Patriots are already facing problems before training camp even starts and they’re issues that might not go away anytime soon
It’s not all gloom and doom just yet, but Patriots training camp isn’t off to an ideal start for a couple of reasons.
A big part of the New England Patriots’ 2025 success was the defense and the pass rush, in particular. Especially once the postseason rolled around.
Well, so far, it’s safe to say the EDGE group is a shell of its former self entering training camp. Not only is K’Lavon Chaisson on another team, but Harold Landry III is starting camp on the Physically Unable to Perform List after undergoing offseason knee surgery in February.
Therefore, the Patriots’ top-2 pass rushers from 2025 are currently not in the picture. On top of that, rookie second-rounder Gabe Jacas remains unsigned. The Patriots really need him to help keep the pass rush afloat while they try to get back to the Super Bowl, but contract talks are reportedly not in a good place.
So, right now, the Patriots’ top EDGE guys are Dre’Mont Jones, Elijah Ponder, and Jesse Luketa. While you don’t want to cancel anyone out and assume they can’t provide impactful snaps, it’s certainly fair to question just how effective this group can be.
And the most frustrating part is the Patriots don’t know when Landry III will be healthy enough to practice/play. There’s also a thought Jacas might sight out the 2026 season, as well.
Harold Landry III’s knee will be a question mark all year long and the Gabe Jacas drama doesn’t have an end in sight either
This isn’t the first time Landry III’s dealt with a knee injury. He tore his ACL in 2022 playing for the Tennessee Titans and he’s only gotten older since then. At this point, the Patriots are going to have to be very careful with his workload, but as mentioned, the depth is questionable.
What if the aforementioned guys, plus others, don’t step up the way the Patriots expect them to? That could easily impact Landry’s workload if it turns out like that. I mean, you want your best players on the field as much as possible, right? This would put New England in a tight spot, for sure.
Either way, it’s obvious Landry III’s knee is going to factor into just how productive he is in 2026.
Then there’s Jacas, whose contract situation has been nothing but weird and messy. There is speculation surrounding his medicals and the fact the Patriots might want injury insurance included in his rookie deal. ESPN’s Mike Reiss recently reported the Patriots’ refused to give Jacas a participation agreement and that added to the drama (a participation agreement is a deal that protects rookies from potential injury before they sign their actual rookie contract).
There’s also the fact Jacas didn’t participate in any spring practices like rookie minicamp, OTAs, or mandatory minicamp. That’s weird in itself because rookies don’t have to be under contract to participate in those practices. It also lends more credence to all the injury speculation.
It’s easy to see why no particular end is in sight for either of these issues. Sure, they could certainly resolve themselves, but only time will tell. For now, it looks like this will linger over the Patriots for the foreseeable future.