Patriots elevate practice squad linebacker in Ja’Whaun Bentley’s absence

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Patriots used just one practice squad elevation Thursday night for their matchup with the Jets, calling up linebacker Joe Giles-Harris.

The Patriots needed linebacker help after starter Ja’Whaun Bentley suffered a pectoral tear believed to be season-ending in the team’s Week 2 overtime loss to the Seahawks.

It’s a homecoming for Harris, 27, who was born in Nyack, N.Y., and went to Saint Joseph Regional High School — where Devin and Jason McCourty also attended — in New Jersey.

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Giles-Harris began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent out of Duke in 2019 with the Jaguars. After spending the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Bills, he first joined the Patriots in 2023 and has been on the practice squad and 90-man roster ever since.

This will be Giles-Harris’ Patriots debut. He had a strong training camp and preseason but was cut in August and signed to the practice squad the next day.

Jahlani Tavai and Raekwon McMillan are expected to fill the void left by Bentley until Sione Takitaki is eligible to return off the PUP list after Week 4. At that time, the Patriots will need to decide whether to start McMillan or Takitaki next to Tavai.

The Patriots also have linebackers Christian Elliss and Curtis Jacobs on their 53-man roster.

If McMillan starts, as expected, it will be his first start since Week 1 of the 2022 season. McMillan missed the entire 2023 season with a torn Achilles plus the 2017 and 2021 seasons with torn ACLs.

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