Greg Van Roten, at 36 the oldest player on the Patriots roster, went down clutching his right ankle in the second quarter Sunday in Jacksonville, and New England’s offensive line trouble now runs two starters deep.
The Patriots already lost right guard Mike Onwenu for at least a month. If Van Roten can’t finish this one, New England is down to its third right guard option in three weeks.
Van Roten got hurt right after Drake Maye’s incomplete deep ball to Mack Hollins on third-and-7 from the Jacksonville 18. He hopped gingerly after the snap, favoring his right leg, then limped to the sideline as the Patriots trailed the Jaguars, 7-0.
Boston Herald reporter Doug Kyed shared the play-by-play from Jacksonville, writing that Van Roten “is slow to get up” before he “went into the blue medical tent.”
The Athletic‘s Chad Graff flagged the injury blow on social media, pointing out that New England was now watching its replacement right guard go down “in their first full game without RG Mike Onwenu.”
The Patriots have since made it official, and the diagnosis is different from what it looked like on the field. ESPN’s Mike Reiss confirmed the team’s injury designation, reporting that Van Roten is dealing with a thigh injury and is questionable to return, not an ankle.
Van Roten Was Filling In For Mike Onwenu
Onwenu, one of the league’s most durable linemen, suffered a broken right ankle in the first quarter of New England’s Week 2 win over Pittsburgh. Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt rolled up on the ankle while sacking Maye, and Onwenu was carted off and ruled out immediately. He played 1,082 snaps last year, 98.9 percent of the offense, according to the Boston Globe, which noted coach Mike Vrabel’s Monday remarks on the injury.
“I don’t think he’ll be available in the short term,” Vrabel said per the Globe.
New England placed Onwenu on injured reserve, keeping him out at least four games with a possible return in Week 7 against Chicago. ESPN’s Adam Schefter said he would be “surprised” if Onwenu plays again this season.
Van Roten finished the Pittsburgh game in relief and earned the Jacksonville start.
“I think he had some positive plays,” Vrabel noted.
Losing Van Roten Deepens Patriots’ Line Crisis
Van Roten is in his 12th NFL season, confirmed by his current player profile. He signed with New England on Aug. 18 after Ben Brown’s preseason injury thinned the line. Undrafted out of Penn in 2012, Van Roten built his standout career there as a two-time Ivy League champion and unanimous All-Ivy left tackle before landing with Green Bay. He has since played for seven other franchises, including a reunion with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas.
Entering Sunday, Van Roten had appeared in 145 regular-season games with 105 starts, most at right guard, and started all 17 games for the Giants last year.
If Van Roten can’t return, the Patriots turn to interior backup Ben Brown or converted tackle Walter Rouse. Vrabel has also floated moving rookie first-round pick Caleb Lomu inside from tackle, telling reporters, according to the Globe, that “Caleb would be one of the guys that we could possibly do that.” Neither backup brings Van Roten’s blend of experience and versatility, and a third new right guard in three weeks would strip away whatever continuity New England’s line had left.
Greg Van Roten Injury: Patriots’ Oldest Player Suffers Setback vs. Jaguars