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Ja'Whaun Bentley

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Ja'Whaun Bentley
refer to caption
Bentley with the New England Patriots in 2019
No. 8 – New England Patriots
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1996-08-24) August 24, 1996 (age 28)
Glenarden, Maryland, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school:
College:Purdue (2014–2017)
NFL draft:2018 / round: 5 / pick: 143
Career history
Roster status:Injured reserve
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Total tackles:509
Sacks:10.5
Forced fumbles:4
Fumble recoveries:1
Pass deflections:11
Interceptions:2
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Ja'Whaun Louis Bentley (born August 24, 1996)[1] is an American professional football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Purdue. He was drafted by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft.[2]

College career

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Bentley started all four years at Purdue, from 2014 to 2017.[3] He had 97 tackles including 11.5 for loss in 2017. Bentley was named as an honorable mention for the 2017 All-Big Ten Conference team.[4] He was the defensive MVP of the 2017 Foster Farms Bowl.[5]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 1+5⁄8 in
(1.87 m) 		246 lb
(112 kg) 		32 in
(0.81 m) 		9+1⁄2 in
(0.24 m)		 4.75 s 1.66 s 2.69 s 4.40 s 7.12 s 29.5 in
(0.75 m)		 9 ft 3 in
(2.82 m)		 31 reps
All values from Pro Day[6][7]

Bentley was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fifth round (143rd overall) of the 2018 NFL draft.[8] In the team's second preseason game, Bentley recovered a fumble forced by Adrian Clayborn and returned it 54 yards for the touchdown.[9] His strong play in the preseason earned Bentley a starting linebacker role alongside veterans Dont'a Hightower and Kyle Van Noy. In Week 3 against the Detroit Lions, Bentley recorded his first career interception on a pass from Matthew Stafford that was intended for Luke Willson.[10] On September 26, 2018, Bentley was placed on injured reserve,[11] due to a torn bicep.[12] Without Bentley, the Patriots reached Super Bowl LIII, where they defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13–3.[13]

Bentley returned to health in 2019, but with Dont’a Hightower, Jamie Collins, and Kyle Van Noy already in place, Bentley didn’t re-emerge as a key part of the Patriots’ defense. However, the 2020 season saw Bentley take over as the team’s top linebacker, as Hightower opted out of the season due to COVID-19, and Collins and Van Noy departed in free agency. In Week 8, against the Buffalo Bills, Bentley recorded his first full sack of his career on Josh Allen during the 24–21 loss.[14] Prior to the start of the 2021 season, Bentley changed his jersey number from 51 to 8 becoming the first Patriots player to use a new number with the new relaxed jersey number rule.

On March 21, 2022, Bentley signed a two-year, $6 million contract extension with the Patriots.[15] He started all 17 games in 2022, recording a career-high and team-leading 125 tackles, along with three sacks, two passes defensed, and an interception.

Bentley played the first two games for the Patriots in 2024, recording 12 combined tackles. In the team's Week 2 game against the Seattle Seahawks, he suffered a torn pectoral muscle and was ruled out for the remainder of the season.[16]

References

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  1. ^ "Ja'Whaun Bentley Bio". Purdue Boilermakers Athletics. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  2. ^ "Patriots' Ja'Whaun Bentley: New England selects in fifth". CBSSports.com. April 28, 2018. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  3. ^ "Jawhan Bentley College Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  4. ^ "JaWhaun Bentley | Purdue, ILB : 2018 NFL Draft Scout Player Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  5. ^ Clardie, Stacy (December 28, 2017). "Senior Bentley finishes strong, earns bowl defensive MVP". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  6. ^ "2018 Draft Scout JaWhaun Bentley, Purdue NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  7. ^ "Ja'Whaun Bentley 2018 NFL Draft Profile". insider.espn.com. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  8. ^ Buchmasser, Bernd (April 28, 2018). "2018 NFL draft: Patriots select LB Ja'Whaun Bentley with the 143rd overall pick". PatsPulpit.com. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  9. ^ Fox, Tanya Ray (August 17, 2018). "Watch rookie LB Ja'Whaun Bentley's 54-yard fumble return for TD". Patriots Wire. USA Today. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  10. ^ "Patriots vs. Lions – September 23, 2018". NFL.com. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
  11. ^ "Patriots Place RB Rex Burkhead and LB Ja'Whaun Bentley on Injured Reserve; Announce Additional Roster Moves". Patriots.com. September 26, 2018. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  12. ^ Fox, Tanya Ray (November 16, 2018). "Grading the Patriots rookies through the bye week". Patriots Wire. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  13. ^ Wesseling, Chris (February 3, 2019). "Patriots defeat Rams 13–3 in Super Bowl LIII". NFL.com. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  14. ^ "New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills – November 1st, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  15. ^ "Patriots Sign LB Ja'Whaun Bentley and K Nick Folk". Patriots.com. March 21, 2022. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  16. ^ Burton, Steve (September 17, 2024). "Ja'Whaun Bentley out for New England Patriots season with torn pectoral muscle, report says". CBS Boston. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
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