The Detroit Lions have been advised to look to add a familiar face to their growing squad. According to a Detroit Lions beat writer, one New England Patriots player, a former round 2 pick by the Lions, could be ready for a return.

Mike Payton of A to Z Sports believes Jahlani Tavai should be called back in and given a rerun.

Jahlani Tavai was part of the Detroit roster after he was selected in the 43rd overall in 2019. But unfortunately, things didn't really go the way the team had envisioned.

In his rookie season, he managed two sacks in six game starts and 58 combined tackles. This number, however, went lower despite having more starts (10) next year. In his 2nd NFL season, he didn't manage a single sack and remained at 58 total tackles.

Tavai was part of Matt Patricia's defense, but couldn't really fit into the scheme of things.

Later, in 2021, he reunited with the coach at the Patriots, where the familiarity showed in his production as well. He accumulated 69 tackles in 2022, followed by over 100+ tackles in 2023 and 2024. He also managed at least one sack in each of those years.

The timing of this possibility also makes things interesting. Reports are suggesting that the fifth-year option for Jack Campbell won't be activated, making 2026 the linebackers' last year. With that in mind, Tavai's return could help them hone a replacement.

But now he is ready and better than ever to take a second plunge. But what was the secret recipe to his success?

Detroit Lions Won't Exercise Jack Campbell's 5th Year Option

In 2025, Jack Campbell received his first Pro Bowl nod in his third year in the NFL. Surely, this meant that the Lions would be happy to activate the player's year 5 option. But reports suggest otherwise.

According to FOX 2 Detroit, the $21.9 million fifth-year option for Jack Campbell proved too steep in today’s market for off-ball linebackers.

The 2018 round 1 pick has appeared in all Lions games in three years, with 46 starts. Between 2023 and 2025, his production totaled 210 tackles and 8.5 sacks.

Moreover, this year, the Lions also added another Linebacker to their ranks with Jimmy Rolder, a round 4 pick.

Adding Jahlani Tavai to this roster would certainly add further depth.

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Written by

Sourav Ganguly

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote