Patriots release captain Ja’Whaun Bentley after 7 seasons

The Purdue product arrived in Foxborough in the 2018 NFL draft.

A tenure that began at pick No. 143 overall has come to a close in Foxborough.

The New England Patriots announced the release of linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley on Friday, as previously reported by Mike Reiss of ESPN and Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald.

Bentley, 28, suffered a torn pectoral muscle last September and was scheduled to carry a cap charge of $6.433 million in the final year of his latest contract extension, per OverTheCap.com. But no guaranteed salary remained for the 6-foot-2, 250-pound green dot of the defense, who recently shared that he had been cleared medically.

Selected in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft, Bentley earned a Super Bowl LIII ring while on injured reserve due to a biceps tear during his rookie campaign. It got underway as a starter, however, and the former three-time Purdue captain went on to serve as a four-time Patriots captain.

He appeared in 83 games, starting 68, while amassing 509 tackles and 10.5 sacks. Along the way arrived four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two interceptions.

Bentley’s run with New England spanned 3,665 defensive snaps, including a career-high 86.56 percent of the workload in 2023. Prior to 2024 under Jerod Mayo, he had led the team in tackles for three consecutive campaigns under Bill Belichick.

Since the calendar turned to March, the Patriots have retained Christian Elliss as a restricted free agent and added Robert Spillane as well as Jack Gibbens to the inside linebacker depth chart. With a scheme shift ahead under new head coach Mike Vrabel and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, the off-the-ball position also includes holdovers Jahlani Tavai and Monty Rice.

The organization released center and fellow captain David Andrews midway through the month, while defensive veterans Jonathan Jones and Deatrich Wise Jr. both departed for the Washington Commanders as the new league year opened.

Long snapper Joe Cardona, a member of the 2015 draft class, moves forward as the longest-tenured member of the renovated roster.