On Sunday afternoon, the New England Patriots hit the field on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars, looking to build off last week's big win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Patriots entered this game without guard Mike Onwenu, who is out after suffering an ankle injury last week against the Steelers.
Replacing Onwenu was Greg Van Roten, but he too suffered an injury early on against the Jaguars.
“Greg Van Roten has a thigh injury and is questionable to return,” reported Mark Daniels of MassLive on X, formerly Twitter.
It's certainly not an ideal update for the Patriots, especially considering that offensive line depth was one of the big questions surrounding the team heading into this season.
Daniels later reported that “Walter Rouse is in at right guard for the Patriots.”
Rouse was traded to the Patriots this past offseason from the Minnesota Vikings after having been selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by Minnesota out of Oklahoma. It remains to be seen how much run he will get moving forward with the team, depending on the severity of Van Roten's injury.
The fact that Van Roten was initially listed as questionable to return was certainly an encouraging sign for New England.
Overall, the Patriots have looked shaky on offense throughout this season, including in last week's win over the Steelers, and that trend continued throughout the first half on Sunday in Jacksonville.
The Patriots will next hit the field next week for a tough road game vs the Buffalo Bills.