Patriots coach Mike Vrabel thinks on the sidelines.
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Head coach Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots may soon have a new edge rusher on his roster.
The New England Patriots are pursuing free agent edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie, formerly of the Atlanta Falcons, according to a new insider report late on Wednesday. The move, if it happens, would make sense for the Patriots, who earlier in the day lost one of their two top edges, and their primary depth player at the position.
Though they stunned the NFL by winning 14 games, after back-to-back four-win seasons, and advancing all the way to the Super Bowl, the Patriots’ pass rush left a lot to be desired. With just 35 sacks all season, the Patriots ranked near the bottom of the NFL.
Harold Landry led the team with 8½ sacks, followed by K’Lavon Chaisson with 7½. But Chaisson departed in free agency on Wednesday, signing for one year and $12 million with the Washington Commanders.
Just hours later, the Patriots released backup edge Anfernee Jennings, saving almost $4 million in salary cap space, according to longtime ESPN Patriots correspondent Mike Reiss.
The twin departures leave New England shorthanded at the highly valuable position, even after Monday’s agreement to sign former Denver Broncos third-round draft pick Dre’Mont Jones to a three-year, $39.5 million deal. But, according to Boston Globe Patriots insider Christopher Price, the team may be working on a quick solution.
Who is the Edge Rusher Now Linked to the Patriots?
Price reported that the Patriots have taken steps to acquire a 2022 second-round Atlanta Falcons draft pick who had previously been rumored to be headed to the Carolina Panthers now that he is a free agent.
“A league source indicates the Patriots have reached out to reps for DE/EDGE Arnold Ebiketie. The 6-foot-2, 250-pounder has 16½ sacks over the last four years in Atlanta,” Price wrote on Wednesday. “Ebiketie, 27, could provide depth for a New England team that has lost K’Lavon Chaisson (FA) & released Anfernee Jennings.”
Though he was a high draft pick out of Penn State, Ebiketie had difficulty cracking the starting lineup in Atlanta. He appeared in every possible game in his four-year Falcons career, except for one game missed in his rookie season — 67 games in total. But he was tabbed as a starter in only 12.
Ebiketie’s most productive seasons came in 2023 and 2024. In 2023, he started six games and recorded six sacks along with 12 quarterback hits and 41 tackles, including 16 solos. The following year, despite starting only two games, he again sacked quarterbacks six times with 12 hits, along with 64 tackles with 26 solo tackles.
How Much Would Ebiketie Cost?
The Patriots have $31.5 million in cap space remaining, according to Over The Cap. Ebiketie should fit easily, coming off a four-year rookie contract that paid him $8.8 million. A short-term deal would likely cost the Patriots around $4 million per year, which is what they paid Jennings on his three-year contract — of which he played only two years before his release on Wednesday.
Ebiketie is about the same size as the 6-foot-2, 255-pound Jennings, who managed only two sacks in 2025. But Ebiketie also got two last season. Jennings is 28, one year older than Ebiketie — so it should not be too surprising that the Patriots are looking to fill Jennings’ role with the former Atlanta Falcons pass rusher, according to Price’s report.