FOXBORO - Caleb Lomu may not be locked into a starting job for Week 1, but the New England Patriots rookie offensive tackle is treating his NFL debut like the moment he’s been waiting for.
The 28th overall pick in this year’s draft said Saturday that the excitement has been building the same way it did during the preseason. His first meaningful game comes against the Seattle Seahawks in the Patriots’ 2026 opener, and even if he isn’t in the starting lineup, Lomu says his mindset doesn’t change.
"Just super excited," Lomu told Patriots On SI on Saturday. "It's the same thing for even the preseason games. ...
Just like every game, the nerves are high, but it's like an excited nerve just to get back on the field and go against someone else. So it's super exciting."
Lomu hasn’t been on the Patriots team that lost to Seattle in the Super Bowl last year, so he isn’t carrying any extra edge into the matchup. And after appearing in three preseason games, he’s already had a taste of facing NFL talent.
That doesn’t mean the opening week stage feels ordinary. Sitting at his locker, Lomu said he’s preparing as if his number could be called at any time.
"Nothing really changes (preparation wise)," Lomu said. "I know anything can happen out there on the field.
These football injuries happen, and so I gotta be ready to do in whenever they need me. If something happens, obviously we hope nothing happens to any of our players, but you know, it does happen sometimes.
"It's the same mentality going into it every week. Even though I'm not starting, I still got to think that I'm going to play."
The rookie’s preseason showed both sides of the learning curve. He split time between left and right tackle, had some rough moments in 1-on-1 work against teammates, and looked sharper when the competition was coming from opposing edge rushers in games.
That uneven stretch is part of the process for a 21-year-old who is expected to become a significant piece of the Patriots’ offensive line this season. And while his exact role against the Seahawks remains unsettled, Lomu won’t be short on support when he heads to Washington.
His parents, wife and in-laws are all expected to be there for his debut. He’s been in big games and big stadiums before, but this one will still bring something new - especially with Seattle dropping its Super Bowl banner in front of the national audience.
Lomu said the family reaction has matched the moment.
"(They're) just excited, just talking about how fun it'll be that I'm actually in the NFL now," Lomu said with a smile. "Been dreaming about this moment for a long time, and so everyone's just excited to go out there, support the Patriots."
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