Mike Onwenu’s afternoon at Gillette Stadium ended in the first quarter, carted off after a collision involving Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt.
New England was already leaning on him to anchor an offensive line protecting an early lead, and a former NFL team physician now says the guard may have played his last snap of 2026.
Onwenu went down with the Patriots ahead 7-0, rolled up on during a play that sent him straight to the medical cart, according to NBC Sports Boston‘s Phil Perry. New England still led 7-0 after one quarter, outgaining Pittsburgh 139 yards to 49, according to Steelers beat reporter Alan Saunders.
Reaction on the sideline was immediate. Several observers pegged the injury as a broken ankle before any team statement arrived.
CBS play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz called it a “gruesome injury” during the broadcast, a description that matched the alarm inside Gillette Stadium as Onwenu was carted to the locker room.
Former NFL team physician David Chao offered a sharper diagnosis. Chao’s frame-by-frame review pointed to a right-leg fracture requiring surgery, an injury that would end Onwenu’s season, according to Chao’s video breakdown of the play.
New England’s official designation remained a right ankle injury, with Onwenu ruled out for the rest of the game, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. The team has not confirmed surgery or a season-ending timetable, and Chao’s read remains the most informed outside assessment available before any MRI results surface publicly.
Mike Onwenu’s Absence Would Gut New England’s Offensive Line
Losing Onwenu costs the Patriots their most productive pass protector. Through Week 1 of 2026, he graded 75.7 overall among NFL guards, 11th at the position, while his 88.9 pass-block grade ranked first with zero pressures allowed, according to grading data from Pro Football Focus.
The 6-foot-3, 350-pound lineman is New England’s longest-tenured starter up front, a 2020 sixth-round pick who started in Super Bowl LX last season and reworked his contract in May, entering the final year of a three-year, $57 million deal, according to Patriots Wire.
He has also battled ankle problems dating to 2022 and offseason surgery, plus a shoulder issue that surfaced last season, according to Fox Sports injury records.
Greg Van Roten Takes Over at Right Guard
Greg Van Roten replaced Onwenu at right guard, according to WMUR’s Ian Steele.
The 36-year-old signed with New England in August as interior line depth after stints with the Packers, Panthers, Jets, Bills, Raiders and Giants, according to the team’s official announcement of his signing.
Van Roten started all 17 games at right guard for New York last season and has appeared in 144 career games with 105 starts, mostly at right guard with stretches at left guard and center, the team said.
He is durable and well-traveled, but he is not Onwenu. New England’s interior communication and run-game push now rest on a veteran replacing the league’s highest-graded pass-blocking guard. If Chao’s diagnosis holds, the Patriots will lean on Van Roten and backup Ben Brown, and likely search for reinforcement before the trade deadline.
What Happened to Mike Onwenu? Patriots Veteran Guard Exits Steelers Game Early