The Patriots expected Caleb Lomu to be a developmental piece. Two weeks later, he’s forcing a much bigger conversation.
With injuries hammering New England’s offensive line through the first six games, Lomu has been pushed into the lineup far sooner than anyone planned. Mike Onwenu broke his ankle in Week 2, and then Ben Brown, Morgan Moses and Alijah Vera-Tucker all left with injuries against the Jets. That latest wave of damage sent Lomu back onto the field, this time on the right side in place of Moses.
It was a different assignment than the one he handled the week before. Against the Raiders, he filled in at left tackle for Will Campbell.
Against the Jets, he moved to the right side, a spot he did not play in college. The Patriots have spent the summer trying to build him into more of a swing tackle, with the idea that he could eventually take over for the veteran, and he’s looked ready for that job much sooner than expected.
Lomu’s play over the last two weeks has been strong enough to raise a real question: could he actually take Moses’ starting role, even if Moses is able to come back as soon as this week against the Bears?
The rookie has been impressive in back-to-back games, and the numbers back it up. Pro Football Focus credited him with 59 pass-blocking snaps, 0 sacks, 0 quarterback hits allowed, 1 hurry and 1 total pressure. That produced a 99.0 pass-block efficiency grade and an 80.3 pass-block grade.
For a player who has never started an NFL game and was dropped into action because of injuries, that’s a huge step. Doing it on the right side only makes it more notable.
Moses, meanwhile, hasn’t quite looked like his usual self over the first six games. The source material suggests an underlying injury may have been part of the picture, and his career history makes that possibility less surprising. Leaving early against the Jets may simply have been his body telling him it’s time to stop pushing and heal.
If that’s the case, Lomu has an opening. He could slide into right tackle and keep the job if Moses isn’t ready or if the Patriots decide not to rush him back on a short week. The rookie’s performance over the past two games makes that decision harder than anyone probably expected.
At this point, Lomu may be arriving at his first real shot to become a starter this season, even though most around the team likely saw that as a 2026 possibility. Moses has been steady for New England since joining the Patriots in 2025, so nothing here is simple. But based on what Lomu has shown so far, the door is open.
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Patriots Suddenly Need DeMario Douglas Even More After Week 6
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DeMario Douglas was already giving them exactly that against New York, pacing the team with seven catches for 86 yards and a touchdown. With the Patriots suddenly needing more from the passing game and less certainty about who will be available around him, Douglass workload now looks less like a useful bonus and more like a necessity. [Read more 🡒]
A.J. Brown's Return Leaves Patriots Facing One Immediate Concern
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The immediate concern now is how quickly Brown can shake off the rust before the schedule turns again. He was targeted often enough to suggest the Patriots want him right back in the middle of things, but the next test comes quickly with a Thursday night matchup against the Bears, leaving little room for the offense to slowly ease him back in. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Vrabel Didn't Let Patriots Fans Ignore What That Win Exposed
The Patriots got the result they needed against the Jets in Week 6, but Mike Vrabel wasnt interested in letting anyone mistake the win for a clean performance. New England left the game with a victory, yet the coach pointed to the kinds of self-inflicted issues that tend to linger if they are not addressed, and the roster is already dealing with more than enough uncertainty elsewhere.
Romeo Doubs being placed on injured reserve adds another layer of pressure as the Patriots turn quickly to the Bears, who arrive off a recent win. For a team trying to steady itself, the challenge is not just keeping pace in the standings but cleaning up the mistakes that made Sunday far more complicated than it needed to be. [Read more 🡒]