When the New England Patriots selected Gabe Jacas in the second round of the NFL Draft, the hope was that he would bolster a fledgling pass rush. There was so much excitement around him, at the time, that he was once projected as a Week 1 starter.
That isn’t the case anymore. Jacas and the Patriots have failed to come to a contract agreement. As a result, he missed Mandatory Minicamp in June. Now, the future between the two sides seems a bit uncertain until that deal gets done.
Now, Jacas and the Patriots are just a week away from the next milestone in this saga. Rookies are set to report to Training Camp on July 22nd. That will hopefully include Jacas.
Prior to this, Jacas hasn’t signed a “participation agreement.” That’s a fairly common document that teams sign draft picks to while they work on their rookie contracts, and makes the team obligated to sign them even if they’re injured during that time.
Jacas still hasn’t practiced with the Patriots since being drafted. He’s also the only second-round pick and the only Patriots draft pick still unsigned. So, getting that deal done and actually giving him the chance to practice at the NFL level is going to be vital if he wants to contribute as a rookie.
A Gabe Jacas Injury Led to Some Contract Issues with the New England Patriots
GettyNew England Patriots draft pick Gabe Jacas
During Mandatory Minicamp, New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel wasn’t quick to share updates on Gabe Jacas. However, he would note that Jacas had some kind of procedure, which contributed to the absence.
This came after Jacas previously reported to the Patriots for Rookie Minicamp on May 7th. At the time, he didn’t participate due to the procedure but did watch from the sidelines.
That injury has led to some speculation about why Jacas is still unsigned for the Patriots. That includes an anonymous but high-ranking NFL executive theorizing the Patriots want some level of financial protection in the contract due to his injury and procedure. That’s something Jacas wouldn’t want to give them.
Still, the Patriots did their homework on Jacas during the pre-draft process. Per ESPN, multiple teams knew about a labral tear in his shoulder. They likely knew his knee needed a “clean-up,” which turned out to be the procedure he got. So, presumably, the team was aware of that before drafting him.
It’s also worth noting that this kind of delay in signing a rookie isn’t unheard of for the Patriots. Just last year, second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson didn’t sign his own contract until July 19th.
Jacas Has Looked Healthy in Recent Videos
GettyIllinois pass rusher Gabe Jacas completes the sack versus Rutgers.
Despite those injury concerns, or perhaps because of them, Gabe Jacas has released several videos of himself working out this offseason. In all of them, he appears to be moving well.
A recent one in July shows him squatting, working out his legs and putting strain on that knee. In other words, he seems healthy even with that injury often being cited as the reason why he and the Patriots haven’t signed a deal yet.
Training camp is quickly approaching…
(🎥 gxbe2x IG)
At this point, it’s hard to see what changes in the Jacas saga to get him and the Patriots to sign a deal. However, the longer it goes on, the stranger it seems. More frustratingly, he plays a position of major need for New England.
The Patriots selected Jacas with their second-round pick, which was the 55th overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. New England needed to trade up in the second round to land Jacas. He had played his college football at Illinois, where he was a First-Team All-Big Ten selection in 2025. That was on the back of an 11.0 sack season.
Another Milestone Upcoming Amid Gabe Jacas, Patriots Contract Saga