A former Florida State starter who reunited with college teammate Drake Maye in New England after a run through Las Vegas.
Amari Gainer built his reputation as a special teams contributor after five seasons of college ball split between Florida State and North Carolina, where he lined up alongside Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. After a stint with the Las Vegas Raiders, Gainer landed in New England and is fighting for a linebacker spot.
Path to the league
Gainer spent five seasons at Florida State from 2018 to 2022, overcoming a broken foot that cost him most of his true freshman year to become a full-time starter, finishing with 210 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, six sacks and five forced fumbles for the Seminoles. He transferred to North Carolina for his final season in 2023, playing alongside future Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and adding 27 tackles.
Career highlights
Gainer signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2024 and appeared in 17 games that season, mostly on special teams, recording five special teams tackles. He was released by Las Vegas in August 2025 after failing to make the roster out of training camp.
2025 season recap
After his release from Las Vegas, Gainer signed with the New England Patriots' practice squad on December 17, 2025, reconnecting with his former North Carolina teammate Drake Maye. He agreed to a reserve/futures contract with the Patriots on February 11, 2026, keeping him in the mix for a 2026 roster spot.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Amari Gainer
- Patriots.com: Amari Gainer
Statistics
2025 season and career▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | raiders | 17 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- North Carolina
- Hometown
- Tallahassee, FL, USA
- Age
- 26
- Status
- active
