New England Patriots offensive lineman Ben Brown is open to the idea of playing the guard position. Injuries have decimated the position itself, and Brown volunteered his services for the spot. This was reported by Mass Live’s Mark Daniels on Thursday afternoon.
Brown is an interior offensive lineman by nature. However, he has versatility, playing both the center and guard positions. The Patriots may need that versatility with Mike Onwenu and Greg Van Roten both out with injuries. The Patriots are thin on the offensive line and on the roster in general. Now, Brown could step up and help the Patriots with their depth issues.
In the meantime, Brown is very much open to that possibility.
“Yeah, very confident,” Brown said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be here going on to year three now. I’ve had a lot of playing experience while being here and, you know, confident in Josh and his play calls, confident in Drake and confident in all the adjacent O-linemen that I’ll be playing by. So, yeah, I feel good.”
Injury Bug Has Hit Patriots Hard
The injury bug has bitten the Patriots hard over the course of the last couple of weeks. 21 players are currently on the weekly injury report. The offensive line has been hit hard in particular, as four players have suffered injuries throughout the course of the last couple of weeks. Morgan Moses, Onwenu, Van Roten and Marcus Bryant are all currently on the injured list on the offensive line. Bryant is set to return.
In the meantime, four players are out from the wide receiver and tight end positions.
On the list from the defensive side of the ball, three players are on the injured list from the linebacker position. The secondary has taken hits too, as Christian Gonzalez was not at practice on Thursday. Punter Bryce Baringer is also on injured reserve at the moment.
Injuries, although unfortunate, could provide Brown an opportunity to step up at the guard position.
Patriots Veteran Has Experience Needed
Brown started consecutive games at the collegiate level at both the right guard and center positions. He made his regular-season NFL debut in 2023 as a reserve left guard for the Seattle Seahawks.
By the time he got to New England, he was experienced at a multitude of positions. He logged four starts at left guard during the 2025 season and was able to slide over to the right guard position.
The experience is definitely there for Brown, and he has the distinction of being a veteran within the offense. He is also someone who has been dependable and has been with the organization through multiple coaching changes. Sliding Brown over to the guard position would not necessarily be the worst thing in the world. The Patriots need experience and depth at the position right now, and Brown can provide that.
The Patriots need to figure out the offensive line issues and fast. It’s not their fault that injuries have been mounting. That’s part of the game of football. Nevertheless, it’s only the fourth week of the season, and the Patriots still have a gauntlet of the schedule to go. It could get to the point where sliding Brown over to the guard spot is the most effective remedy for the lack of depth on the line.
At this point, it’s just about getting contributions from as many areas as possible. Brown’s willingness to move to the position shows how much of a team player he is.
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