The New England Patriots have announced they have moved starting left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker to injured reserve Thursday, only hours before their Thursday Night Football matchup against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
The placement stems from a hamstring injury that will sideline him for a minimum of four games. He will miss Weeks 7 through 10 and can return in Week 12, once the team completes its Week 11 bye.
The injury surfaced late in the second quarter of New England’s 26-19 victory over the New York Jets on October 18. After a run play, Vera-Tucker flexed his leg, finished the drive, and then headed to the medical tent.
Officials first listed him as questionable to return before ruling him out for the remainder of the contest. He did not practice during the abbreviated week and was already ruled out for the Bears game before the IR designation became official.
The move leaves the Patriots, who enter the contest at 4-2 after consecutive wins over the Buffalo Bills, Las Vegas Raiders, and Jets, without one of the anchors they added to stabilize the line in front of quarterback Drake Maye.
Vera-Tucker, who turns 28 next June, arrived in New England via free agency after a turbulent tenure with the Jets.
Born in Oakland, California, the 6-foot-4, 308-pound lineman starred at Bishop O’Dowd High School and later at USC, where he captured the Morris Trophy as the Pac-12’s top offensive lineman in 2020.
The Jets selected him 14th overall in the 2021 draft; he started every game as a rookie and earned All-Rookie recognition.
Subsequent seasons brought repeated setbacks—a triceps tear that ended his 2022 campaign after seven games, an Achilles injury that limited him to five appearances in 2023, and another triceps tear that wiped out all of 2025. Entering this season he had appeared in only 43 of a possible 85 games.
New England signed him on March 12 to a three-year, $42 million deal that included $21 million guaranteed, viewing him as the solution at left guard between tackle Will Campbell and center Jared Wilson.
Through five starts, he logged more than 340 snaps and posted a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 68.2, ranking 28th among qualifying guards, with a 71.0 pass-blocking mark and a 63.4 run-blocking grade.
He allowed 11 pressures and committed two penalties.
In his absence, Walter Rouse, acquired from the Minnesota Vikings in an August 30 trade, is expected to make his first career NFL start at left guard. Matt Pryor, signed from the Arizona Cardinals practice squad earlier this month, is projected to start at right guard with Ben Brown sidelined by a knee injury.
The Patriots also elevated Xavier Newman-Johnson and Benton Whitley from the practice squad, while Mike Onwenu and Greg Van Roten remain on injured reserve and right tackle Morgan Moses continues to manage foot and ankle concerns.
The reshuffled line will be tested immediately on a short week against a Bears defense looking to slow a team riding a three-game winning streak.
