2026 remains the final year of Michael Onwenu‘s Patriots contract. A revision was recently agreed to by the veteran guard, however.
Onwenu has signed a new pact covering the coming season, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. The 28-year-old was not previously owed any guaranteed money for 2026, but that has now changed. Onwenu’s cap charge has been reduced by $7.5MM as a result of this new deal, but he is now set to collect $10MM in salary and bonuses.
As detailed by Over the Cap, Onwenu’s 2026 compensation includes $8.95MM guaranteed. Of that figure, $6MM has already been paid out. This arrangement will thus create cap relief for the Patriots while providing short-term security to Onwenu. The seventh-year veteran has spent his entire career in New England so far, but that could very well change next spring.
Recent indications have suggested the Patriots are likely to allow Onwenu to depart on the open market in 2027. An extension obviously would have ensured a longer run for the Michigan product’s New England tenure. Instead, a compromise covering his walk year has been worked out. The Pats made a big-money guard investment in the form of Alijah Vera-Tucker in March, and a lower cost at the right guard spot beginning in 2027 can be expected.
Onwenu has seen time at right tackle over the course of his NFL career (including as recently as 2024). Last season, though, the former sixth-rounder operated exclusively at right guard, his most common spot for New England. That should remain the case for 2026, and another top-10 PFF evaluation among guards would come as little surprise after he posted one on four previous occasions. That could set Onwenu up for a payday on the open market, but it is increasingly clear his next contract will come from a new team.