It’s Official: Mike Onwenu Will Stay At Right Tackle For Patriots

FOXBORO, Mass. — At long last, Mike Onwenu is locked in at right tackle for the Patriots.

It’s been a long, weird road back to the position for Onwneu. The 2020 sixth-round pick excelled at right tackle as a rookie but spent most of his sophomore campaign at left guard, where he occasionally struggled. Despite calls to move Onwenu back to right tackle, Bill Belichick instead put the Michigan product at right guard for the 2022 season. The results were impossible to argue with, as Onwenu played at a Pro Bowl-caliber level.

New England’s plan for 2023 was to keep Onwenu at right guard, to the dismay of many fans. But right tackle struggles and injuries forced Onwenu back to his rookie-year position in Week 7, and he stayed there for the following two games. In those three games, he was one of the best right tackles in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.

So, are the Patriots comfortable with Onwenu staying at right tackle for the foreseeable future?

“Yes,” Belichick said during his Wednesday morning news conference.

Belichick then indicated that had it not been for Onwenu’s early season injury issues, he might’ve played at right tackle sooner than Week 7.

“Just trying to find the best spot for him, best spot for the team,” Belichick said.”Just trying to put it together at that point (before facing the Bills in Week 7). He really had played off and on; didn’t play against the Raiders (Week 6). And then we just felt like going into the following week there, the Buffalo week, that that would be (the right plan). … So, we did that, and that’s kind of the way it’s gone.”

Unfortunately, the Patriots might’ve waited too long to move Onwenu back to right tackle. Had he played there earlier in the season (and been healthy), perhaps Mac Jones and the rest of the offense wouldn’t have been so dysfunctional.

It’s also fair to wonder whether impressing at tackle could price Onwenu out of Foxboro. He’s set to hit free agency this offseason, and he’ll make far more money as a tackle than as a guard.

Regardless, if the Patriots don’t pay up to re-sign Onwenu, it’ll be an indictment on how they approached last month’s NFL trade deadline.