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What Mike Vrabel said about ‘difficult’ decision to release Ja’Whaun Bentley
Bentley recorded 100-plus tackles in three of the last four seasons and had been with the Patriots since 2018.
The Patriots’ decision to release linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley was pretty surprising, considering that he was a team captain last season and made over 100 tackles in three of the last four years.
He played just two games last season after a torn pectoral ended his season, and the Patriots added to the linebacker room during free agency.
But it wasn’t an easy decision to let Bentley go, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said. Bentley had been with the Patriots since he was drafted in 2018. He was a rookie on New England’s last Super Bowl team.
“These are difficult decisions, with players that have been here for a while and made great contributions to the football team before I was here,” Vrabel said, per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. “So, I know that the Kraft family and the organization appreciate everything that they did, but these are decisions that we don’t take lightly. These are tough personnel decisions that we have to make.”
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Bentley thanked New England for everything during his seven seasons with the team in a social media post on X. He said it was a blessing, despite the way it ended.
“Once we come to that conclusion we are as honest and direct with the player as we can, thank them, and that’s what we did with Ja’Whaun,” said Vrabel.
Four of the six players that former coach Jerod Mayo named as team captains last September have now departed the team.
The Patriots also released center David Andrews, an eight-time team captain and two-time Super Bowl champion who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in October.
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Quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who started five games before the coaching staff inserted Drake Maye, signed with the Cardinals. Defensive end Deatrich Wise signed with the Commanders.
“I think they were all individual decisions,” Vrabel said. “The captaincy is not a four-year term. It’s not an eight-year term. It’s a year-to-year term. Every player has to prove themselves each and every day to this football team. It was just individual decisions. Some of those players went and moved on to another football team. Some, we had decisions that we made. So, that’s all part of the roster construction.”
Jabrill Peppers, who had his captaincy stripped when he returned to the team after a stint on the Commissioner’s Exempt list last December, remains on the roster. He was ultimately acquitted in his assault and battery trial. Long snapper Joe Cardona also remains on the team.
The Patriots signed inside linebackers Robert Spillane and Jack Gibbens during the offseason. They re-signed Christian Ellis. Jahlani Tavai is still under contract. With outside linebacker Harold Landry in the mix, ESPN’s latest New England depth chart has the Patriots using new starters at three of the four linebacker spots.
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