Through the first week of NFL free agency, one of the glaring weaknesses of the New England Patriots is their depth at offensive tackle.
Vederian Lowe -- their top option a season ago -- signed a two-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers . Right behind him on the depth chart was Thayer Munford Jr., who hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent and is yet to find a new home.
So why haven't the Patriots re-signed their key backup yet ? A new report explains why.
ESPN's Mike Reiss reported that Munford underwent offseason surgery for a knee injury suffered last season. He played through the injury, but still had the procedure following the Super Bowl loss.
"With backup offensive tackleVederian Lowesigning with the 49ers, and OT/jumbo TEThayer Munford Jr., remaining an unrestricted free agent, the Patriots have a void on their depth chart behind startersWill CampbellandMorgan Moses," Reiss wrote .
"There's a possibility that 2025 seventh-round pickMarcus Bryantcould fill it, but he's still a developmental question mark. Munford's return is also still possible, but that wouldn't come until a bit down the road as a source said he's recovering from surgery after playing through a knee injury."
Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots offensive tackle Thayer Munford Jr. (74) before Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Munford was a bright spot for the Patriots this past season. Originally signed to the practice squad in August, he was signed by the Cleveland Browns off of New England 's practice squad one month later. It wasn't until he was placed on the Browns' practice squad that he made his return to New England -- this time on the active, 53-man roster.
Part of the reason why the Patriots were so keen on keeping Munford was his tie to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who coached the former Ohio State Buckeye when he was the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders .
When he was on the field for the Patriots , he was used in a variety of ways. Plenty of his snaps came as an offensive tackle, but he got most of his reps as a jumbo tight end. He played in 143 snaps in 2025, allowing just a single pressure and one quarterback hit. He didn't suit up in every game with New England, but helped create plenty of holes in the running game when he was in there.
Without Munford in the fold right now, the top options for backup tackles are Bryant, Caedan Wallace (who played tackle as a rookie before switching to guard this past season), Lorenz Metz and Sebastian Gutierrez . The team will also certainly look to add depth through the draft with one of their top draft choices. There are solid options at both No. 31 and No. 63 -- the first two picks the Patriots have in next April's draft.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Patriots Free Agent OT Reportedly Underwent Offseason Surgery .
