The Patriots will be without Jahlani Tavai this weekend in Cincinnati.
The veteran linebacker missed Wednesday’s practice, was listed as limited with a personal issue on Thursday, and wasn’t spotted on the practice field Friday. In his press conference after Friday’s session, Mike Vrabel said Tavai wouldn’t play on Sunday but didn’t want to expound beyond that.
“Jahlani Tavai will be out for the game,” Vrabel said. “That will be non-injury related. That’s something personal and that will be all that I’ll talk about it at this time.”
In addition to playing a reserve role on defense, Tavai has been a core special teamer for the Patriots this season, playing 71% of the snaps on Jeremy Springer’s units when he’s been active.
Vrabel said there are a few different ways New England could look to replace him in Cincinnati.
“We’ve got some bigger bodied guys in (Bradyn) Swinson and (Elijah) Ponder,” Vrabel said. “Otis Reese could come up from the practice squad, and I would say Anfernee (Jennings) has done that. He’s tried to play physical and be big on the kickoff. You go down there and see him at the point of attack sometimes and creating some disruption and making sure that that happens.
“Really at this point of the season it’s all hands on deck for everything that we’re trying to do.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
