Patriots LB Suffers Shoulder Injury in Super Bowl

Tavai Injured in Super Bowl

Tavai made a tackle on Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III and went immediately to the sidelines, favoring his shoulder.

Tavai, 29, was the second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Hawaii. He spent his first two seasons in the league with the Detroit Lions, but was cut ahead of the 2021 campaign.

The Patriots signed him shortly after his release and brought him on to the active roster in the middle of his third season. From there, he was able to develop and become the type of player he was perceived to be in the pre-draft process. In 2024, Tavai signed a three-year extension with the Patriots and is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2027 campaign.

Tavai spent most of the season on the sidelines with injuries and struggled to see the field. However, he has made a recovery and is hoping to be a big part of the Patriots' Super Bowl matchup against the Seahawks. He made 12 appearances for the team this season, recording 42 tackles.

Tavai was named the recipient of the Patriots' Ed Block Courage Award and was praised by the team's athletic training staff earlier this year.

"Jahlani Tavai epitomizes courage," Patriots Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance/Head Athletic Trainer Jim Whalen said via the team's website.

"Jahlani had an offseason hampered with soft tissue injuries and missed quite a bit of time during training camp. During his recovery, he developed an extremely rare autoimmune disease, which required multiple physicians' visits with numerous specialists and a rigorous regimen of daily and weekly medications with various side effects."

Tavai's recovery has been challenging, so it's unfortunate to see him injured in the Super Bowl if that's how his season is going to end.

"Had some soft tissue stuff, came back for training camp, was ready and then blew out another soft tissue and had another setback," Tavai said via the team's website.

"While having those injuries, I found out I had an autoimmune disease in my head which kind of put some fear in my head and for my family, so luckily we were able to get on top of that and I'm still kicking right now. Then, [I] had some off-the-field stuff with my family that I needed to take care of. But the biggest thing for me was being thankful for all the help we have. I think I'm more appreciative of the guys in this locker room and the staff for just the help that they've given me. So, I'm more grateful for that than I am about the award."

Tavai has returned to the game, but it remains to be seen if he will stay if his shoulder holds up.