

Bentley is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season, but his status isn't yet official.

"I'm not sure," Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo told reporters at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, per team-provided video. "We'll see how it goes. I don't want to speculate on when he could return, or can't return. I don't want to get into that."

Mayo revealed Kyle Dugger will take over as one of the defensive captains in Bentley's absence. Mayo related the situation to that of his own trips to injured reserve when Bill Belichick replaced him in the captain's meetings.

Bentley's injury was a huge shot to the middle of the defense, especially after an initial report indicated the team was "optimistic" he wouldn't miss any time. The Patriots called it a shoulder injury when he initially went down against the Seahawks, but further tests proved to bring an end to his season.

New England has the former fifth-round pick under contract through 2025.