There’s a free agent linebacker who checks every single box the Cincinnati Bengals could possibly care about in their search
Former New England Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai fits what the Cincinnati Bengals need.
Surely the Cincinnati Bengals will sign a free agent linebacker, right?
Linebacker is the biggest weakness on the Bengals’ roster that hasn’t been addressed following the official signings of safety Bryan Cook and defensive end Boye Mafe, and the agreement to terms with defensive tackle Jonathan Allen. Cincinnati figureheads said everything without saying the exact phrase “We will sign a linebacker” during the lead-up to free agency, and yet most of the quality options are off the table as the first weekend of the league year arrives.
Narrowing down likely targets at this stage of the game can be difficult when no one option clearly stands out from a talent or resume standpoint. Digging deep into the networking weeds can lead us into identifying who may be worth taking a one-year flyer on with the market officially cooled down.
Sometimes it really is about who you know, and free agent LB Jahlani Tavai happens to know a few important people who work at Paycor Stadium.
LB Jahlani Tavai checks several boxes as potential Bengals free agent addition
A former second-round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft, Tavai has played 107 regular season games, and four of his five career playoff games were played just two months ago.
Tavai was originally drafted by the Detroit Lions and started 16 of the 31 games he played in during his first two years in Detroit before being waived right before the 2021 season. He was signed to the New England Patriots practice squad, and New England signed him to the active roster five weeks into the year.
Tavai would appear in 13 games during the 2021 season along with the Pats’ lone postseason game as the last Wild Card team in the bracket. He became a starter in 2022 and signed a two-year extension during the season. He remained a starter and signed another three-year extension in the 2024 offseason.
Throughout all of this, Tavai has been around or coached by three current Bengals coaches. His first position coach as a rookie in 2019 was Al Golden, the Bengals’ current defensive coordinator. Five years later, New England hired current Bengals offensive line coach Scott Peters and current Bengals defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery to those same roles in 2024 while Tavai was firmly established as a starter on defense. Peters may not have had much contact with him, but Montgomery could’ve easily given him pointers from time to time.
Without going any deeper, Tavai, who’s now 29 years old, comes with ample starting experience as a former top-50 draft pick and familiarity with multiple coaches on the Bengals’ staff. There’s more that strengthens his case.
Tavai has the exact on-field experience Golden and Cincy are looking for in a new backer. 1,212 of his 3,897 career snaps have come on the edge of the defensive line. Every year aside from 2021 when he hardly played on defense, he’s taken at least 115 snaps as an EDGE in a two-point stance. He did this 13 times in Super Bowl LX just a month ago, and started in that game as well as the Divisional Round victory over the Houston Texans.
The cherry on top is how Tavai is even available in the first place. The Patriots released him Wednesday despite the two years he had remaining on his three-year, $16 million extension. He’s now a street free agent, and signing him would not count against the compensatory pick formula for the 2027 NFL Draft. The Bengals may only want to sign recently-released players to avoid canceling out the third-round comp pick they’re on track to receive for letting Trey Hendrickson sign a four-year, $112 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens.
Countless free agency moves are made with connections and seamless role placements in mind. Cincinnati needs a veteran, street free agent LB with starting experience who can help guide Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr., preferably play both off-ball and on the edge, and any playoff experience and prior history with the defensive staff would be welcomed bonuses.
Tavai checks every single box as the Bengals continue their search for another piece to their defense.
Cincinnati Bengals News
Bengals Free Agency Tracker: Extensions, re-signings, new additions, and departures from Cincinnati’s roster
Stay up to date with every free agency decision the Cincinnati Bengals make in 2026.
