The New England Patriots made two more roster moves after their second training camp practice, officially inking edge rusher Gabe Jacas to his rookie contract while placing wide receiver Jeremiah Webb on season-ending injured reserve.
Webb, who was one of the 12 wide receivers on New England 's roster, won't suit up for his second season after dealing with a minor, undisclosed injury in the team's first practice of the summer. Moving him to IR, now joining wide receiver Jimmy Kibble and tight end Julian Hill , freed up the roster space to bring along Jacas.
Jacas will begin the season on the active/non-football injury list, meaning he'll need to be cleared for football activities by the team. He's able to be activated at any time.
The 22-year-old Jacas was taken by the Patriots in the second round after the team traded three picks to move up and select him. At Illinois, Jacas played in 50 games in four years and racked up 27 career sacks. Last season, he started all 12 of the Fighting Illini's games, recording 43 tackles and 11 sacks.
Feb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois defensive lineman Gabe Jacas (DL44) speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Getting Jacas to sign his contract ends a month-long saga surrounding the second round pick. After appearing at the team's rookie minicamp in passing, Jacas did not report to either the voluntary OTAs or the mandatory minicamp sessions. He also didn't report to the start of training camp, and it wasn't until a few moments into the first practice that it was first reported that he agreed to a four-year, $8.6 million contract.
"Continuing to work through the contract," head coach Mike Vrabel said before practice on Saturday. "I think that those (talks) have been positive, between the club and his representative. Hopefully, we'll get him in here sooner rather than later. Not going to put a timeline on it or a timeframe. But I've spoken to Gabe personally, and again, excited to get him in when he's under contract."
Vrabel told reporters that he had a procedure during the offseason , and it was reported that was part of the reason for the lengthy contract discussions. Now that Jacas is in the fold, he's set to become one of the Patriots' top edge rushers after veteran Harold Landry was placed on the physically unable to perform list last week.
"I mentioned that Gabe had a surgery to take care of some things, and that's where we're at," Vrabel said, also confirming that members of the team's medical staff had been in contact with the rookie.
Aug 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Jeremiah Webb (29) carries the ball against the New York Giants during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Webb, 25, was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of South Alabama in 2025. He scored a touchdown in the team's final preseason game against the New York Giants , but was part of roster cuts ahead of Week 1. He stuck around on the practice squad, and was elevated to the active roster for the AFC Wild Card game against the Los Angeles Chargers . He wasn't active for that game.
Going into 2026, Webb had a tough hill to climb when it came to making the initial roster. The Patriots went out and added six new faces at wide receiver , making Webb one of the players on the outskirts of the roster. The depth of the receiver room is one of the best parts of the roster, and something Vrabel was excited about this summer.
"I'm excited about the group. I said this last year: (Wide receivers coach) Todd (Downing) did a great job coming in and coaching that group last year, and the reason that we had a lot of success was because of that group, our quarterback play and everything else," Vrabel said. "So, that has to continue to improve. It has to be better than what it was last year."
The Patriots had claimed wide receiver Kobe Prentice on waivers after Saturday's practice, likely as a replacement for Webb on the depth chart. For Jacas, the first chance he'll have to suit up is whenever he's activated off of the NFI list.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Patriots Roster Moves: WR Jeremiah Webb Heads To Season-Ending IR .
