Mike Vrabel and company rebuilt all parts of the Patriots roster upon arriving in New England last offseason, and the linebacker group was also not immune to change. Among the most consequential additions was Jack Gibbens, who formerly played under Vrabel in Tennessee and who ended up serving as the third option as well as a part-time starter in 2025.
Now headed for free agency, Gibbens looks like he could command more than the $1.3 million he received on a one-year contract last year. Is that outlook realistic, though? And will his next contract come from the Patriots or another team? Let’s find out.
Hard facts
Name: Jack Gibbens
Position: Off-ball linebacker
Jersey number: 51
Opening day age: 27 (11/24/1998)
Measurements: 6’3”, 242 lbs, 32 7/8” arm length, 9 3/8” hand size, 4.82s 40-yard dash, 7.02s three-cone drill, 4.2s short shuttle, 34” vertical jump, 9’9” broad jump, 14 bench press reps, 7.40 Relative Athletic Score
Experience
NFL: Tennessee Titans (2022-24), New England Patriots (2025-) | College: Abilene Christian (2017-20), Minnesota (2021)
Coming out of Smithson Valley High School in Spring Branch, TX, Gibbens was rated as a three-star recruit entering the college level. He received a handful of scholarship offers and eventually opted to join Abilene Christian, where he appeared in 39 games between 2017 and 2020 and spent three seasons as a starter. Instead of trying to make the jump to the NFL in 2021, however, he opted to transfer to a higher-profile program.
He found it in Minnesota. While he spent only one season with the Golden Gophers, Gibbens managed to start all 13 games and finished as the team leader in tackles (92).
With his eligibility over, Gibbens entered the NFL Draft in 2022 but did not hear his name called. Instead, he was picked up by Tennessee as a free agent, but failed to make the initial 53-man roster. Starting out on the practice squad, he was moved up to the active team in December of his rookie year and remained there for the rest of his Titans career. In total, he played 29 games for the organization and registered one interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery each.
Despite his success, Gibbens was not tendered by the Titans as an exclusive rights free agent in 2025. He subsequently joined the Patriots on the aforementioned one-year pact.
2025 review
Stats: 21 games (10 starts) | 604 defensive snaps (47.0%), 357 special teams snaps (65.1%) | 90 tackles, 9 missed tackles (9.1%), 8 TFLs, 1 forced fumble | 8 quarterback pressures (1 sack, 3 hits, 4 hurries) | 39 targets, 32 catches surrendered (82.1%), 247 yards, 2 TDs, 4 PBUs | 10 special teams tackles, 1 missed special teams tackle (9.1%) | 3 penalties (incl. 1 offsetting)
Season recap: Coming off a season-ending ankle injury, the Titans opted against placing an exclusive rights free agency tender on Gibbens for a second straight season. The decision allowed him to enter the open market at the start of free agency, and ultimately to reunite with his former head coach in New England: the Mike Vrabel-led Patriots signed Gibbens to a one-year, $1.3 million contract after the first wave of free agency.
While his relatively low-level deal did not guarantee him a spot on the roster, Gibbens did end up on the 53-man team and spent all of 2025 there. The basis of his roster spot was his ability and versatility on special teams.
A core four player regularly appearing on all of the return and coverage units, he held a prominent role in the kicking game for much of the season and finished third on the team with 357 snaps. Gibbens furthermore was tied for fifth with 10 tackles.
While his special teams contributions were notable, the most prominent part of his fourth NFL campaign was serving as a rotational second or third linebacker and filling in for starter Robert Spillane down the stretch. In that role, Gibbens started 10 combined games, played just under half of defensive snaps on the year — ranking 11th on that side of the ball overall — and registered the fourth-most tackles on the roster. He also was given the opportunity to serve as on-field signal caller with Spillane out.
There were some consistency issues in pass coverage and run defense, but overall Gibbens fared well for a player earning only marginally more than the veteran minimum. In fact, he has an argument as one of the better “bang for the buck” performers on the 2025 Patriots.
Free agency preview
Free agency status: Restricted free agent (RFA)
What is his contract history? Gibbens signed a standard three-year UDFA deal upon joining the Titans in 2022, but that deal became obsolete before he could earn even a single dollar from it. From that on, he received money while on Tennessee’s practice squad, active roster and under the exclusive rights tender he signed in 2024. Add the contract he received from the Patriots and you get a combined career earnings of around $3.7 million, according to Over the Cap.
Which teams might be in the running? Even though he may not be an every-down starter at linebacker, several teams might be interested in Gibbens’ services. Among them are LB-needy teams such as the Bills, Cowboys, Commanders, Bears or Panthers, or teams looking for upgrades across the board like the Jets or Raiders. And that’s not even accounting for his special teams skills, which might make him attractive for clubs like the Rams.
Why should he be expected back? Gibbens proved himself a solid performer in his first year as a Patriot, and can help out on defense as well as play a core special teams role. While there might be a cap on his upside, there is no denying he can be a valuable rotational and backup piece on defense. Add his longstanding connection with Mike Vrabel and other members of his staff, and you can see why New England might want to retain him. Also, the RFA tender even at the lowest level gives the club a clear advantage over potential competition.
Why should he be expected to leave? Ultimately, money talks. If the Patriots don’t view Gibbens as worthy of a tender and one of the teams vying for his services offers a superior deal and/or roster outlook, he very well could be a goner. Sure, the team likes him, but NFL roster construction only allows for sentimentality to a certain point.
What is his projected free agency outcome? Even though the Patriots could use the lowest available RFA tender at a projected cost of around $3.55 million on Gibbens, they also might want to try to keep him around longer-term; the 26-year-old is a culture fit with a proven track record on defense and special teams. As a consequence, we are predicting that he will not be tendered but instead signed to a two-year, $6 million extension.
Now it’s your turn to play GM: What would you do with Jack Gibbens? Should he be tendered? Should he be allowed to test the market? Please head down to the comment section to share your plan.