Patriots Surprisingly Release Three-Time Captain, Super Bowl Leader

Update: The Patriots reportedly released Ja'Whaun Bentley due to a failed physical.

The New England Patriots are no longer anywhere close to the team they were with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady when they were winning Super Bowls plenty.

Now, the team has made a decision that signals another end-of-an-era moment, as the Patriots have released middle linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley — three-time captain and Super Bowl winner.

Bentley was drafted back in 2018, becoming a full-time starter in 2020. He is coming off a pec injury that limited him to just two games, which seems like a similar reason for release as long-time center David Andrews.

More news: Former Patriots Great David Andrews Reacts to Shocking Release

After the team signed linebacker Robert Spillane and re-signed young linebacker Christian Ellis, this move seemed more likely, as those two are younger, healthier options that fit the new scheme better.

Besides Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels as coaches, the roster is gutted from the late 2010s that won Super Bowls. Bentley was a part of the Super Bowl team from 2019 against the Los Angeles Rams.

With Drake Maye under center and tons of new defenders in the mix, the Patriots are looking for a bounce-back season and start a new era of consistent winning.

From an on-the-field standpoint, it makes sense to be releasing these players given their age and competition, but it is still surprising that the team is also releasing team leaders.

Both Andrews and Bentley were long-time captains of the team, so that shows potentially another reason why the team is moving on from them. They want new leaders to step up under Vrabel.

The Patriots finished last season 4-13, and own the fourth overall pick in the NFL draft. Currently, the team seems to be hoping to take either edge rusher Abdul Carter or two-way player Travis Hunter.

Both players should inject a huge amount of talent into the roster, but it is hard to imagine a rookie coming in and replacing the leadership the Patriots have lost this offseason.

Both Bentley and Andrews were also clear hard-workers that fans respected, so overall, the team has a lot of aspects of the team to replace next season. Given how bad last year was though, a clean slate makes a lot of sense.

While the fans may not love the Patriots moving on from long-time pieces who have been integral parts of the team for a while, wiping the slate clean after a tough season and being led by multiple exciting new pieces should have fans feeling positive.

As long as Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel can step up and lead the team, it has a chance to surprise people and get back to winning ways.

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