Patriots lose player to IR hours before Thursday Night Football

Story by

Story by
Patriots lose player to IR hours before Thursday Night Football

Lou Landers · The Big Lead

Thu, Oct 22, 2026 ·

3 min read

Alijah Vera-Tucker placed on injured reserve

NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots

September 20, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (75) leaves the field after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

Vera-Tucker suffered a hamstring injury during Sunday's 29-16 victory over the New York Jets and had already been ruled out for Thursday night's matchup. He did not practice Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday before the Patriots officially moved him to injured reserve.

The 27-year-old guard had started all six games for New England after signing with the Patriots as a free agent in March. The former No. 14 overall pick has dealt with significant injury problems throughout his career, making Thursday's roster move another frustrating setback for a player the Patriots brought in to help stabilize their offensive line.

Because Vera-Tucker is going on injured reserve, he will be required to miss a minimum of four games before he can return. His absence comes at an especially difficult time for New England, which is already dealing with multiple injuries along the offensive line.

Patriots face major offensive line problems vs. Bears

Jun 10, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (75) speaks to the media after minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

New England is now without multiple interior offensive linemen. Starting right guard Ben Brown is also out with a knee injury, while Mike Onwenu and Greg Van Roten are already on injured reserve. The Patriots announced Thursday that they elevated Xavier Newman-Johnson from the practice squad to help address the shortage.

Head coach Mike Vrabel indicated that Walter Rouse and Matt Pryor are expected to start at guard against Chicago. That means the Patriots will have a significantly different interior offensive line than the one that opened the season.

The timing could hardly be worse. New England enters Thursday night's matchup at 4-2, while Chicago also sits at 4-2, making the game an important early-season matchup between two teams fighting to remain near the top of their respective playoff races.

The Patriots will need their reshuffled offensive line to hold up against a Bears defense capable of creating pressure, while Drake Maye and the offense attempt to continue their strong start to the season. Vera-Tucker's placement on IR adds another layer of difficulty to an already challenging Thursday night.