When the New England Patriots cleared cap space by signing offensive lineman Mike Onwenu to a revised contract Friday morning, many speculated that the move was made with a possible A.J. Brown trade in mind.
Onwenu will take a $7.5 million pay cut for the 2026 season, lowering his cap hit from $25 million to $17.5 million.
The 28-year-old was arguably the Patriots’ best offensive lineman last season, committing just three penalties across 1,082 offensive snaps (99% of the available snaps) and 87 more on special teams.
Onwenu has also been very durable over his first six NFL seasons, missing just three games and starting each of New England’s last 38 contests, including the recent Super Bowl run.
Friday’s move not only sets the Patriots up for a potential trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, but a possible contract extension for Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez as well.
“Interesting timing here with the #Patriots possibly making a trade for a well-paid player while also potentially extending Christian Gonzalez,” Patriots senior reporter Evan Lazar posted on X.
Gonzalez was among seven New England players missing from voluntary OTAs on Wednesday.
“It’s also possible the Patriots are creating extra space for a Christian Gonzalez extension. The star cornerback is set to make just $4.8 million this season on the final year of his rookie contract but is eligible for an extension this summer and could command a new deal worth more than $30 million per year,” NBC Sports Boston managing editor Darren Hartwell wrote. “The Patriots have plenty of cap space ($43 million, fifth-most in the NFL), but if they want to trade for Brown and extend Gonzalez this offseason, they need all the space they can get. The decision to rework Onwenu’s contract would aid in those efforts, and could be a sign of other moves to come shortly in Foxboro.”
