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The Patriots have been linked to trade rumors surrounding Tyreek Hill
New England Patriots offensive guard Mike Onwenu did not show up at voluntary workouts this week, and it may be a bigger news piece than some may think.
Onwenu is entering the final year of a three-year $57 million contract. He is set to make a base salary of $16 million this season, and has no guaranteed money remaining on his contract. If he were released, the Patriots would face a $7.5 million debt Hit while saving approximately $17.5 million.
This is a bit of a juxtaposition to his teammate Christian Gonzalez. The latter is also entering the final year of his contract. With that being said, he showed up to voluntary workouts. Onwenu’s status could be one to watch, and Mike Reiss elaborated in his Sunday notes column.
It didn’t receive the same level of attention as Boutte, but starting right guard Mike Onwenu also wasn’t present for the first week of the voluntary offseason program, according to sources.
Onwenu, who is scheduled to earn a base salary of $16 million and carries a $25 million salary cap charge, would forego a $200,000 workout bonus if that continues. Onwenu has no guaranteed money remaining on his contract, and the Patriots probably would have liked to come away from the draft with someone to push him a bit, but trading their fourth-round picks (125, 131) contributed to them missing out on a potential target such as predraft visitor Jeremiah Wright of Auburn (No. 132, Saints).
Onwenu Has Been Fixture for Patriots
This is certainly a notable absence for a number of reasons. For one, Onwenu has been a fixture on the Patriots’ offensive line ever since being drafted by the team in 2020. He has appeared in 98 games with the team, starting 90 of them. He immediately made an impact in the 2020 season, being named to the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie team.
From there, he has seen his value skyrocket. He has shown his versatility throughout the course of his career. The lineman has made 30-plus starts at right tackle, 35-plus starts at right guard, five starts at left guard, and three starts at the jumbo tight end position.
The tone was set early on in his rookie season. He made his debut at the left guard position in September 2020 against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Patriots ran for 250 yards in that game, and Onwenu was able to show off his skill set in a major way.
The lineman allowed only six pressures on 242 pass-walking snaps throughout the entirety of the regular season.
His rookie season was a preview of things to come, and he has been playing at a consistent level ever since.
Lineman Had Productive Season For Patriots
He had a tremendous 2025 season that also included some highlights. This included when the Patriots were able to have back-to-back games of at least 175 rushing yards. This occurred against the Cleveland Browns and the Tennessee Titans. This milestone happened for the first time since his rookie season in 2020.
On top of this, Onwenu was able to perform well individually. He posted an 83.4 Pro Football Focus rating in week five against the Buffalo Bills. PatriotsWire’s Jordy McElroy reported this. This was the second-highest mark behind wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Onwenu played a key role in making sure the Patriots came away with the victory.
This situation is certainly worth monitoring over the course of the next couple weeks. There is no question that he wants a new contract. The only question here is how much he will be involved over the course of this offseason. It will be interesting to see if the organization focuses on getting a new deal before the start of the season or if they will let this play out.
Danny Jaillet Danny Jaillet is a sportswriter with more than 15 years experience in the industry. He has been featured on Fox Sports, USA Today, and Yahoo Sports among others. He graduated from Worcester State University with a B.A. in communications and a minor in writing. More about Danny Jaillet