OTAs are officially underway for the New England Patriots, as the team prepares for the upcoming season with Mike Vrabel leading the way as head coach. Unfortunately, the team received some bad news on Tuesday after one of its star defenders suffered an injury.

Reports indicate that Patriots' linebacker fell to a calf injury on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Tavai is expected to be ruled out until training camp in July. The good news is that the 28-year-old linebacker should be able to bounce back and not miss any games, assuming he remains healthy throughout the remainder of the offseason.

“Patriots LB Jahlani Tavai, who led the team in tackles last season with 109, suffered a calf injury during OTAs Monday that is now expected to sideline him until training camp, per sources. The news is fortunate in that Tavai could hardly put any pressure on his leg as he was helped off the practice field by Jabrill Peppers.”

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Luckily for Tavai and the Patriots, it's not deemed a serious injury. Although he'll be sidelined for several weeks, the star linebacker will bounce back just in time for training camp. That will give him plenty of time to ramp up for the regular season.

Tavai emerged as a star-caliber linebacker for the Patriots in the 2023-24 season and maintained consistency in the 2024-25 campaign. He's a tackle machine that helps New England in both stopping the run and defending the pass. Tavai ended last season with 115 combined tackles (58 solo), seven tackles for a loss, one sack, five pass deflections, and one interception.

Once he returns from injury, Jahlani Tavai will likely play a crucial part in the Patriots' defense next season. They'll need him to perform at his best if they hope to improve upon their 4-13 record. If the defense can improve and keep opposing offenses at bay, then that should give New England's offense a chance to put points on the board.