The New England Patriots have had no choice but to embrace the “next man up” mentality through the first five weeks of the 2026 NFL season.
Their injury woes began in the offseason, and they haven’t slowed down since. The biggest domino fell in their season opener in Seattle, when star wide receiver A.J. Brown suffered a high-ankle sprain that landed him on injured reserve.
In Week 2, starting right guard Mike Onwenu suffered a broken right ankle. Rookie LB Quintayvious Hutchins (knee) and safety Dell Pettus (ankle) also ended up on IR after injuries sustained in the team’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Onwenu’s replacement, veteran Greg Van Roten, suffered a thigh injury in the Patriots’ Week 3 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and was placed on IR. Star cornerback Christian Gonzalez and defensive tackle Christian Barmore missed Week 4 in Buffalo with shoulder issues.
The Patriots entered Week 5 without four cornerbacks (Gonzalez, Carlton Davis III, Channing Canada, Karon Prunty). They also placed wide receiver Mack Hollins (calf) and fullback Reggie Gilliam (ankle) on IR before their Week 5 showdown with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Left tackle Will Campbell (knee), running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle), edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones (shoulder), cornerback Charles Woods (shoulder), and linebacker Cory Durden (ankle) each suffered injuries on Sunday. Still, the short-handed Pats cruised to a resounding 45-17 victory at Gillette Stadium.
“We hate to see it,” RB Rhamondre Stevenson said of the injuries piling up. “We want everybody on this football team to be available and help us win. But the game of football, the NFL, that’s kind of going to come.
“This year has been a lot more than we would want, but it’s kind of ‘next man up’ mentality. It speaks volumes to the people, practice squad, those who don’t get many opportunities, how locked in they come to work every day. I’m proud of them. We have to keep it going until we get guys back.”
Veteran tight end Hunter Henry echoed Stevenson’s sentiments.
“Shoot, I don’t believe in ‘injury gods,’ but I believe in opportunity in this league,” he said. “That’s what this league is about, and there was a lot of guys that had the opportunity to be able to step up today.
“Obviously, we don’t want to lose any more guys, and you hate to see that. But whenever that happens, it’s another opportunity for another guy to step up and fill that role and be able to thrive in that opportunity.”
Rookie first-rounder Caleb Lomu filled in admirably for the injured Campbell at left tackle. Third-string RB Corey Kiner had 52 yards on six carries in Henderson’s absence. Backup CB Kindle Vildor signed to the 53-man roster before Sunday’s game and made the most of his opportunity, forcing a fumble against Raiders star tight end Brock Bowers.
“That’s a Coach Vrabel football team, stepping up and being ready to take advantage of your opportunity,” Patriots quarterback Drake Maye said after the win. “He always says, ‘When somebody gets their opportunity, get excited to watch them play.’ I think guys are living that, and you saw that today.”
New England could finally get some good news on the injury front in the coming days, as Brown is eligible to return from injured reserve. If he’s ready to go, he’ll give the depleted receiving corps a much-needed boost with Hollins sidelined for the foreseeable future.
The 3-2 Pats will hope to have Brown back for next Sunday’s home game against the 2-3 New York Jets. Kickoff for the divisional matchup is set for 1 p.m. ET.
