FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Patriots Van Roten IR move landed Tuesday, Sept. 29, when New England placed veteran offensive lineman Greg Van Roten on injured reserve and released linebacker Riley Wilson from the practice squad, deepening an already thin front ahead of Sunday’s road game at Buffalo.
Van Roten, 36, started at right guard in the Patriots’ 35-6 loss at Jacksonville on Sept. 27 after Mike Onwenu went on injured reserve with an ankle injury. He left that game with a thigh injury after roughly 20 snaps and did not return. The IR designation means he will miss at least four games as New England (1-2) prepares to visit the undefeated Bills (3-0) at the new Highmark Stadium on Oct. 4 at 1 p.m. ET.
Why the Patriots Van Roten IR move matters
Van Roten had been the emergency starter after Onwenu fractured his ankle against Pittsburgh in Week 2. The Patriots signed the veteran on Aug. 18; he has 147 career regular-season games and 106 starts across Green Bay, Carolina, the Jets, Buffalo, Las Vegas, and the Giants. With both Onwenu and Van Roten now on IR, journeyman Ben Brown is expected to slide into the right-guard spot between second-year center Jared Wilson and right tackle Morgan Moses.
The timing is harsh: New England is averaging just 12 points per game, tied for fewest in the NFL, and the offensive line has already lost continuity through three weeks. A battered interior against Buffalo’s front only raises the degree of difficulty for quarterback Drake Maye after a three-turnover afternoon in Jacksonville.
Practice-squad churn around the Bills trip
Alongside the Van Roten move, the club released Wilson, a 24-year-old linebacker signed July 22 who began the year on the practice squad after college stops at Hawaii, Montana, and Arizona. Separate transactions in the same window re-signed safety Elliott Davison, released tight end Shane Zylstra, then later signed wide receiver Chandler Brayboy and rookie linebacker Xavier Holmes while cutting Davison and running back Hassan Haskins again—typical midweek churn as coaches hunt for Week 4 bodies.
Those moves follow an earlier elevation cycle and the decision to place Mike Onwenu on injured reserve, which first forced Van Roten into the starting five.
Injury picture heading into Patriots at Bills
Beyond the guards, New England is monitoring edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones (shoulder), safety Craig Woodson (shoulder), and tight end Eli Raridon (thigh), all of whom missed the Jacksonville game. Wide receiver A.J. Brown remains on IR with an ankle injury and is ineligible until he has missed at least four contests. Christian Barmore and Carlton Davis III left briefly Sunday but returned.
The 35-6 collapse at Jacksonville already exposed protection and decision-making issues; losing another starter on the right side compounds that story. For more on how the depth chart reached this point, see the pregame Patriots injury report before the Jaguars.
What’s next for New England’s line
Sunday’s opener at Buffalo’s new stadium pits a 1-2 Patriots offense that ranks near the bottom in scoring against a Bills group averaging 33.7 points. Stabilizing the interior without Onwenu and Van Roten, cleaning up Maye’s ball security, and generating a run game behind Rhamondre Stevenson are the clearest priorities. Official announcements and the Week 4 game preview remain on the team site as Foxborough works through another short week.
Sources: Patriots.com roster announcement; Patriots.com Week 4 game preview vs. Bills.