Hours after officially signing him to his rookie deal, the Patriots placed Gabe Jacas on the active/non-football injury list.
The rookie linebacker can be activated at any time.
Jacas underwent a procedure on his left knee in the offseason. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said they’d be smart when it comes to the 22-year-old.
New England Patriots defensive end Gabe Jacas. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)AP
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“We’re not going to get into the injuries. I mentioned that Gabe had a surgery to take care of some things, and that’s where we’re at,” he said. “And again, we’re going to evaluate him when he gets here. I know that (trainer) Jim (Whalen) and (strength coach) Frank (Piraino) have been in contact with him throughout the summer.
“I mean, I can only go by what he says,” Vrabel added. “And so when he gets here, we’ll evaluate that. Of course, be as smart as we can be just to see. Because we haven’t seen him with us, but I would say that, use the word cautiously, optimistic. But again, those conversations have been great, and I’m excited to see where he’s at.”
The Patriots traded up to select Jacas in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He figures to be a big part of New England’s defense this season. For Illinois last season, Jacas totaled 11 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.
The Patriots also placed Jeremiah Webb on injured reserve. The wide receiver will not play in 2026.
Lauren Campbell joined MassLive in 2023 as a breaking and trending Boston sports reporter covering all things locally and nationally. Campbell also produces MassLive’s “Fenway Rundown” podcast. In her previous…