Getty Jahlani Tavai during training camp in 2021.
It’s been a rough start to the career of Jahlani Tavai, and things don’t look to be getting any better for the young linebacker under a new staff.
Amid a firestorm of trouble early against the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the constant themes was the the poor play of linebacker Jahlani Tavai. Out of place many times early on, Tavai once again drew the ire of Detroit Lions fans who were simply sick of seeing him make the same mistakes on the field.
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Perhaps Tavai’s most glaring mistake was allowing Najee Harris to get loose on a long catch and run which set up an eventual Pittsburgh touchdown. The play earned Tavai plenty of negative press on the internet.
Is Jahlani Tavai the worst LB in the NFL?
Naturally, that led to folks saying that things weren’t going well for Tavai on the field in the game, which may have been the understatement of the century.
This isn’t going well for Jahlani Tavai.
As some fans said, they believe they could be doing better things on the football field than Tavai does for the team. That just shows the level of frustration that folks have with the young linebacker at this point.
It’s so frustrating for fans as it relates to Tavai, most are beginning to simply ask the question of why as it relates to his presence on the field.
“Why is Tavai” is my preseason motto
Safe to say fans are fed up with Tavai, and are wasting no time sounding off during a tough game where he has made some mistakes.
Lions Staff Raving About Jahlani Tavai
In spite of this play, Detroit’s new staff continues to rave about Tavai. One of the bigger reaches of the last regime, Tavai is a player who seemed as if his days would be numbered under this new staff. Early on in his tenure, though, Dan Campbell hyped Tavai for coming into camp in shape for the team. Since, it has seemed as if Tavai is in much better shape than many might think to stick around.
Speaking with the media on Monday, August 16 in an interview posted to DetroitLions.com, Detroit inside linebacker coach Mark DeLeone chatted with the media, and the subject of much of his discussion was about Tavai, and where he stands in his quest to crack the roster and play a role for the team in 2021. According to DeLeone, it’s been
“I think Jahlani (Tavai) just has to stack days. Stack days every single day. He’s in a good position right now, he’s had a good camp. I think Jahlani is in a good place, he’s got to keep stacking days and I am excited to watch him on Saturday night,” DeLeone said.
As DeLeone said, he wants to see Tavai get more action on the field.
“I think Jahlani has come into camp in great shape, in a great mindset and I am excited about where he’s at. I’m excited to see him play more,” he admitted.
Campbell continued the love for Tavai on Monday ahead of practice, and sung the praises of the young linebacker for what he has been able to do.
“He’s a smart guy. He works at it, he puts everything out that he has into it and I think there’s certain things that he does well. He’s really a hammer. Particularly, he’s really more of a first, second down linebacker. So there’s things that he can do, and I think it’s up to us to put him in the best situation to have success too, so it’s twofold. But he gives everything he’s got,” Campbell explained.
From DeLeone to Campbell, it seems as if Tavai is favored by the coaching staff. What that means for Tavai remains to be seen, but at this point, he is still favored by the staff.
Tavai Might Be Firmly on Lions Roster Bubble
In spite of all the positives the staff seems to say about Tavai, the rough play leads to the notion that he could be firmly on the roster bubble. Without stepping up and playing well when given a chance, the Lions will have other players who could offer them more and amid a defensive change, Tavai could find himself on the outside looking in given the roster situation.
The team’s roster bubble is pretty tight in spots, and given this play right now, Tavai could be playing his way into trouble given the plays he has made and the reaction of the fans.