The New England Patriots face the Miami Dolphins — a team that just managed its first win of the season on Sunday — in Week 8. The Patriots will look to bounce back from a tough 30-24 loss to the Chicago Bears.
Before the Patriots travel to Miami, coach Mike Vrabel offered an encouraging update on an important member of the offensive line who was placed on injured reserve last week, before the Thursday night Bears game.
Vrabel does not believe Alijah Vera-Tucker's hamstring injury will end the New England Patriots guard's season, the Patriots head coach said Monday. Vrabel offered no clue, however, about how long the veteran guard will stay sidelined.
"I don't think it's for the season, but I couldn't tell you what short-term is determined by," Vrabel said, as quoted by the Boston Herald's Doug Kyed.
Vera-Tucker exited in the second quarter of New England's Week 6 victory over his former team, the New York Jets , on Oct. 18 and did not return. New England ruled him out for Thursday night's game against the Chicago Bears, according to ESPN , then moved him to injured reserve Oct. 22 .
That designation sidelines him for Weeks 7 through 10 at minimum, with a return at least possible in Week 12 after the bye. Before the move, he had started five games and 340 offensive snaps , according to The Boston Globe .
Patriots Announce Tough Alijah Vera-Tucker Decision Just Hours Before Bears Game
Solomon Alijah Lewis Vera-Tucker was born June 17, 1999, in Oakland, California, and stands 6-foot-4 and 308 pounds , according to ESPN . At Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, he played offensive tackle and defensive end and was a four-star recruit and Under Armour All-American .
At USC from 2017 to 2020, he appeared in 31 games with 19 starts , according to the Patriots. As a redshirt junior in 2020, he won the Morris Trophy as the Pac-12's top offensive lineman.
The Jets traded up to select him 14th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. He started 16 games at left guard as a rookie and made the PFWA All-Rookie Team.
Injuries, unfortunately, have shaped his career. A torn right triceps ended his 2022 season in Week 7, according to Sportsforecaster.com , and a torn Achilles did the same in Week 5 of 2023. He started 15 games in 2024 , then tore his left triceps in practice before Week 1 of 2025, wiping out his entire season .
Vera-Tucker reached unrestricted free agency after missing all of 2025, and New England signed him to a three-year, $42 million contract on March 12. The deal includes $21 million guaranteed, plus $250,000 per-game active roster bonuses , according to Spotrac .
Patriots Announce Offensive Line Decision After Jets Injury Disaster
When healthy this season, Vera-Tucker started at left guard beside left tackle Will Campbell for the first five games and part of a sixth. He graded 68.2 overall, 27th among guards , according to Pro Football Focus . He allowed 11 pressures and one sack.
His best outing came in Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders , when he posted an 89.8 pass-blocking grade, zero pressures allowed across 41 snaps. The performance helped keep quarterback Drake Maye protected on the way to a 45-17 victory.
His absence compounds a thin interior. Mike Onwenu and Greg Van Roten were already on injured reserve before Vera-Tucker joined them, and Ben Brown missed time with a knee injury. Against the Bears, Walter Rouse made his first career start at left guard, with Matt Pryor at right guard, in a 30-24 loss.
The injury epidemic cost the unit continuity and depth. Vrabel's comments leave room for Vera-Tucker to rejoin it later this season, with Week 12 the earliest possible return. Whether his hamstring cooperates by then is the question Vrabel could not answer Monday.
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