Ja’Whaun Louis Bentley is an American 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.
Bentley was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fifth round (143rd overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft. In the team’s second preseason game, Bentley recovered a fumble forced by Adrian Clayborn and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown.
On September 26, 2018, Bentley was placed on injured reserve, due to a torn bicep. Without Bentley, the Patriots reached Super Bowl LIII, where they defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13-3.
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, 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 the first full sack of his career on Josh Allen during the 24–21 loss. On March 21, 2022, Bentley signed a two-year, $6 million contract extension with the Patriots.