The New England Patriots entered this offseason with a hefty amount of cap space and have spent quite a bit of it locking up their own guys, namely spending big to retain Mike Onwenu, Kendrick Bourne, and Anfernee Jennings.
Recent reports suggest the team isn’t done taking care of their own, as another key member of the defense just got a bag and won’t be going anywhere for a while.
Mike Reiss of ESPN reported that The Patriots have agreed to a 3-year extension with linebacker Jahlani Tavai worth $15 million with the potential to reach $21 million via incentives.
The #Patriots and LB Jahlani Tavai have agreed to a 3-year extension worth $15M, with the potential to reach $21M via incentives, per @MikeReiss. Tavai, a former 2nd-round pick of the Lions, had a career year with 110 tackles and 16 starts last season. pic.twitter.com/pY00OmLUUN
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 2, 2024
Tavai is coming off a career year with 110 tackles last season while playing in all 17 games.
The former 2nd-round pick out of Hawaii also had a sack and two forced fumbles last season as well as two interceptions, which were his first two picks since his rookie year.
Tavai has grown into a surprising contributor for this defense and has improved dramatically from his first year with the team in 2021 when he was mostly a special teams and rotational player.
He was waived by the Detroit Lions just two years into his four-year rookie deal and signed to the Patriots practice squad in 2021 before being elevated and developing into a starter.
It’s always nice to see a story like this where a player flames out as a high draft pick and finds a way to bounce back and become better than ever, and Tavai is now locked in as a key member of this defense for years.
