The Patriots OL left the Jaguars matchup on Sunday with a thigh injury. His absence only adds to the list of injuries plaguing the team heading into Week 4.
New England Patriots right guard Greg Van Roten had his 106th NFL start on Sunday. He did not finish the game, though, as he left the Week 3 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars with an undisclosed injury at the time.
On Tuesday evening, the Patriots announced that they put Van Roten on IR due to a thigh injury sustained in the matchup. It's another loss for the team, as it seems to have a long list of injuries at the moment, especially on the offensive line.
Van Roten is expected to miss at least four games going forward.
At 36, the Patriots acquired Van Roten as one of many insurance policies on the offensive line for the 2026 season. He signed a one-year deal with the team in August after visiting with the team during training camp.
Van Roten was filling in for guard Mike Onewenu, who went down with a broken ankle in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Onewenu was also added to the IR list after it was announced how serious his injury was. With the Patriots starter out, it became clear the seasoned veteran would step on the field to fill in on the Patriots' front five.
In the second quarter, Van Roten was slow to get up and exited the field to the blue medical tent. He was questionable to return in the Jacksonville game but ultimately never came back out due to the thigh injury.
Walter Rouse, who joined the team via a trade in August, stepped in and played a total of 41 snaps in Van Roten's absence. One would think Rouse will be the right guard going forward now.
Before coming to the Patriots, Van Roten went undrafted in 2012 as a Green Bay Packer. He became an NFL journeyman, playing for multiple teams in the NFL, including a stint in the CFL for the Toronto Argonauts. Van Roten played the last two seasons in the Meadowlands for the New York Giants.
The Patriots now have two vacant spots on their active roster after losing multiple players to the IR list.
Van Roten's injury only adds to the long list of issues in Foxborough as the Patriots look to get back to familiar form. That will be hard as they head to Highmark Stadium on Sunday to face the Buffalo Bills in an AFC East showdown.
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