Mike Onwenu’s game, and potentially his season, came to an end in the second quarter on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The New England Patriots’ veteran guard was rolled up from behind on a sack and did not get up. He later left the Gillette Stadium field on a cart and was quickly ruled out due to an ankle injury.
The show had to go on without Onwenu, but his departure was nonetheless one of the biggest talking points after the Patriots’ eventual 20-3 victory.
“It is heartbreaking,” said quarterback
Drake Maye. “A guy like Mike, who has played through injuries, been here since he was a rookie, playing multiple positions and just — he is just gritty. He leaves it all out there and I’ll make sure to check in on him, see how he is doing.”
Selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Onwenu is the longest-tenured player on the Patriots’ roster and one of the best guards in franchise history. He also has been impressively durable, appearing in 104 of a possible 107 games since his rookie season and playing over 5,900 offensive snaps along the way.
How many more, if any, he will be able to add this season is unclear at this point. Early prognostications are not optimistic, however, with initial X-rays reportedly revealing a broken ankle.
“It’s been a pleasure to be able to play beside somebody so dominant,” said right tackle Morgan Moses. “Any time you lose somebody at that caliber, it’s hard. But Mike knows we’ve got him, we’ll do anything for him, and the biggest thing is keeping him around here, keeping him as a part of this team. He’s a building block for us. You can’t replace a guy like that with that type of stature and what he stands for as an offensive lineman.”
“Losing Big Mike is tough,” added left tackle Will Campbell. “He means so much not only to this team but our room. Such a great player. Such a good leader. He’s played really good football ever since he’s gotten here. Obviously, somebody’s going to have to step up and fill his shoes. I’m praying for him and just thinking about him.”
Onwenu, who reworked his contract in the offseason, is set to enter unrestricted free agency after the season. Now, his outlook both this year and beyond is very much in question.
