The Pittsburgh Steelers are signing ILB Ja’Whaun Bentley to their practice squad, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on X.
The Steelers had him in for a visit today along with 10 other players who worked out for the team. Out of the 11 players who came to Pittsburgh on Tuesday, they decided to sign Isaiah Hodgins and Bentley.
Bentley spent seven seasons with the New England Patriots as their fifth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. A torn pectoral muscle landed him on IR after just two games in the 2024 season, and he was released in March.
He started 68 games for the Patriots and wore the green dot as their hub of communication at times. He also served as a team captain for four seasons.
In total, he has 509 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, 29 QB Hits, four forced fumbles, 11 passes defensed and two interceptions.
Bentley will give the Steelers a solid run-stuffing option on their practice squad to call up on game day while Malik Harrison is on IR. Harrison’s knee injury will force him to miss at least the next three games. He was meant to be one of their run-stuffing linebackers on the roster, similar to the role Elandon Roberts played last season, so it’s good to now have a veteran option available on the practice squad.
According to Pro Football Focus, Bentley had a tough time in his two starts last season with a 47.0 overall grade on defense. But he is just a couple of seasons removed from a very strong 80.4 overall defensive grade in 2022. He has always been a strong tackler.
Bentley has played against the Steelers three times in his career with a 3-0 record when facing them. He has a combined total of 15 tackles and one QB hit in those games. While he isn’t familiar with the new coaching staff in New England, he should have plenty of information about defensive players he practiced against for years if the Steelers want to pick his brain. He joins Jabrill Peppers as former Patriots to join the Steelers shortly before their game in New England.
