Patriots announce perfect new captain in place of Ja'Whaun Bentley for 2024 season

Other than the unfortunate start to their 2024 season, the Patriots were dealt a difficult card to overcome with the season-ending injury to captain and star defensive lineman Ja'Whaun Bentley after their Week 2 loss. His presence was missed in their matchup with the Jets last week, especially as a tackler, making it an even more devastating loss for what should be a dominant unit this season.

How they will replace the production Bentley would have ultimately brought the team remains to be seen, and there are likely to be many adjustments to the linebacker room. It's a factor that Jerod Mayo has already hinted at since officially placing Bentley on injured reserve Wednesday morning.

During that meeting with the media, the head coach also revealed the player who will step into the linebacker's captain role in his absence, a particularly important position as the team deals with a significant setback from injuries and disappointing loss.

The only silver lining to the situation is the team couldn't have picked a better player to replace such an important member of the roster for the remainder of the season.

Ja'Whaun Bentley's placement on injured reserve pushes Kyle Dugger into his captain role for 2024

One of the first things Jerod Mayo spoke about when sitting down with the media on Wednesday morning was the decision to make safety Kyle Dugger a captain in place of Bentley for the rest of the 2024 season.

He revealed that Dugger was nearly voted into that role before the season began but will now have the opportunity to be a voice of the locker room in Bentley's absence.

As one of the increasingly important players on the team, it's fitting that Dugger is the one chosen to take over and continue to flourish as a leader of the team. He has earned a more prominent role over the last two years, even having a helmet fitted with the headset to lead the defense, so this official naming as captain makes a lot of sense.

Dugger is expected to remain an essential part of the Patriots' defense for the foreseeable future, especially since he signed a contract extension this offseason to keep him on the team through the 2027 season.

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