The playoffs have been great for the New England Patriots, who can advance to their first Super Bowl since 2018 with a win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game this weekend. But while the Patriots have enjoyed success as a team, the biggest winner is edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson.
Chaisson has been a successful reclamation project this season, logging a career-high 7.5 sacks and 54 pressures according to Pro Football Focus. But while the Patriots can marvel at getting this production for $3 million, his impending free agency is a massive storyline as he’s logged three sacks and 14 pressures on 73 pass-rushing snaps in New England’s first two playoff games.
It’s not a matter of if Chaisson will get paid at this point; it’s more of how much he will get. And with Mike Vrabel announcing that fellow pass-rusher Harold Landry will miss Sunday’s game, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Chaisson has a chance to send his stock skyrocketing with a strong performance against the Broncos.
Broncos’ Offensive Line Is K’Lavon Chaisson’s Biggest Hurdle Toward Getting Paid This Offseason
There aren’t manypeople giving Denver a chance after Bo Nix’s broken ankle. But while Jarrett Stidham is an unknown, it’s a good bet that he’ll have plenty of time to throw on Sunday.
The Broncos were No. 1 in Pro Football Focus’s final offensive line rankings this season and finished with the lowest number of pressures (137) and sacks allowed (6) in the NFL this season. Denver was so good in pass protection that it was the only team to have fewer than 13 sacks allowed, leaning on cornerstone tackles Garrett Boles and Mike McGlinchey.
Both tackles were at their best in the divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills, allowing two total pressures on 50 pass-blocking snaps. Cracking the code becomes a greater challenge with Landry, who leads the Patriots with 8.5 sacks, missing the AFC Championship Game.
Chaisson will have plenty of help rushing the passer as Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, and Khyris Tonga have been stout in the middle. But when it comes to rushing off the edge, Chaisson will be the Broncos’ main focus, even with Anfernee Jennings drawing the start on the opposite side, thanks to a strong playoffs with six pressures and two sacks on 37 pass-rushing snaps.
The Patriots have been dealing with Landry’s injury for a while, as he only logged 37 total snaps before aggravating his knee during the playoff run. But Chaisson and the rest of the Patriots have benefitted from advantageous matchups in the trenches. That includes a Los Angeles Chargers unit that was without both starting tackles, Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, and a Houston Texans group that ranked 27th in PFF’s final rankings.
If Chaisson can show up against one of the league’s best offensive lines, it should only trigger the bank accounts of desperate front offices and could get the 26-year-old a massive payday when he hits the market this spring.