It's hard to believe, but the Patriots' injury luck keeps getting worse as they moved left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker to injured reserve ahead of Thursday night's primetime matchup with the Bears.
It wasn't entirely unexpected, given that the former Jet has been injured for much of his career, and the Patriots have had several starters go down with injuries in just six weeks. They needed to replace Vera-Tucker on the roster, so they moved him to IR and signed backups from the practice squad.
But what if they did more? What if they traded for an 8-time Pro Bowler?
The Colts are the team to call about that, as rumors about Quenton Nelson's future continue. It follows their decision to fire General Manager Chris Ballard earlier this week, and analysts believe a fire sale is on the horizon, which could include Nelson, who is in the final year of his current contract.
Given who he is, it wouldn't be cheap for the Patriots to get a deal done. Current chatter suggests the Colts would want at least a second-round pick, since he's become such a valuable part of their offense, and the Patriots will have to seriously consider that deal.
Injuries should force the Patriots to call about a big-time trade to fix their offensive line
A second-round pick is a high price for an offensive lineman, especially one who is already 30 years old and is looking for a new contract.
Assuming a decision to trade for him would mean they want to keep him beyond a one-year rental, that would suggest Mike Vrabel and Co. aren't so sure about Vera-Tucker's long-term future in New England, since he's mostly played left guard.
However, Mike Onwenu is on IR, too, and he is set to be a free agent in 2027. They could decide Nelson is worth the investment at left guard, move Vera-Tucker to right guard (a role he filled for the Jets in 2024, and move on from their former draft pick.
It's a difficult decision that the Vrabel regime will have to decide.
At the end of the day, Onwenu isn't one of "Vrabel's guys," since he was drafted before he became head coach, so he doesn't have the loyalty to him that might keep him around a bit longer. You can't say the same about Vera-Tucker, who was signed this past offseason, and a trade for a player like Nelson would signal that even more.
The problem is that Onwenu has been as consistent as they come, missing only two games in his career before breaking his ankle in Week 2. On top of that, he's been a solid performer and almost always the best lineman the team has had, so moving on from him for absolutely nothing feels criminal.
At the same time, Nelson is an 8-time Pro Bowler for a reason, and the Colts have every right to demand a high return if a team wants to make a trade.
Much of this decision for the Patriots will come down to the trade price, the new contract Nelson wants, and Onwenu's future. Not to mention whether they want to address the issue now or hold off until Vera-Tucker could return as early as Week 11.
Only they know what the future holds and what's worth doing now. Regardless, there's a lot to consider, and seeing what happens ahead of the trade deadline will be fascinating.
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