Patriots Sign Veteran Guard After Ben Brown’s Injury

The New England Patriots faced a setback during their preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts, ending in a 13-13 tie. A significant injury struck the team’s interior offensive line when Ben Brown went down while blocking on a play that led to quarterback Tommy DeVito’s sack.

Brown required assistance to leave the field before heading to the blue medical tent and the locker room. Head coach Mike Vrabel later announced that Brown would be sidelined for “a few weeks,” possibly extending to a couple of months, meaning he will miss the remaining preseason games.

To address the gap, the Patriots signed veteran guard Greg Van Roten on Monday. Van Roten, 36, brings over a decade of NFL experience, having played with several teams including the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Las Vegas Raiders, and most recently, the New York Giants. He also had a brief period in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts.

Van Roten has started 105 games over his 11-year NFL career. Notably, he started all 17 games in each of the past three seasons with the Giants and Raiders.

“Soul’s Been Dead,”

said Giants WR Malik Nabers as he returned to full practice.

In 2023, Van Roten spent a season with the Raiders under then-head coach Josh McDaniels, who is now New England’s offensive coordinator. Last year with the Giants, Van Roten achieved a PFF grade of 65.4, placing him 35th among 81 qualified guards, with a pass-block grade of 70.2, ranking him 22nd. He amassed 1,151 total snaps, the highest of any guard in the league.

Van Roten entered free agency as one of the top available linemen. His signing reunites him with McDaniels on a Patriots team that harbors strong Super Bowl ambitions. His versatility at both guard positions offers New England valuable depth along the offensive line.