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Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff Writer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai, who tied for second on the team in tackles last year while emerging as a key cog for one of the NFL’s top-rated defenses, has agreed to a three-year contract extension, league sources told ESPN.
The extension has base value of $15 million that can be worth up to $21 million, per sources.
Tavai was entering the final season of the two-year extension worth up to $4.4 million that he had signed in November 2022. He was scheduled to earn a base salary of $1.625 million in 2024.
The extension continues an offseason trend for the Patriots under first-year executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and first-year head coach Jerod Mayo – first re-signing many of the team’s top unrestricted free agents in March, and now moving on to sign players who still had a year remaining on their deals – a group including running back Rhamondre Stevenson, center David Andrews, defensive tackle Christian Barmore and now Tavai.
The Patriots entered the offseason with about $85 million in salary cap space and still have approximately $40 million in space.
The 6-foot-2, 255-pound Tavai, who entered the NFL as a second-round draft choice with the Detroit Lions in 2019, has had a career breakthrough since joining the Patriots in 2021, initially coming aboard on the team’s practice squad.
Over the last two seasons, Tavai has appeared in all 17 regular-season games, with 28 starts. His 107 tackles in 2023 tied with safety Kyle Dugger behind only linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley (114).
Tavai’s physicality and intelligence, along with his versatility to play inside and outside linebacker and on the punt protection unit, has contributed to him carving out an important niche.
Patriots rookies report for training camp July 19, while veterans report July 23. The team’s first practice is scheduled for July 24.