FOXBOROUGH, Mass – For the first four weeks of the season, Marte Mapu was forced to watch from the sidelines. 

The second-year safety was placed on injured reserve at the end of August, but the team activated him the first chance they could, ahead of the Patriots' Week 5 game against the Miami Dolphins. 

Since returning to the field, he has made an impact. And with that, his leadership has truly shined. 

"Marte, I said this in the past, he's a smart player. He's a smart player and knows what we want within the defense to handle the communication and the checks for us. And so that's why he has the ability to do those things for us, and we trust him to do that," defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington said. "He does a good job on the practice field communicating, and even when he wasn't out there practicing, he was on the sidelines doing his mental reps and doing his communication and asking the right questions, as if he were playing in the game or about to practice for whatever install we're about to do."

"So I commend him for doing that. He comes in on his off days, trying to get better on the different things he needed to work on."

Due to other injuries on the defense throughout the past few weeks, the team has had to switch up who is wearing the green dot each game. 

For those that don't know, the green dot is worn by a defensive player to relay play calls from the head coach or defensive coordinator to the rest of the defense. 

Mapu has been worn the green dot in two games since his return, including in the win over the Jets. While he appreciates the trust the coaching staff puts in him, he is more focused on helping his team in any way he can.  

"I just continue to try and be me. To be honest, I don't really focus on, what I'm doing or what I look like. It's just, they ended up giving me the green dot and it was a privilege to be able to do that," Mapu explained. "And I feel like I just have been able to prepare and then be able to be put in that position. But outside of that, I've just been trying to do my job and then help guys do their job as much as I can. So that's really it." 

Kyle Dugger has also worn the green dot this season, but has been dealing with injuries that has sidelined him for two games. So the captain spoke about what he's seen from Mapu in these moments when they need someone to step up.  

"Just the want to have those responsibilities that some guys shy away from. But just the responsibility to have a little bit more on their plate. Him really stepping up and wanting that challenge," Dugger expressed. 

But he wasn't the only one who spoke so highly about Mapu.

Fellow safeties Dell Pettus and Jaylinn Hawkins have relied a lot on their teammate because for both of them, this is their first season with the Patriots. 

"He's got good leadership, good mental. Very wise for his age, and good player as well," Hawkins said. "So sky's the limit for him."

Yet, while his talent shows on the field, what impressed so many of his teammates was actually how he conducted himself during the first four weeks of the season

"I feel like he's done a phenomenal job. Just because coming back into it, when you're out and you're on IR, you don't get physical reps. But the entire time he was out, he was in every meeting. He was always around. He was always on his iPad, taking notes," Pettus said. "That's a guy you learn from. That's the guy you watch."

"So it's not a shock to me at all that when he goes back on the field, that he's going to be able to go out there and perform at a high level. So working with a guy like that, it's something that I'm very happy to be a part of, just because I know I'm going to be out there with a professional."

And that showed Dugger exactly what type of guy Mapu is. 

"It was really good. It lets you know that he takes it seriously. He's locked in," the captain said. "You love to see that from any of your teammates."