The New England Patriots helped themselves financially when Mike Onwenu agreed to a reworked contract in May.
The veteran guard may have gotten some help of his own after recent (massive) guard news.
Two of the NFL’s top young guards signed massive extensions on Aug. 7, with Peter Skoronski landing a four-year, $100 million deal with the Tennessee Titans and O’Cyrus Torrence agreeing to a four-year, $78.4 million extension with the Buffalo Bills.
Those numbers arrive at an interesting time for Onwenu, who agreed to a sizable pay cut for the final year of his contract.
He remains scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency in 2027, and the price for quality guards continues to climb.
Guard Market Takes Another Jump
GettyINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 10: Peter Skoronski #77 of the Tennessee Titans lines up on the ofensive line during a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on November 10, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Skoronski’s extension moved him to the top of the position.
Reuters reported that the Titans’ former first-round pick received $88 million guaranteed as part of the $100 million extension. His $25 million annual average made him the NFL’s highest-paid guard.
Torrence didn’t trail too far behind.
NFL.com reported the Bills gave their 2023 second-round pick $46 million guaranteed in a deal worth $19.6 million per season. Torrence has yet to miss a game since entering the league and has started all but one.
The two contracts offer another look at what teams are willing to pay to keep dependable interior offensive linemen before they reach the open market.
Onwenu once sat closer to that range.
New England re-signed him to a three-year, $57 million contract in 2024, including $38 million guaranteed, after he emerged as one of the most versatile pieces on its offensive line.
The Patriots called him a “cornerstone” player shortly after the deal.
The terms changed this spring.
Pats Pulpit reported that Onwenu’s reworked deal carries a base value of $10 million and a maximum value of $12 million.
His salary-cap number dropped from $25 million to $17.5 million, creating $7.5 million in space for the Patriots while giving Onwenu $8.95 million in new guarantees.
The pay cut didn’t add any years to his contract, leaving him on track for free agency in 2027.
Onwenu Has Chance to Boost His Price
GettyFOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 29: Mike Onwenu #71 of the New England Patriots walks to the field during the New England Patriots OTA Offseason Workout on May 29, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Onwenu will have age working against him compared with Skoronski and Torrence.
He turns 29 in December, while both of Friday’s newly paid guards are several years younger.
His play gives him a case to make up ground.
Pro Football Focus gave Onwenu a 78.2 overall grade in 2025, seventh among 81 qualified guards. His 78.2 pass-blocking grade ranked fifth at the position, while his 74.2 run-blocking mark ranked 10th.
He also started all 17 regular-season games at right guard and all four postseason games during New England’s run to the Super Bowl. He has now started 90 games since the Patriots selected him in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL draft.
That leaves Onwenu with a straightforward opportunity in 2026.
A strong season would send him into free agency at a position where the roof has moved a great deal higher since he last signed a long-term deal.
Matching Skoronski’s $25 million average would be a stretch given the age difference, but Torrence’s $19.6 million annual figure shows how much teams are spending on proven starters inside.
Onwenu already reached a $19 million annual average when the Patriots paid him in 2024.
After taking less money this season, another year resembling his 2025 performance could put him back in that neighborhood — or force New England to make another decision on one of its longest-tenured offensive starters.
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