The New England Patriots are handing starting minutes to a lineman who has never started an NFL game.
With injuries piling up ahead of Thursday night’s matchup against the Chicago Bears, Walter Rouse is set to make his first career start.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed Wednesday, Oct. 21, that Rouse and Matt Pryor will start at guard, according to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald.
That puts two replacements in the middle of an offensive line tasked with keeping Drake Maye clean on a short week.
For Rouse, it also presents a chance to turn an emergency assignment into something more.
He looked the part as he helped New England finish its win over the Jets.
Rouse Gets First NFL Start as Patriots Try to Protect Maye
Rouse enters Thursday with zero career regular-season starts, per his official team profile.
The 25-year-old appeared in eight games over his first two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and has played in four games for New England this season, all in a reserve role.
A sixth-round selection out of Oklahoma in the 2024 NFL draft, the 6-foot-6, 314-pound lineman now gets his first opportunity to open a game in the starting lineup.
Rouse finished Sunday’s victory at left guard, with Pryor handling the right side. Their work helped New England put together a late drive that provided some breathing room.
Vrabel acknowledged that contribution when asked about the pair during his Tuesday news conference.
“It was fun to watch those guys take advantage of the opportunity. They helped us,” Vrabel said.
The coach pointed to their role in taking time off the clock and helping the Patriots extend their advantage to two scores.
Pryor brings a much longer NFL stretch to the assignment. New England’s announcement of his signing on Oct. 1 listed 40 career regular-season starts across right guard, right tackle and left tackle.
The 31-year-old joined the Patriots from the Arizona Cardinals practice squad. His previous stops included Chicago, giving him some familiarity with Thursday’s opponent.
Patriots Face Short Turnaround After Losing Three Starting Linemen
The changes follow a downtrodden afternoon for New England’s offensive front.
Alijah Vera-Tucker, Ben Brown and Morgan Moses all exited the Jets game with injuries.
The Patriots’ Tuesday injury report listed Vera-Tucker as a nonparticipant with a hamstring injury and Brown as a nonparticipant with a knee injury. Moses was limited with a foot injury.
The guard depth had already taken a hit with Mike Onwenu on injured reserve, leaving New England to keep adjusting its protection plan.
Maye still finished the Jets game without being sacked, as team writer Mike Dussault noted.
Yet, replacing injured teammates during a game and preparing to start are separate tasks.
And it’s worth noting that communication will be especially vital against Chicago’s defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, whose pressure packages can force blockers to sort through several potential rushers before the snap.
In the end, Sunday gave the Patriots a reason to trust their replacements. And now Thursday will test how well that trust holds up over a full game.
Patriots Turn to 1st-Time Starter Ahead of Bears Game