It’s been an odyssey for the New England Patriots getting second-round pick Gabe Jacas to sign his rookie contract. Now that that’s taken care of, they’ll need to get him back on the practice field.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel shared the latest on Jacas on Thursday morning. There, he shared that he’s making massive progress.
“Gabe continues to progress well. I would say that he’s closer to the return-to-play element,” Vrabel said, being quoted by Doug Kyed.
Vrabel would also add that Jacas was in the Patriots facilities on Wednesday, an off-day. There, he was working with outside linebackers coach Mike Smith. However, for the time being, he’s remaining on the NFI.
It Was a Long Offseason for the New England Patriots, Gabe Jacas
GettyNew England Patriots draft pick Gabe Jacas
When the New England Patriots initially drafted Gabe Jacas, there was a lot of excitement. After all, as an edge rusher, he was set to fill an obvious need for them. He even, at one point, was projected as a Week 1 starter for the Patriots.
Then, Jacas’ contract became a drawn-out process. Eventually, he became the last Patriots rookie not to sign a contract and the last second-round pick not to sign a contract. On top of that, he never signed his participation agreement, which allows players to practice with a guarantee in case they suffer an injury.
So, Jacas didn’t practice. That made for a much more complex negotiation as he was away from the team, and led to immediate concerns about his readiness for the 2026 season.
As time went on, injury concerns around Jacas became more and more apparent. He would even get a procedure on his knee, which was described as a clean-up. However, it clearly was playing into the negotiations between the two sides, as was reported at the time. As a result, Jacas would consistently post workout videos from his time away from the team.
Luckily, that’s all a thing of the past now. Jacas signed a 4-year, $8.6 million contract on July 25th.
Gabe Jacas Has Injury Concerns
GettyFormer Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas.
Even with the contract, Gabe Jacas hasn’t started practicing for the Patriots. Instead, they placed him on the active/non-football injury list. This comes as he continues to rehab from his knee injury.
For his part, Vrabel would be asked if Jacas was going to miss any time in the 2026 offseason. After all, he’s a rookie dealing with a knee issue who’s yet to practice with the team. However, for now, the Patriots head coach has been non-committal.
“I don’t want to say. Nothing is 100 percent,” Vrabel previously said.
“I am excited that he wants to be here, he wants to get going, and he does not want to be on the field with the trainer, I will tell you that. He wants to get back out there, play ball and be the player that we drafted and wanted to be here.”
The Patriots, obviously, need to improve their pass rush from a season ago. Jacas has long since been in their plans to do so. So, getting him right for the season is a major goal for the coaching staff at this point.
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