Patriots Place Starting OL on IR, Sign TE

New England Patriots offensive tackle Riley Reiff will miss the first four games of the season due to a knee injury forcing him to short-term injured reserve.

FOXBORO — The New England Patriots have made a trio of roster moves in preparation of their Week 1 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. 

The Pats have placed offensive tackle Riley Reiff on temporary injured reserve (IR), while signing practice squad tight end Pharaoh Brown to their 53-man roster. The team also signed defensive lineman Jeremiah Pharms, Jr. to take Brown’s place on the practice squad. 

Reiff has been sidelined since the start of the second quarter of New England’s preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans. Facing a third-and-1 at the Titans 29, Reiff appeared to get his right knee rolled up while attempting to make a block for running back Kevin Harris. He was briefly attended to by the training staff before walking to the locker room under his own power. The severity of his injury is still unclear. However, it was significant enough to warrant placement on short-term 

About to enter his 12th season in the NFL, Reiff and the Patriots agreed to a $5 million contract with $4.15 million guaranteed shortly after the start of the league year in March. Though he faces some notable competition at the position, a financial investment of that size clearly raises the expectation of not only of his earning a roster spot, but also a starting spot at tackle. Reiff is widely expected to help provide significant improvement to a unit that struggled mightily in 2022.

Throughout training camp, and much of the preseason, he has spent his time at both right and left tackle, as well as right guard in place of the injured Michael Onwenu.

Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire

At 6-6, 313 pounds, Reiff possess the necessary size to provide adequate protection in both the passing and the run games. Yet, his versatility may have been the deciding factor in New England's interest in his services. He began his pro career as a first-round selection by the Detroit Lions in 2012, where he played both right and left tackle for five seasons. For the past two years, the Iowa product has aligned at right tackle -- 10 games for the Chicago Bears in 2022, which came on the heels of his 12-game stint during a run to the AFC Championship with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021. Previously, Reiff played left tackle for the Minnesota Vikings from 2017-20.

Per NFL regulations, Reiff will be eligible to return after missing the first four games of the season. In his absence, Tyrone Wheatley Jr, Verderian Lowe, and rookie Sidy Sow are expected to vie for snaps at the position. Veteran Calvin Anderson, who was recently removed from the Non-Football Injury/Illness (NFI) list, is slowing working his way back into game shape. 

Brown signed with the Patriots practice squad last week after being waived by the Indianapolis Colts during mandatory roster cutdowns. Known primarily for his blocking, the 29-year-old was an undrafted free agent who signed with the Oakland Raiders following the 2017 NFL Draft Since that time, he has played for the Raiders (2017), Cleveland Browns (2018-2019), Houston Texans (2020-2022) and the Browns again (2022). During his first season with the Texans, Brown played under Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. In 55 career games as a pro, he caught 51 passes for 478 yards and two touchdowns. Last season with Cleveland, he suited up for 16 games, catching 12 passes for 117 yards.

Pharms is a versatile interior lineman who logged 22 tackles and two sacks for the Pittsburgh Maulers of the USFL in the spring of 2022. He was a notable contributor during training camp practices and played 22 snaps in the Pats preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug 26. He spent the entirety of the season on the Pats scout team.

The Patriots and Eagles are set to open their respective seasons on Sunday at 4:15 p.m. ET from Gillette Stadium.