New England Patriots offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker will not play in Thursday night's game against the Chicago Bears. Mike Vrabel ruled out the veteran offensive lineman on Wednesday, following the hamstring injury he suffered last week against the New York Jets.
Backup guard Walter Rouse is set to start in his place for the Week 7 matchup. He did a solid job of filling in against the Jets last week, but this will be a different test, with the opponent actually preparing and scheming for him to be on the field.
Vera-Tucker has been one of the most dependable offensive linemen for the Patriots this season. His absence is a huge deal going on the road against a tough Bears defense on a short week. Keep in mind that the Patriots are also missing
Ben Brown, who started at right guard. That means they'll have two new guards starting on the offensive front for the game.
This will be the first NFL start of Rouse's NFL career and his 13th game appearance in three NFL seasons. There has been no official timetable for Vera-Tucker's injury.
So a good showing from Rouse on Thursday could mean a sustained role if Vera-Tucker remains on the shelf.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Is Patriots OL Alijah Vera-Tucker playing today?
