Mike Onwenu

Mike Onwenu was re-signed by the New England Patriots as an unrestricted free agent on March 14, 2024 ... Originally drafted by New England in the sixth round (182nd overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Pronounced oh-WHEN-new

CAREER TRANSACTIONS

Mike Onwenu was re-signed by the New England Patriots as an unrestricted free agent on March 14, 2024 ... Originally drafted by New England in the sixth round (182nd overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• Versatile player that is capable of starting at multiple positions along the offensive line. Has 25 starts at right guard, five at left guard, 24 at right tackle and three as a tackle-eligible tight end.

Seasonal reviews

2024 (17/17)

• Started at right tackle for the first four games (at Cincinnati on Sept. 8, vs. Seattle on Sept. 15, at the New York Jets on Sept. 19 and at San Francisco on Sept. 29) before moving inside to right guard, first vs. Miami on Oct. 6.
• Paved the way for RB Rhamondre Stevenson, who recorded 120 rushing yards in the 16-10 win at Cincinnati (9/8).
• Led the way for 185 total rushing yards between RBs Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson vs. Seattle (9/15), the first time the Patriots rushed for at least 170 yards in back-to-back games since 2020, and the first time the Patriots have opened the season with at least 170 yards rushing in their first two games since 1974.
• Made his first start at right guard in 2024 vs. Miami (10/6), his 25th career start at right guard. He started at right tackle the previous four games and has 24 previous starts at right guard, including four games in 2023. Helped pave the way for a new team record of 7.9 average rushing yards off of 19 carries for 151 yards. The previous team record was a 7.8-yard average when the team rushed 25 times for 196 yards vs. Miami on Dec. 23, 2007.
• Started at right tackle at Jacksonville (10/20) after starting the first four games at right tackle and the next two games at right guard due to injuries on the offensive line.
• Moved back to right guard in the win vs. the New York Jets (10/27) after starting at right tackle at Jacksonville. Marked just the second time the same five players have started at the same five positions on the offensive line. Helped pave the way for RB Rhamondre Stevenson's 2 rushing touchdowns, including the game winner on fourth-and-1 with 22 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
• Started at right tackle at Tennessee (11/3) and moved to right guard late in the second quarter when T Demontrey Jacobs entered the game at right tackle. Has made three starts at right guard and six starts at right tackle.
• Moved back to starting position at right guard in the win at Chicago (11/10) after starting at right tackle and later moving to right guard the previous week.
• Started at right guard vs. the L.A. Rams (11/17), marking the first time the Patriots started the same offensive line in consecutive weeks in 2024.
• Helped pave the way for the team's season high of 422 yards on offense and 200 yards rushing vs. Indianapolis (12/1), the Patriots' most total yards on offense since 409 total yards at Minnesota on Nov. 24, 2022, and the highest rushing total since Dec. 18, 2022, at Las Vegas.
• Started at right guard vs. Buffalo (1/5) and was replaced by G Tyrese Robinson after the first series.

2023 (15/15)

• Was sidelined by an injury that forced him to miss the entire training camp and preseason.
• Missed the first game of the season before returning to play in 15 games with four starts at right guard before moving to right tackle for 11 starts.
• Was listed as inactive due to injury in the season opener vs. Philadelphia (9/10).
• Made his first start of the season and contributed to the offensive line at right guard vs. Miami (9/17). Left the game in the fourth quarter due to injury.
• Left the game due to injury in the second half vs. New Orleans (10/8), Riley Reiff took over at right guard.
• Was active at Las Vegas (10/15) but did not see any action as he was nursing an injury.
• Made his first start at right tackle since the 2021 season vs Buffalo (10/22).
• Bill O'Brien credited him for holding All-Pro LB T.J. Watt from being a force in the game at Pittsburgh (12/7) in a 21-18 win.

2022 (17/17)

• Started in all 17 regular season games at right guard.
• Played 100 percent of the snaps at Pittsburgh (9/18). Did not allow a single sack in the game and helped pave the way for the rushing game, especially during the game-clinching six minute drive in the fourth quarter.
• Part of the offensive line unit that did not allow a single sack vs. Detroit (10/9). Helped pave the way for the rushing game that went for 176 yards.
• Part of the offensive line unit that did not allow a single sack at Las Vegas (12/18). Helped paved the wave for the rushing game that went for a season-high 206 yards.

