Mike Onwenu activated off PUP list, potentially helping critical need for Patriots

BOSTON -- For the entirety of training camp and the preseason, the Patriots' offensive line has been incomplete. One major piece of that puzzle hit the practice field for the first time on Wednesday, though.

Mike Onwenu, who's been on the physically unable to perform list since camp opened, was on the field for Wednesday's practice outside Gillette Stadium.

Onwenu, who underwent ankle surgery after last season, likely won't be ready for game action on Friday night in Nashville for the preseason finale. But his appearance on Wednesday at least provides some optimism that he could be on the path toward playing in Week 1 against the Eagles on Sept. 10.

Entering his fourth season, Onwenu led the Patriots by taking 99.4 percent of the team's offensive snaps last season. He played in 100 percent of the snaps before suffering the ankle injury late in New England's Week 18 loss in Buffalo.

While Onwenu played more at tackle than guard as a rookie in 2020, he's since made the full-time move to the interior. In his absence, veteran tackle Riley Reiff has been working at right guard, with a mixture of Conor McDermott and rookie Sidy Sow at right tackle. Reiff and Calvin Anderson were signed in the offseason to fill that right tackle spot, but Reiff didn't perform well before sliding inside, and Anderson remains on the non-football injury list with no known expected return date.

Time will tell if Bill Belichick and Adrian Klemm opt to move Onwenu back to right tackle. For now at least, Onwenu has taken the first step toward returning to the field.