Chaisson joined the Patriots on a one-year contract earlier this offseason.
For the first four years of his career, K’Lavon Chaisson failed to live up to his status as a first-round draft pick. The 20th overall selection in 2020, he appeared in 59 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars but registered only five total sacks.
Unsurprisingly, the Jaguars decided to decline his fifth-year contract option, making him a free agent at the end of the 2023 season. Chaisson opted for a change of scenery, joining the Carolina Panthers on a low-level one-year pact.
Five months later, he was cut and his profession career at its lowest point. What followed next was a resurrection — one the Patriots are hopeful he can keep going heading into 2025.
“It takes some players a little longer than it takes others,” said head coach Mike Vrabel on Friday. “I would say that I’m hopeful that his best football is in front of him. I’m very excited about how he came in personality-wise and what he’s shown on the field thus far.”
After his release from the Panthers, Chaisson joined the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad. He was called up to the game day roster on three occasions, and ultimately was signed to the 53-man team in early October.
From that point on, he became a valuable member of Las Vegas’ edge rotation. He was on the field for 54.1 percent of defensive snaps between Weeks 5 and 18, including four starts, and registered five sacks during that span as well as one forced fumble and interception each.
What had changed for Chaisson? According to the man himself, nothing.
“I can’t really tell if it was too much different,” he explained. “I just keep doing my thing, keep playing, and just keep balling. Obviously, I carry a motive to just kind of like keep my head down and keep working and whatever the result is is what the result it. But I know for sure that I did my part and I put in the work.”
Chaisson’s performance down the stretch in 2024 set him up for a one-year, $3 million contract with the Patriots. Since joining the team, he has seen regular snaps with the top-level defense as a rotational third edge defender alongside starters Keion White and Harold Landry.
The hope for both player and team is that this role will allow him to build on his promising 2024 season.
“That’s the goal, obviously, to keep making progress and keep taking steps forward,” Chaisson said. “So, I’m going to keep doing everything I can the best as I can to keep taking those steps forward and obviously make the team better.”