2021 (16/8, 1/0)

• Played in 16 of the 17 regular season games with eight starts - four at left guard, three at right tackle and one at tackle-eligible tight end.
• Started at left guard and played every snap of the team's first four games of the season.
• Placed on the COVID-19/Reserve list on Oct. 5 and reinstated from the COVID-19/Reserve list on Oct. 14, missing the game at Houston (10/10).
• Returned to the field but did not start vs. Dallas (10/17) as he rotated in at right tackle, the first time he played the position in 2021. Also took snaps as tackle-eligible.
• Made his first start of the 2021 season at right tackle vs. N.Y. Jets (10/24).
• Started at right tackle at L.A. Chargers (10/31) and at Carolina (11/7).
• Appeared briefly as a right tackle in place of Trent Brown vs. Cleveland (11/14) as well as a tackle-eligible tight end.
• Came in briefly in the second quarter at left guard vs. Tennessee (11/28) for OL Ted Karras.
• Served as tackle-eligible tight end at Buffalo (12/6) as the Patriots went to a 6-man front for a significant portion of the game and was a key part of a 222-yard rushing effort in a 14-10 win.
• Started on the offensive line and served as a tackle-eligible tight end vs. Buffalo (12/26).
• Played most of the game as a tackle-eligible tight end vs. Jacksonville (1/2) and came in late at left guard in a 50-10 victory.
• Rotated in at left guard and as tackle-eligible, as well as on special teams at Miami (1/9).
• Served as a tackle-eligible tight end in his first playoff game in the Wild Card Round loss at Buffalo (1/15).

2020 (16/16)

• Named to the Pro Football Writers All-Rookie Team.
• Started all 16 games - 10 at right tackle, three at right guard, two at tackle-eligible tight end and one at left guard as part of an offensive line that finished fourth in the NFL in total rushing yards (2,346) and rush yards per game (146.6). The 2,346 yards rushing and 4.67 average yards per rush marked the fourth-highest totals in team history.
• Made his NFL debut and played in a starting role as a tackle-eligible tight end and on special teams in the season-opening win vs. Miami (9/13). Also subbed in at right tackle in the second half.
• Made his first start at left guard in the win vs. Las Vegas (9/27) when Joe Thuney moved from left guard to center due to an injury to David Andrews. Also helped pave the way for 250 yards rushing from the Patriots offense.
• Started at right guard in place of Shaq Mason vs. Denver (10/18). When starting right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor left the game in the first quarter with an injury, Onwenu moved to right tackle and Hjalte Froholdt entered the game at right guard. Onwenu moved to left guard to start the second half when Isaiah Wynn moved from left guard back to left tackle.
• Started at right tackle vs. San Francisco (10/25) and moved to left guard in the third quarter when Joe Thuney left with an injury and Justin Herron moved to right tackle. Onwenu then moved back to right tackle when Herron left with an injury.
• Started at right tackle and played all 58 offensive snaps at guard in the win vs. Baltimore (11/15). Helped play a key role in blocking for the Patriot run game that racked up 173 yards.
• Started at right tackle and played every offensive snap vs. Buffalo (12/28). Moved from right tackle to right guard when Shaq Mason left with an injury.

College

• Was a four-year letterman at Michigan and a two-time All-Big Ten third team selection (2018-19).
• Appeared in 46 career games, playing along the offensive line in 41 contests.
• Started 35 games at guard, also contributing on PAT/field goal protection units throughout his career.
• Was an All-Big Ten third team (coaches) and All-Big Ten honorable mention (media) selection in 2019, starting all 13 games at right guard as a senior.
• Was an All-Big Ten third team (coaches) and All-Big Ten honorable mention (media) selection in 2018, starting all 13 games at right guard, including against Florida in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl (12/29).
• Started nine games and played in 11 contests as a sophomore in 2017.

Personal

• Enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, majoring in general studies.