Patriots sign veteran edge rusher to 1-year contract

Forward of subsequent week’s free-agent feeding frenzy, the Patriots bolstered their depth chart on Thursday.​

The Patriots introduced that they’ve signed linebacker Jesse Luketa, with NFL insider Jordan Schultz reporting that it’s a one-year deal.

The 27-year-old exterior linebacker has appeared in 31 profession video games, together with three begins. He has posted 31 whole tackles, three sacks, and one compelled fumble throughout his NFL profession.

These three sacks got here in the course of the 2024 season with the Cardinals — showing in 10 video games that season earlier than struggling a season-ending thigh damage. When the previous Penn State linebacker was cleared to return from damage, he spent the ultimate months of the 2025 season on the Los Angeles Rams’ follow squad.

​Whereas Luketa may function a practice-squad possibility for New England, the Patriots may very well be prioritizing depth of their pass-rushing corps — particularly given the uncertainty relating to Okay’Lavon Chaisson’s return as a pending free agent.

​If Chaisson doesn’t re-up with the Patriots, New England should discover different avenues to copy his manufacturing — particularly with returning veteran Harold Landry Jr. additionally a query mark after being restricted with a nagging knee damage final yr.

 

Conor Ryan is a workers author overlaying the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Pink Sox for Boston.com, a job he has held since 2023.