The Patriots have been bitten hard by the injury bug this season, adding wide receiver Romeo Doubs to injured reserve after he suffered a shoulder injury while catching an impressive 42-yard touchdown catch against the Jets last Sunday.
The offense saw even more teams leave the game than just Doubs, including offensive linemen Ben brown and Alijah Vera-Tucker. The group has been dropping like flies over the first six weeks; they lost Mike Onwenu in Week 2 to a broken ankle, and Will Campbell is currently playing through an MCL sprain in his knee.
Fortunately, they have some solid depth across the board, most notably first-round draft pick Caleb Lomu, who has filled in admirably at any position he's been tasked with. And it looks like he will be in that same spot this week against the Bears on Thursday Night Football.
Why is that? Because Mike Vrabel announced Tuesday afternoon that Brown and Vera-Tucker are "unlikely" to play this week, which means their roster depth will be tested even more, and it's already spread thin.
Mike Vrabel says it is unlikely that G/C Ben Brown and LG Alijah Vera-Tucker will be available this week, but there is a chance veteran OT Morgan Moses could be available.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 20, 2026
In fact, with the injuries in the game against the Jets, there were no more backup offensive linemen for the Patriots to rely on if more injuries occurred, which they changed with a few practice squad additions on Monday.
The Patriots roster is going to be completely different in Week 7
With two players already ruled out for Thursday's matchup, the Patriots have a lot to adapt to in a short amount of time.
They're lucky the offensive line's production didn't change much with three players off the field last week, and they hope Thursday night will be the same. But they'll have to elevate a few players to keep it from becoming a problem, like Jacob Rizy and Andrew Rupcich, both of whom have spent time with the team before.
Given how poorly they've fared with injuries, it wouldn't be surprising at all if both take the field at some point, even if no one wants to see that happen.
Regardless, it's going to be a tough game against a very good Bears team, who will be highly motivated to maintain their current momentum, especially after their big win over the Falcons last Sunday.
The backups to the backups on the offensive line will need to be prepared for anything. Because the Patriots have known that Brown and Vera-Tucker were likely to miss the game longer than the public knew, they will have (hopefully) been practicing to ensure it won't be a problem.
Otherwise, the offense will struggle and it's unlikely they'll steal a win in Chicago.
Add us as a preferred source on Google