Patriots linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley's injury is worse than initially believed, and it now appears he will miss the remainder of the season.
NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported Monday night that Bentley suffered a torn pectoral muscle that is expected to end his season. The Boston Herald's Doug Kyed confirmed that report a short time later.
That comes after a much more optimistic report earlier Monday from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, who posted on X that it was a shoulder injury that "did not appear to be serious" and that Bentley had a chance to play Thursday night against the Jets.
It seems that more testing as the day went on revealed something much more significant.
It's a major blow for the Patriots' defense, as Bentley was a starter and team captain who played 100% of the defensive snaps in Week 1 and may have done the same in Week 2 if not for the injury, which occurred in the first half of Sunday's loss to the Seahawks.
Bentley led the Patriots in tackles each of the previous three seasons, topping 100 in all three. He also took a step forward as a pass rusher last season, recording a career-high 4.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hits.
With Bentley out Sunday, Raekwon McMillan saw more action alongside fellow linebackers Jahlani Tavai and Anfernee Jennings. That is likely to continue with Bentley now remaining on the shelf.