The New England Patriots and versatile offensive lineman Mike Onwenu have agreed on a new three-year, $57 million contract, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
When the team struggled last season, Onwenu took some of the pressure off the offensive line due to his ability to work in as both a guard and tackle. Losing him and Trent Brown, who is also a free agent, would have been devastating to an offensive front that struggled throughout the 2023 season.
Onwenu is still much better at the guard position, but his ability to take up right tackle, which he could obviously improve at in 2024, is a heavy weight lifted off the Patriots.
They’ll likely continue to look at free agency and obviously the 2024 NFL draft in an effort to rebuild the offensive line. They started the process last week by agreeing on a deal with former Pittsburgh Steelers starting offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor.
For now, they should consider it a major win on reaching a new agreement with Onwenu, who certainly earned his pay raise.
