New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel had a positive update about rookie edge rusher Gabe Jacas, and it isn’t necessarily anything he did on the football field. Vrabel indicated that the rookie has been pestering him to get out on the football field.
Jacas has had a busy injury timeline over the course of the past couple of months. Most recently, he signed a four-year contract, officially ending his offseason holdout. On Thursday, coach Mike Vrabel indicated that he was getting closer to returning to action, as the coach gave key updates on defensive players. Now, Jacas practiced with the team on Saturday, his first time doing so.
Patriots Rookie Has Been Eager To Get Going
However, it has not exactly been easy keeping them off the field. Vrabel noted that in his press conference on Saturday afternoon.
“He loves football. He’s been itching to get back. He texts me late at night. ‘Hey, am I going to practice tomorrow?’ I’m like, ‘No. Just like I told you at 6:30 last night or tonight that you weren’t going to practice tomorrow. You don’t have to text me at 10 and ask again. The answer’s still no, not yet.’
It has been a long road for the edge rusher, but now he is back in the fold. He started off practice with a bang as well, knocking over position coach Mike Smith during a particular drill. The rookie showed his force and did more than just hit the bag that Smith held out. Saturday’s practice was a sign of what he could do, and there is statistical evidence to prove it.
Nothing New For Patriots Rookie
Jacas had 27 career sacks in a four-year career at Illinois. This included 11 sacks in 2025 and 13.5 tackles for loss across 12 games. he also recorded three forced fumbles. It was safe to say that last year was a career year for him.
In terms of advanced metrics, he also had a solid year last year as well. He had an 88 pass-rush grade according to Pro Football Focus. This ranked him 38th out of 852 edge defenders. He was worthy of this ranking, as he had 292 pass-rushing snaps. He had 12 sacks, 22 hits, and seven quarterback hits.
For a team that needed edge help, it was very easy to see why the Patriots made a major push to get him in the draft. Jacas possesses all the tools needed to help elevate that position, and he can do that. It’s not clear exactly what the role is for Jacas at this time. However, right now it’s all just about playing catch-up and proving that he belongs on this elite defense.
There is still a long time until the regular season. Preseason games have not even been played yet, and those should allow Jacas to really shine. It will be interesting to see what he can do over the course of the next couple of weeks, and how much of a push he can make to be considered a focal point in the edge rotation. Situations like running over a position coach with his strength certainly are steps in the right direction.
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