FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced that they have re-signed LB Ja'Whaun Bentley and K Nick Folk as unrestricted free agents. Terms of the contracts were not announced.
Bentley, 25, is a veteran of four NFL seasons with New England after joining the team as a fifth-round draft pick (143rd overall) in the 2018 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-2, 255-pounder has played in 48 regular season games with 33 starts and has registered 251 total tackles, 2 1/2 sacks, one interception, six passes defensed, three forced fumbles and seven special teams tackles. He has played in two postseason games with one start and posted five tackles.
Last season, Bentley started all 16 regular season games that he played and recorded a career-high 108 total tackles, one sack, two passes defensed, three forced fumbles and one special teams tackle.
Folk, 37, is a veteran of 14 NFL seasons with the Dallas (2007-09), the New York Jets (2010-16), Tampa Bay (2017) and New England (2019-21). The 6-foot-1, 222-pounder originally entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft pick (178th overall) by the Dallas Cowboys out of Arizona in the 2007 NFL Draft. He has played in 194 regular season games and converted 321-of-389 field-goal attempts and 426-of-438 extra point attempts for 1,389 career points. He has also appeared in six postseason contests and made 6-of-7 field-goal attempts and all 13 extra-point tries. Folk earned Pro Bowl honors as a rookie in 2007 and was selected to the Pro Football Writer's All-Rookie team that season.
Last season, Folk kicked in all 17 regular season games for the Patriots and made a career-high 36 field goals and finished tied for first in the NFL with 150 points. Folk enters the 2022 season with 55 straight field goals under 50 yards and needs one more to tie the NFL record of 56 straight field goals under 50 yards set by Ryan Succop of Tennessee.
