Patriots veteran linebacker: Booing fans ‘gotta know their place’

Another Patriots player voiced his displeasure with fan reaction in the team’s 40-7 Week 17 loss to the Chargers.

Linebacker Jahlani Tavai said Friday morning on WEEI that he was frustrated and “told a fan to quiet down in a non-polite way” before using some choice words on fans who were booing and chanting “fire (Jerod) Mayo.”

“There’s a reason why they’re fans. Everybody can say what they think we should be doing, but in the long end they’re not qualified to do what Mayo is doing or whatever the Krafts are doing,” Tavai said on “The Greg Hill Show.” “They’re fans, I appreciate them at times, but sometimes they just gotta know their place and just understand that it’s a work in progress. Rome wasn’t built in one day.”

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Tavai went on to compare the 2024 Patriots to the 2021 Lions, who went 3-13-1 in head coach Dan Campbell’s first season. The Lions are 14-2 this season and can win their division and a first-round playoff bye with a win Sunday night against the Vikings.

Tavai was on that 2021 Lions team before being waived out of training camp. He’s been with the Patriots since.

“There’s been teams that have shown a work in progress team like the Lions, what, four years ago when Dan Campbell took over,” Tavai said. “What was their record? Do you guys remember what their record was? (3-13). Oh, OK. And then these past two years — like I’m not trying to compare but that’s a goal that we’re trying to develop here in this new regime. That’s the vision to get to how the Lions are improving. That’s the type of team that we see ourselves at as a playoff contender, and unfortunately that’s not like this year.”

The Lions won three of their last six games that season. The Patriots currently are on their second six-game losing streak of the season.

Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux and defensive end Deatrich Wise have also spoke against fans who booed the team on Saturday.

Fans will have one more chance to express how they feel about the 2024 team on Sunday at Gillette Stadium against the Bills.

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