New England Patriots
“This reflects that Jacas is not yet ready to practice. Can change any day,” ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote.
Gabe Jacas has not been present at Patriots minicamp or OTAs. (AP Photo/CJ Gunther)
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5 takeaways from Day 2 of Patriots training camp
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Report: Patriots sign rookie LB Gabe Jacas to four-year deal
The Patriots have put rookie linebacker Gabe Jacas on the non-football injury list, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
Players who are on the NFI list are not allowed to practice. Players who stay on the NFI list after cutdown day have to go on injured reserve. New England can activate Jacas at any time.
“Head coach Mike Vrabel said the team would take a cautious approach,” Reiss wrote on X. “This reflects that Jacas is not yet ready to practice. Can change any day.”
Jacas missed both OTAs and minicamp. He spent months after the draft without being signed to a contract. According to Reiss, there was a holdup over the lack of a “participation agreement” from the Patriots.
Both sides reached a deal on Saturday, which was the first day of Patriots training camp.
Jacas has yet to practice for the Patriots. He was the only unsigned second-round pick in the league for a long time. According to the ESPN story, Jacas had a “clean up” knee procedure performed during the offseason, and the information wasn’t disclosed to the team.
Jacas reportedly signed a four-year deal worth up to $8.6 million. The Illinois product tied for ninth among FBS players in sacks last season with 11.
Jacas’s eventual return could give the Patriots a boost at edge rusher.
Last year’s sack leader, Harold Landry, is on the physically unable to perform list as he deals with an injury. New England replaced K’Lavon Chaisson with Dre’Mont Jones during the offseason. Outside linebackers coach Mike Smith said he has big expectations for Elijah Ponder.
Jacas has already missed the first two days of training camp. New England began camp on Saturday and continued with a non-padded session on Sunday.
The preseason continues to inch closer. New England has joint practice with the Colts on August 11th before the two teams meet in their preseason opener on August 13th.
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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