FOXBOROUGH, MA. — Are the New England Patriots close to welcoming back a key member of their defensive front seven?

While continuing to bask in the glow of their 42-13 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Week 4, the Pats may set to regain the services of linebacker Jahlani Tavai just in time for a potentially pivotal Week 5 matchup in prime time with the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 5.

Tavai, per an early Week 5 report from ESPN’s Mike Reiss, is expected to rejoin the Pats on the practice fields this week, after beginning the season on injured reserve. Per NFL regulations, Tavai is 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, Tavai has remained sidelined since the start of the regular season.

The Patriots, per Reiss’ report, have kept an open spot on their 53-man roster each of the past three weeks. Barring any unexpected setbacks. it appears that they are waiting for Tavai to fill it. Should the plan come to fruition, he may be in line to start 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.

Throughout his time in New England, Tavai has continued to impress his coaches, as well as fans and media alike, with his dedication and versatility. However, his 6’2” 255-pound frame was also ideally suited for the type of larger, plodding linebackers which thrive in former coach Bill Belichick’s style defense — one which remained in place during Jerod Mayo’s lone season on the Pats’ bench.

This year, new head coach Mike Vrabel, in conjunction with new defensive coordinator Terrel Williams, has already begun to install an increasingly aggressive-style of defense — in which smaller, athletic linebackers are more prone to thrive. As such, several team analysts began to question the security of Tavai’s role with the team moving forward.

In spite of any lingering uncertainty, Tavai seems ready to get that chance. Should he participate New England’s first Week 5 practice, the team will open a 21-day window to either activate him, or place him on season-ending injured reserve.