Former New England Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich is one of the fan favorites from helping the team win two Super Bowls, and he recently gave the team props for extending another linebacker in Jahlani Tavai for a deal that is worth up to $21 million.

“I love his energy. He plays hard,” Rob Ninkovich said, via Mike Reiss of ESPN. “You need a guy like that who can do multiple things, but also get everyone in the right spots. He's been in this system long enough where he understands his role so well that he can help others. … Him and Bent [Ja'Whaun Bently] having played together for the last three years, that's a good thing to keep that going. I think he has a higher ceiling that could soon become an undervalued contract.”

The Patriots are trying to build a culture with Jerod Mayo taking over as head coach, and Ninkovich believes that rewarding a player like Jahlani Tavai is a good example to young players that if they play well they will be rewarded.

“It's also an appreciation thing for a player who has performed well,” Ninkovich said, via Reiss. “I like what they've done with him and David [Andrews], which is something I'm not sure would have happened prior to this year. It tells the younger guys that if you approach it the right way, like they did, this is what the reward can be.”

The Patriots brought Tavai in for the 2021 season after he spent his first two with the Detroit Lions. He eventually worked his way up to being one of the starting linebackers for the Patriots, with the 2023 season being his strongest. He had a PFF grade of 86.6 in 2023, which is very good. Ja'Whaun Bentley has been a member of the Patriots since 2018, when the franchise won the Super Bowl over the Los Angeles Rams. He is under contract through 2025. As noted above, Ninkovich likes the idea of keeping the duo of Tavai and Ja'Whaun Bently together for chemistry purposes.

Patriots' outlook heading into 2024 season

With the linebacker duo of Tavai and Bently, the Patriots will hope that the position group is stable, and then injury returns from other key defensive players could help the whole unit perform well. New England lost Matthew Judon and Christian Gonzalez to injuries early on last season, and both of them were performing well.

Judon has a good track record, and Gonzalez lived up to the hype of his first-round draft status in the time he played last season. Other players like Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers have been good for the Patriots in the past and could play significant roles on defense.

On offense, Jacoby Brissett is expected to be the starter in Week 1, but we could see No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye at some point in the season. Rhamondre Stevenson is a key player no matter who is uncer center, while Hunter Henry and Kendrick Bourne are likely to be important pass catchers.

There are more questions on the offensive end, but the Patriots have some potential to be a strong defensive team in 2024.