FOXBORO — The Patriots will be without Riley Reiff for at least four games after placing the veteran offensive lineman on injured reserve.
Reiff suffered a leg injury in the Patriots’ preseason finale against the Titans when the majority of starters sat out. Reiff has only played offensive tackle during the regular season of his 11-year NFL career, but he had been kicked inside to right guard — a position he played late in training camp and during the preseason this summer — when he got hurt.
To take his place on the 53-man roster, the Patriots signed veteran tight end Pharaoh Brown off of the practice squad. The Patriots filled Brown’s spot on the practice squad by signing defensive tackle Jeremiah Pharms Jr.
The Patriots signed Reiff to a one-year, $5 million contract in free agency this offseason. He was expected to be the team’s starting right tackle, but injuries along the offensive line shuffled pieces throughout the offseason, precipitating Reiff’s move inside while left guard Cole Strange and right guard Mike Onwenu were out.
It’s still unclear who will start at right tackle for the Patriots in Week 1 against the Eagles. The team’s top options are Calvin Anderson, Tyrone Wheatley Jr., Vederian Lowe and rookie Sidy Sow. The Patriots also could move right guard Mike Onwenu outside to tackle, where he’s played well in the past. That would be asking a lot of Onwenu to play his second-best position after spending the majority of the summer on the physically unable to perform list, however.
The Patriots could wind up having a right tackle committee early in the season if they don’t feel like Anderson is in full football shape as he returns from the non-football illness list.
Brown was signed to the Patriots’ practice squad last week after he was released by the Colts. He noted in the Patriots’ locker room Monday that he got his first NFL playing time when Bill O’Brien — then head coach of the Texans — signed him off of the Browns’ practice squad. The 29-year-old tight end said he’s comfortable within O’Brien’s offense.
“For me, it’s very similar. Over the years, you make tweaks and stuff, so it’s learning those tweaks. The foundation for me is the same. This is my seventh years, so I’ve been around a bunch of different offenses. Around the league, a lot of people run the same stuff, it’s just different terminology. For me, it’s pretty easy.”
Pharms spent last season on the Patriots’ practice squad and the summer on the team’s 90-man roster. He was waived last Tuesday.
Brown joins tight ends Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki on the Patriots’ tight end depth chart. The offensive line is left with Onwenu, Strange, Anderson, Wheatley, Lowe, Sow, center David Andrews, left tackle Trent Brown, rookie guard Atonio Mafi and rookie center Jake Andrews with Reiff heading to IR.
The Patriots placed wide receiver Tyquan Thornton on injured reserve last week.
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September 05, 2023 at 05:06AM
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Patriots lose potential starter to injured reserve for four weeks - Boston Herald
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