The New England Patriots’ offensive line took another hit on Monday with the team announcing they were placing veteran offensive tackle Riley Reiff on injured reserve.
It’s another blow for a unit that has dealt with a multitude of injuries, including both starting guards, Mike Onwenu and Cole Strange, being out for an extended period of time. Starting left tackle Trent Brown was also limited throughout training camp and the preseason.
Buy Patriots TicketsThe good news is Onwenu, Strange and Brown were all on the practice field on Monday, ahead of the team’s Week 1 meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles. But given the recent news with Reiff’s health status, they’ll have to change things up at right tackle.
Reiff, who turns 35 years old this season, spent last year with the Chicago Bears in an offense where he was edged out of a starting job. The Patriots clearly had big plans for him considering they offered him $4.15 million guaranteed on his one-year deal.
With Reiff on the shelf for the time being, New England will have to sift through a multitude of other long-shot options as potential replacements, such as Calvin Anderson, Sidy Sow, Tyrone Wheatley Jr. and Vederian Lowe.
