Patriots make final move with rookie Gabe Jacas

Gabe Jacas. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Patriots make final move with rookie Gabe Jacas

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Jul 25, 2026 12:55 PM ET

It took them much more than expected, but the New England Patriots finally got the deal done.

With training camp and the preseason just around the corner, Mike Vrabel's team needed to do something about Gabe Jacas.

The rookie second-round pick remained unsigned and hadn't even been in the building, and he was inching dangerously close to a redshirt rookie season.

That won't be the case anymore. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, he finally signed a four-year rookie contract.

The Patriots finally signed rookie Gabe Jacas

"Sources: The #Patriots signed rookie OLB Gabe Jacas to a four-year, $8.6M contract," wrote Schultz. "Big news as New England traded up to draft Jacas, the former All-American out of Illinois, in the 2nd-round."

Sources: The #Patriots signed rookie OLB Gabe Jacas to a four-year, $8.6M contract.

Big news as New England traded up to draft Jacas, the former All-American out of Illinois, in the 2nd-round. pic.twitter.com/iLm1VGXMUi
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) July 25, 2026

Jacas missed the entire spring workout session. He also missed vital classroom time to get a hold of the defense and what he might be up against next season.

The Patriots announced that he underwent an undisclosed procedure to address an injury, but since they didn't provide him with a participation agreement, which is given to unsigned rookies to protect their contract slot if they suffer an injury, he didn't show up.

With a thin pass-rushing unit, Jacas was initially expected to have a big role right out of the gate for Mike Vrabel's defense.

Now, he has plenty of catching up to do, and the team will most likely ramp him up slowly. Still, after finally getting this done, he might be a crucial contributor in the second half of the season.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

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