K’Lavon Chaisson Bio
K’Lavon Chaisson (KAY-luv-vahn chase-ON) is an American professional football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Born on July 25, 1999, in Houston, Texas, he rose to national attention as a disruptive pass rusher for the LSU Tigers, where he helped the program win the College Football Playoff national championship in 2019. Selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Chaisson has built his career on athleticism, edge-rushing ability, and a reputation for clutch plays in critical moments.
Early Life and Background
K’Lavon Chaisson was born and raised in Houston, Texas, where football is woven into the daily rhythm of community life. He attended North Shore Senior High School in Galena Park, Texas, and initially stepped away from football as a freshman to focus on basketball. The decision to return to the gridiron as a junior changed the trajectory of his athletic career.
Back on the field at North Shore, Chaisson became an immediate starter at defensive end for the Mustangs. As a junior, he led Texas high schoolers with 15.5 sacks, added 50 tackles including 13 for loss, forced three fumbles, and helped lead North Shore to the Class 6A Division I state championship game. He was named the defensive MVP of the title game after recording two sacks, four tackles for loss, a blocked kick, and a forced fumble in a 21–14 win over Westlake High School.
As a senior, Chaisson earned 21-6A district defensive MVP honors, was named to the Scout.com All-Midlands team, and was invited to the 2017 Under Armour All-America Game, where he tied the game’s record with three sacks. Rated a five-star recruit by Scout.com and a four-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals, he committed to play college football at LSU over offers from Florida and Texas.
Path to American Football
Chaisson’s path to elite-level American football began on Houston-area fields, where the combination of size, speed, and instincts separated him from peers. The North Shore program, with its tradition of producing high-level college prospects, gave Chaisson the stage to develop against top-tier Texas high school competition. By the time he finished his senior season, he had become one of the most sought-after defensive prospects in the 2018 recruiting cycle.
His commitment to LSU connected him with a defensive system that emphasized aggressive edge rushing, a perfect fit for his athletic profile. The Tigers’ coaching staff immediately put him on the field as a true freshman, where he earned SEC All-Freshman honors and established himself as a foundational piece of the team’s defensive front.
K’Lavon Chaisson Career
LSU Tigers (2017–2019)
Chaisson began his college career as a true freshman in 2017, starting LSU’s season opener against BYU and recording his first two career sacks the following week in a win over Chattanooga. He finished his first season on the SEC All-Freshman team with 27 tackles, two sacks, and 4.5 tackles for loss across 12 games. A torn ACL in the 2018 season opener against Miami ended his sophomore year and forced him to use a medical redshirt.
Returning healthy in 2019, Chaisson wore the No. 18 jersey, an honor handed out by LSU’s coaching staff to a player exemplifying leadership and contribution. He delivered one of the strongest seasons of any edge rusher in college football, finishing with 60 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries, two passes broken up, and a forced fumble. He was named first-team All-SEC and earned Defensive MVP honors at the 2019 Peach Bowl after a six-tackle, two-sack performance against Oklahoma. He closed his college career with two tackles in LSU’s 42–25 win over Clemson in the 2020 National Championship Game.
Jacksonville Jaguars (2020–2023)
The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Chaisson with the 20th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, using a pick previously acquired from the Los Angeles Rams in a trade for Jalen Ramsey. He made his NFL debut in the 2020 season opener against the Indianapolis Colts, recording two tackles, and notched his first sack the following week against the Tennessee Titans. In October 2022, he was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury before being activated in December 2022.
On May 1, 2023, the Jaguars declined the fifth-year option of Chaisson’s rookie contract, making him a free agent in the 2024 offseason.
Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders (2024)
On March 16, 2024, Chaisson signed with the Carolina Panthers but was released on September 3, 2024. One week later, on September 10, 2024, he joined the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad and was promoted to the active roster on October 5, 2024, giving him an opportunity to re-establish himself as a rotational edge presence.
New England Patriots Era (2025–Present)
On March 17, 2025, Chaisson signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the New England Patriots, a fresh start with a defense in need of proven pass-rush help. He wasted little time making an impact. In Week 7, he recorded two sacks, three tackles, two tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown in a 31–13 win over the Tennessee Titans, earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
He followed that with another signature outing in Week 16, delivering three tackles, one tackle for a loss, and a game-sealing forced fumble on Zay Flowers in a 28–24 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Those performances signaled that Chaisson had found a defensive system that suited his skill set and a coaching staff prepared to deploy him in high-leverage situations.
Driving Style and Strengths
Chaisson is a long, athletic edge rusher whose 6-foot-3 frame, lean 254-pound build, and explosiveness off the snap make him a difficult matchup in passing situations. He excels at bending the edge, pursuing quarterbacks in the backfield, and disrupting plays in the flat, while also showing the lateral range to drop into coverage when asked. His experience across multiple defensive schemes in Jacksonville, Carolina, Las Vegas, and New England has made him a versatile chess piece for defensive coordinators.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones in Chaisson’s career include being a College Football Playoff national champion at LSU, a first-team All-SEC selection in 2019, the 20th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, an AFC Defensive Player of the Week award in 2025, and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans in his first season with the New England Patriots.
K’Lavon Chaisson Career Highlights
Across his college and professional career, K’Lavon Chaisson has built a résumé highlighted by championship success, individual recognition, and timely playmaking on the NFL stage. From his All-SEC and national championship run at LSU to his first-round draft selection by the Jacksonville Jaguars, his résumé reflects steady production at major programs. Recent standout performances for the New England Patriots, including a multi-sack game with a defensive touchdown against the Tennessee Titans, have re-established him as a disruptive NFL defender.
K’Lavon Chaisson Family
Family Background and Football Lineage
K’Lavon Chaisson’s father, Kelvin Chaisson, played linebacker at Baylor University and introduced his son to the fundamentals of the sport at an early age. The Chaisson family roots in Houston helped shape K’Lavon’s path to becoming one of the top defensive recruits in the country.
Personal Life
Kelvin Chaisson was shot and killed in 2014 at the age of 33, when K’Lavon was a sophomore in high school. The loss remains a defining moment in Chaisson’s personal story and is often cited as a source of motivation throughout his football career.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season represents a meaningful turning point in K’Lavon Chaisson’s career after several seasons of searching for the right fit. Signed by the New England Patriots in March 2025 on a one-year, $5 million contract, Chaisson has delivered the kind of pass-rushing production and situational impact the team hoped to get when it added him to the defensive front. His Week 7 performance against the Tennessee Titans, two sacks, three tackles, two tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown, earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Week and confirmed that he could handle a featured role in the Patriots’ defensive game plan.
Chaisson continued to come up in critical moments down the stretch, including a Week 16 forced fumble on Zay Flowers that sealed a 28–24 win over the Baltimore Ravens. That play reinforced his reputation as a defender who thrives when the game is on the line and who can be trusted in high-leverage defensive packages. Together, those performances suggest Chaisson has finally found the combination of scheme, coaching, and opportunity that matches his skill set.
Looking ahead, Chaisson is scheduled to enter the 2026 offseason as an unrestricted free agent, with his 2025 production in New England giving him a strong case for a longer-term deal. The upcoming offseason will be pivotal for his long-term outlook, and his play for the Patriots has positioned him as a sought-after edge rusher heading into free agency.