Coming into the season, if there was a major concern for the New England Patriots offense, it was on the line of scrimmage. Now, through two weeks, the line has largely looked improved, but injuries like the one to right guard Mike Onwenu could derail that.
Onwenu had to leave the Week 2 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on a cart. Anyone who saw the play could see that it looked like a bad injury, and there was immediate concern that his season was effectively over before it really started.
By late in the day on Sunday, ESPN reported what many had suspected. The Patriots guard had broken his ankle. What wasn’t clear was an exact timeline for his return and if he might play again this season.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel wouldn’t do much to clear things up when asked about the injury on Monday. Instead, he shared a vague answer, not going into detail other than it’s going to be a while before Onwenu is on the field again.
“I don’t think he’ll be available here in the short term,” Vrabel said.
New England Patriots Players Lament Losing Mike Onwenu
Immediately following the loss of Mike Onwenu, several New England Patriots shared just how big a loss that was. That included quarterback Drake Maye.
“It is heartbreaking when you see a guy like Mike, who has played through injuries, been here since he was a rookie … he is just gritty. He leaves it all out there,” Maye said.
Maye wasn’t alone, though. Sitting next to him on the right side of that Patriots offensive line is Morgan Moses. The veteran had nothing but praise for Onwenu in the wake of his injury.
“It’s been a pleasure to be able to play beside somebody so dominant and just the relationship that we’ve built over the last couple of years. I care more about the person than the football player… Just [how he helps] me every day. I can’t sit here and say that I can do all these things myself without having a good partner in crime. Anytime you lose somebody at that caliber, it’s hard. It’s hard,” Moses said.
“But Mike knows we got him. We’ll do anything for him. The biggest thing is just keeping him around here, keeping him as a part of this team. He’s a building block for us, so you can’t replace a guy like that. A guy with that type of stature and what he stands for as an offensive lineman.”
Onwenu was a sixth-round pick by the Patriots back in 2020. He’s spent his entire career in New England, which included being on the PFWA All-Rookie Team. Onwenu is now one of the Patriots’ most experienced offensive linemen, having played in 101 games and making 93 starts. He’s also played across multiple positions.
Patriots First-Round Pick Caleb Lomu Could Replace Mike Onwenu
This offseason, depth was a concern for the Patriots at guard. The Onwenu injury doesn’t help matters there, and now Vrabel will need to answer the question of who replaces him.
One option is first-round pick Caleb Lomu. A tackle, Lomu is in what the Patriots hope to be a development year, but did get experience at guard during the offseason due to those depth concerns. Now, Ethan Hurwitz of Sports Illustrated reported that Vrabel shared that Lomu is on the short list at right guard.
“Mike Vrabel says that Caleb Lomu could be one of the guys the team looks at to potentially move to guard in the wake of Mike Onwenu’s ankle injury,” Hurwitz reported.
There are, of course, other options for the Patriots to consider at right guard. However, Lomu is worth keeping an eye on this week.
Patriots Injury Update: Mike Vrabel Sets Vague Timeline for RG Mike Onwenu