Patriots Activate Veteran LB from IR

The New England Patriots are welcoming back a key member of their defensive front seven.  

After opening his 21-day window to return from injured reserve earlier this week, the Pats are officially activating linebacker Jahlani Tavai just in time for a potentially pivotal Week 5 matchup in prime time with the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 5.

Tavai first rejoined the Pats on the practice fields this week, after beginning the season on injured reserve. Per NFL regulations, Tavai became eligible to begin practicing after the conclusion of Week 4. The 29-year-old suffered a calf injury during 11-on-11 drills in June OTAs. Despite a brief comeback attempt at the start of training camp, he had remained sidelined since the start of the regular season. 

The Patriots kept an open spot on their 53-man roster each of the past three weeks with the expectation that Tavai would fill it. Accordingly, he may be in line to start this weekend alongside team captain Robert Spillane — a spot most-recently vacated by Christian Elliss and currently manned by Jack Gibbens — while also contributing on special teams.

About to begin his seventh season in the NFL, Tavai began his career as a second-round draft pick by the Detroit Lions in 2019. While he showed flashes of the prowess he showed at the University of Hawaii. However, Detroit believed that his downs outweighed the ups, and released him after two seasons in September 2021. In total, Tavai appeared in 31 games during his time in the Motor City. 

New England signed Tavai to their practice squad shortly after his release. In less than one month, the Pats signed him to the 53-man roster. Since that time, he has been a part of the team’s active roster — appearing in 47 regular season games and one playoff contest in 2021.

Tavai’s breakout season came in 2023 in which he played in all 17 games for the Patriots, making 16 starts. He took part in 74 percent of New England’s defensive plays — registering a career-high 110 tackles (five, for loss) five passes-defensed, four quarterback hits, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and one sack. In fact, Tavai posted the fourth-best Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade among LBs with at least 500 snaps. Last year, Tavai recorded 115 total tackles with seven tackles for loss, a sack, and five passes-defensed.