Jahlani Tavai
 Tavai at 2017 Mountain West media day | |||||||||||||||
| No. 32 – Jacksonville Jaguars | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | September 28, 1996 Inglewood, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 255 lb (116 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, California) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Hawaii (2014–2018) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2019: 2nd round, 43rd overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2025 | |||||||||||||||
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Jahlani Karl Tavai (born September 28, 1996) is an American professional football linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He is the younger brother of J. R. Tavai and older brother of Justus Tavai. He played college football for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.[1]
College career
College statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Solo | Ast | Total | Loss | Sack | Int | Yards | Avg | TD | PD | FR | Yards | TD | FF | ||
| 2014 | Hawaii |  Redshirt | |||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Hawaii | 13 | 11 | 26 | 30 | 56 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | Hawaii | 14 | 14 | 85 | 43 | 128 | 20.0 | 7.0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 2 |
| 2017 | Hawaii | 12 | 12 | 66 | 58 | 124 | 11.0 | 5.5 | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | Hawaii | 8 | 8 | 42 | 40 | 82 | 6.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Career[2] | 47 | 45 | 219 | 171 | 390 | 42.0 | 17.5 | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 27 | 0 | 3 | |
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2+3⁄8 in (1.89 m) | 250 lb (113 kg) | 31+7⁄8 in (0.81 m) | 9 in (0.23 m) | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 4.86 s | 1.70 s | 2.79 s | 4.41 s | 33.5 in (0.85 m) | 9 ft 2 in (2.79 m) | ||
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[3][4][5] | ||||||||||||
Detroit Lions
Tavai was selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2019 NFL draft.[6] He played in 15 games in six starts, recording 58 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, two passes defensed and an interception. He suffered a shoulder injury in Week 16 and was placed on injured reserve on December 23, 2019.[7]
On August 31, 2021, Tavai was waived by the Lions as part of the final pre-season roster cuts.[8]
New England Patriots
After being released by Detroit, on September 1, 2021, the New England Patriots signed Tavai to their practice squad, eventually activating him, while reuniting with Matt Patricia, his former head coach in Detroit.[9][10][11] He was promoted to the active roster on October 13.[12]
Tavai began the 2022 season as a backup linebacker. He was named a starter in Week 5 and remained there the rest of the season. On November 29, 2022, Tavai signed a two-year, $4.4 million contract extension with the Patriots.[13] He finished the season with 69 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two passes defensed.
On July 2, 2024, Tavai signed a three-year contract extension with the Patriots worth $15 million.[14] He played in 17 games (16 starts) for New England, recording one interception, five pass deflections, one sack, and 115 combined tackles.
Tavai began the 2025 season on injured reserve after suffering an undisclosed injury.[15] On October 4, 2025, Tavai was activated ahead of New England's Week 5 matchup against the Buffalo Bills.[16] He started for New England in Super Bowl LX, a 29–13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.[17]
On March 11, 2026, Tavai was released by the Patriots.[18]
Jacksonville Jaguars
On August 7, 2026, Tavai signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.[19]
Personal life
In December 2025, Tavai's partner Kalei Mau was in a six-day coma due to a severe infection, which ultimately resulted in the death of their unborn daughter.[20]
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Sfty | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | ||
| 2019 | DET | 15 | 6 | 58 | 37 | 21 | 2.0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | DET | 16 | 10 | 58 | 32 | 26 | 0.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 2 | 1 |
| 2021 | NE | 13 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | NE | 17 | 12 | 69 | 37 | 32 | 1.5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | NE | 17 | 16 | 110 | 65 | 45 | 1.0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2024 | NE | 17 | 16 | 115 | 58 | 57 | 1.0 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | NE | 12 | 7 | 42 | 21 | 21 | 0.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 0 |
| Career | 107 | 67 | 466 | 256 | 210 | 5.5 | 25 | 0 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Sfty | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | ||
| 2021 | NE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | NE | 4 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 5 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | |
References
- ↑ "Former 'Bows linebacker Jahlani Tavai records first career sack in Detroit Lions debut". KHON-TV. Associated Press. September 9, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- ↑ "Jahlani Tavai College Stats". Sports Reference. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
- ↑ "Jahlani Tavai Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
- ↑ "2019 Draft Scout Jahlani Tavai, Hawaii NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
- ↑ "Meet Lions draft picks Jahlani Tavai, Will Harris". DetroitNews.com. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
- ↑ Birkett, Dave (April 26, 2019). "Detroit Lions take Hawaii LB Jahlani Tavai in Round 2 of 2019 NFL draft". Detroit Free Press. Gannett. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
- ↑ Birkett, Dave (December 23, 2019). "Detroit Lions place rookie LB Jahlani Tavai (shoulder) on injured reserve". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
- ↑ "Lions announce roster moves". DetroitLions.com. August 31, 2021.
- ↑ "Report: Patriots adding ex-Lions LB to practice squad". RSN. September 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ↑ "Lions waive former University of Hawaii star and second-round pick LB Jahlani Tavai". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. September 1, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ↑ Meinke, Kyle (September 1, 2021). "Yep, ex-Lions LB Jahlani Tavai really is signing with New England's practice squad". mlive. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ↑ "Patriots sign linebacker Jahlani Tavai to the 53-man roster from the practice squad; Sign defensive back Sean Davis to the practice squad". Patriots.com. October 13, 2021.
- ↑ Smith, Michael David (November 29, 2022). "Patriots, Jahlani Tavai agree to two-year contract extension". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports.
- ↑ Dussault, Mike (July 2, 2024). "Report: Patriots Extend Linebacker Jahlani Tavai". Patriots.com. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ↑ "Patriots' Jahlani Tavai: Ends up on IR". cbssports.com. August 28, 2025. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
- ↑ D'Abate, Mike (October 4, 2025). "Patriots Activate Veteran LB from IR". New England Patriots On SI. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Super Bowl LX - Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots - February 8th, 2026". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Patriots Trade C Garrett Bradbury to the Chicago Bears; Release WR Stefon Diggs, LB Anfernee Jennings and LB Jahlani Tavai". New England Patriots. March 11, 2026. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Roster Moves: Jaguars Sign LB Jahlani Tavai". Jaguars.com. Retrieved August 9, 2026.
- ↑ "Patriots' Jahlani Tavai and partner mourn passing of unborn daughter". patspulpit.com. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
External links
- 1996 births
- Living people
- American football linebackers
- Detroit Lions players
- Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football players
- Mira Costa High School alumni
- New England Patriots players
- Jacksonville Jaguars players
- Players of American football from Inglewood, California
- 21st-century American sportsmen
- American football linebacker, 1990s birth stubs