Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had high praise for a New England Patriots rookie following a game against the Patriots. The commendation was for Gabe Jacas, not one of Rodgers’ teammates.
A video shared by Morey Hershgordon of 7 Boston captured Rodgers telling Jacas, “Great job, man. You just kept trying to take my head off.” Jacas found the interaction humorous. Speaking with NBC Sports Boston, he shared, “I came up to him after the game, he was cool.”
Jacas’ performance justified Rodgers’ praise. He concluded the game with an interception and three quarterback pressures. One pressure led to a lighthearted moment between him and Rodgers, while the interception marked a significant milestone as Jacas’ first since his youth football days. “It was surreal because I never had a pick before,” Jacas expressed. “It was cool to get the first pick against Aaron Rodgers.”
Jacas has had a strong start to his career. He recorded his first sack during the season opener in Seattle and followed it up with his first interception against Pittsburgh a week later. This is notable, considering he missed most of training camp due to injury and contract issues.
Despite receiving criticism for his contract situation from head coach Mike Vrabel, Jacas responded with dedication. He arrives at 6:45 a.m. daily to work with Vrabel on striking methods and pass-rush moves, well before team meetings start at 8 a.m.
The Patriots will rely on Jacas to maintain his upward trajectory, especially after injuries impacted the team. Dre’Mont Jones experienced a shoulder injury and was quickly ruled out. Harold Landry III is yet to be activated this season. Jacas, along with sophomore Elijah Ponder and rookie Quintayvious Hutchins, are the remaining edge defenders on the active roster, increasing the pressure on Jacas to justify his draft position.
If Jacas continues his progress, this season could mark the beginning of a remarkable debut at One Patriot Place.