K'Lavon Chaisson had a career year after signing a one-year deal with the Patriots.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — K’Lavon Chaisson had a fairly common start to his career, and it wasn’t one that should have given him confidence that he’d be starting in a Super Bowl just a couple years later.
Chaisson was a first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, selected 20th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. It’s hard to say he wasn’t a bust there, after just five sacks in 57 games.
There’s no way he could have figured on being where he was on Tuesday, answering questions ahead of Super Bowl LX.
“Actually I did,” Chaisson said.
Chaisson explained that a couple years ago, he and his girlfriend were in Mexico watching the Super Bowl on television. He turned his phone on and made a video to himself, which he still keeps in his notes.
“I kind of just recorded, just telling myself ‘We’re not supposed to be here. We’re supposed to be at the big one,” Chaisson said.
“I understood, I’ve got a bigger calling then where I was at. It was just a matter of time. I put it all in God’s plan, but I knew exactly where I belonged.”
That was ambitious and the path was not common. There were still more obstacles before he got to the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots and not just as a small role player. Chaisson signed a modest one-year, $3 million deal before this season. That’s backup money in the NFL. But Chaisson became a starter and had a good season, getting 7.5 sacks. That’s more than he had his entire career in Jacksonville.
It’s not unusual for former first-round picks to get second, third and fourth chances in the NFL even after they’ve gotten off to slow starts. It is fairly rare for those players to completely change the narrative of their career the way Chaisson has. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, who Chaisson will be chasing on Sunday, is part of that group. But it’s not typical, even if Chaisson insists he never lost hope.
“More than grateful, for sure,” Chaisson said.
K'Lavon Chaisson writes a new story
The Jaguars hoped they were getting a difference-making pass rusher with Chaisson. All teams dream of getting a star from their first-round pick. It didn’t happen, or even come close. Chaisson had just one sack in each of his first three NFL seasons, then two in his fourth season. That was it for his time with the Jaguars. In 57 games he made almost no impact.
There were some signs of an emergence last season, when he had five sacks with the Raiders, but even that season hinted that he was closer to fading out of the league than becoming a viable asset to a championship team. He was cut by the Panthers at the end of training camp before the 2024 season. He was signed by the Raiders, but only to the practice squad. He spent three different stints on the Raiders’ practice squad.
it’s safe to call this season with the Patriots a true breakout.
“Everybody has a different journey to this career and in the NFL,” Patrios coach Mike Vrabel said last month, according to the team’s transcript. “I think he's worked really hard. I think he plays hard. His motor runs hot.”
There can be many reasons for a player to bloom late. They find the right scheme with a new team. Sometimes they deal with injury misfortune early in their careers. Sometimes it’s simple maturation. Not everyone is ready to be an NFL star at age 22 or 23.
“I think a lot of factors played into it, for sure,” Chaisson said. “Regardless of how it played out, I think it was just opportunity. Whenever you get a chance to play in the league and representing the organization and represent your last name, take advantage of those. I think I did that well last year and I think I’m doing it this year.”
Patriots get a steal in Chaisson
The Patriots spent a fortune in free agency this past offseason to fix the roster. They spent $364.4 million on 19 free agents according to Spotrac. Yet a one-year, $3 million deal on Chaisson proved to be one of their biggest moves.
Chaisson had five sacks in four seasons with the Jaguars after he was the 20th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft out of LSU. He had 7.5 sacks with the Patriots this season. That ranked second on the team to Harold Landry III.
A stat that stuck out to Vrabel was Chaisson’s 108 special teams snaps. He has played special teams through his career, but it’s not a given that all former first-round picks will be willing to work on the punt team. Chaisson was.
“I go back to training camp and ‘KC's willingness to play special teams, to play on the punt team for us and play a lot of snaps when guys were banged up,” Vrabel said last month. “Then he kind of got banged up and he didn't ask to be taken off the punt team. I'm glad that we found guys that can help him on that unit, but he's in every one of the meetings. He's taking reps in practice. He's ready to go on that unit. So, I think that's probably been the thing that's impressed me the most was his willingness to be a part of the special teams and what we're doing on fourth down and how important that is.”
Not many former first-round picks embrace special teams, but Chaisson speaks with passion about it.
“Special teams plays are critical and huge to this game,” Chaisson said. “On the punt team man, when you can go out and steal possessions, find a way to get the ball out or pin them inside the 10, create a negative play or explosive play to change the momentum, that’s huge for every game.”
Chaisson’s career has come full circle, because next month he should be a coveted pass rusher again. He’s just 26 years old, coming off a 7.5-sack season for the AFC champions. He has that old draft pedigree and now has the production to match, all while still at a prime age. Chaisson has expressed that he wants to stay with the Patriots, though that will be settled in a few weeks. One way or another, he’s likely to get a pretty good contract, not long after being available to anyone for some of the 2024 season as part of the practice squad for the Raiders, one of the worst teams in the NFL, or after being cut by Carolina before the regular season started.
“The opportunity is a blessing,” Chaisson said. “I understand the magnitude of this scenario and situation, and I choose to take advantage of every opportunity that comes with it.”
Category: General Sports
