Former Patriots LB Sounds Off on Jahlani Tavai Extension

The New England Patriots have been hard at work this offseason to retain their premier talent on the roster for the forseeable future.

Most recently, the Patriots managed to hammer out terms on a new deal for LB Jahlani Tavai, a five-year NFL veteran who has increasingly honed into a vital piece of this New England defense. He effectively agreed to a new three-year, $21 million deal this past week, locking in an established option in the front seven for a few more years.

As a result of the move, the Patriots have received some welcomed praise for keeping their 27-year-old linebacker in-house. Among the latest seeing the move in a positive light is a former member of New England's front seven: Rob Ninkovich.

The two-time Super Bowl champion applauded the Patriots' decision to re-sign Tavai for the long haul, crediting his tenacious energy on the field and the immense value the contract provides for New England moving forward:

"I love his energy. He plays hard. You need a guy like that who can do multiple things, but also get everyone in the right spots. He's been in this system long enough where he understands his role so well that he can help others. ... Him and Bent [Ja'Whaun Bentley] having played together for the last three years, that's a good thing to keep that going. I think he has a higher ceiling and that could soon become an undervalued contract."
Rob Ninkovich, per ESPN's Mike Reiss

Tavai had a career season in 2023 despite the hiccups New England suffered throughout the year. He posted 110 tackles. 5 TFLs, forced four turnovers and collected a sack as well. The Patriots linebacker spent his first two years in the NFL with the Detroit Lions before leaving for Foxboro in 2021.

The annual value on his contract stacks up to land at the tail end of the top 20 for the highest paid linebackers in the league, according to Over The Cap, right alongisde Ja'Whaun Bentley's $6.75 million a season. It's a deal that keeps this defensive unit extremely affordable, and gives flexibility to bring in additional pieces on either side of the ball.

If Tavai can post a similar production that we saw in 2023, this contract will look like a home run for the Patriots front office. When piling in New England's linebacker duo with dominant forces like Christian Barmore and Matthew Judon on the defensive end, it's hard not to like the prospects of this unit for the coming season.

Fans will get a chance to see this defense hit the field once again when training camp officially kicks off on July 24th.

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