The New England Patriots might not be mad at Gabe Jacas, but that doesn't mean they're thrilled with their second-round draft pick.
Jacas, the 55th-overall pick from the 2026 NFL Draft, was a no-show at organized team activities (OTAs) and mandatory minicamp. Some reports indicate his absence was due to an injury, while others suggest his contract status -- Jacas is the only unsigned second-round pick from this year's draft -- played a factor.
During the latest episode of his podcast, Greg Bedard of Boston Sports Journal offered new insight into Jacas' situation and how the Patriots feel about it.
"From the Patriots' perspective, I think they're mildly annoyed at the situation," Bedard said. "But they are, from the people that I've talked to in the building ... they're not frustrated or upset or anything with Gabe. This isn't ideal."
Bedard added: "He's not significantly behind for where he's gonna be, unless you had dreams that Gabe Jacas was gonna be this impact rookie, which I think was a complete pipe dream."
Drafted out of Illinois, Jacas joined the Patriots with expectations of injecting needed explosion into their pass rush. And he still could earn a large role next season.
However, expectations always should be tempered for a rookie. And until Jacas gets on the field, it's hard to feel confident about his chances of being an impact rookie.
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