When Bill Belichick confirmed his retirement, New England Patriots fans knew that 2024 would be a rebuilding year. However, that did not stop them from booing the team during its Week 17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, much to linebacker Jahlani Tavai's dismay.
Tavai, the team's leading tackler, criticized fans for booing the team on the Boston-based The Greg Hill Show. The linebacker admitted to snapping back at a fan in Gillette Stadium while saying that those booing need to “know their place.”
“I was frustrated, I definitely told a fan to quiet down in a non-polite way,” Tavai said. “There's a reason why they're fans. They're not qualified to do what [Drake] Maye was doing, or whatever the Pats are doing. I appreciate them, but sometimes they just gotta know their place and understand that it's a work in progress.”
Pleading with fans to understand the “work in progress,” Tavai singled out the Detroit Lions' franchise rebuild as the one the Patriots plan to follow.
“The Lions, four years ago when Dan Campbell took over, what was their record? And then these past two years? I'm not trying to compare, but that's a goal we're trying to develop… That's the type of team that we see ourselves as. Unfortunately, it's [just] not this year.”
Ironically, Tavai started his career with the Lions. Detroit drafted him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft but released him after just two seasons. The Patriots signed the linebacker to their practice squad the day after his release before elevating him to the active roster.
Patriots' loss to Chargers puts them in prime draft position
Patriots fans are likely to take Jahlani Tavai's comments with a grain of salt, with the loss being the team's fifth straight defeat. However, the poor result came with a silver lining, as it moved the struggling franchise up in the 2025 NFL Draft order.
The loss dropped New England to 3-13, tied with three other teams for the worst record in the NFL. However, the Patriots now control the No. 1 overall pick. Another loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 18 will give Robert Kraft and Eliot Wolf the top overall selection in April.
The Bills have nothing to play for in Week 18, as they are locked into the No. 2 seed. That gives them a high chance of resting key starters, namely MVP-hopeful Josh Allen. Regardless, Buffalo is still lined as the betting favorite.
If the Patriots lose the game and obtain the No. 1 overall pick, they will have control of the first selection for the first time since 1993. With that pick, they took the highly touted Drew Bledsoe, who led their team for the next decade before passing the torch to Tom Brady.
