Michael Onwenu produced a standout season for the Patriots, playing all 17 games at right guard and helping the offense support Drake Maye’s MVP-level candidacy. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the fifth-best pass-blocking guard in the NFL. He earned $13.5 million in cash in 2025, and the team won the AFC East at 14-3. In 2026, Onwenu is owed $17.5 million in cash under a contract signed in March 2024 when he was still playing tackle. Since then, he has settled into guard, where pay is lower. Recent free agency shows guard averages topping out around $16.5 million, while Onwenu’s projected fair market value is estimated at $13 to $16 million, creating extension pressure.
"Michael Onwenu just turned in one of the best seasons of his NFL career with the Patriots. He played all 17 games at right guard, anchored an offensive line that allowed Drake Maye to become an MVP candidate, and helped his team win the AFC East at 14-3. Pro Football Focus graded him as the fifth-best pass-blocking guard in the NFL last season. He earned $13.5 million in cash in 2025, which by any reasonable measure was money well spent."
"Onwenu is owed $17.5 million in cash for 2026, a figure that lingers from the three-year, $57 million deal he signed in March 2024. That contract paid him as a tackle, which is what he was playing at the time. With Will Campbell anchoring left tackle and Morgan Moses returning on the right side, Onwenu has since settled in at guard. And guards don't make the same kind of money as tackles."
"You can see the proof in this year's free agency. Onwenu got $19 million in 2024 on a $255.4 million salary cap. This year, on a $301.2 million salary cap, free agent guards couldn't match his APY. David Edwards landed four years and $61 million from New Orleans, a $15.25 million average and $30 million guaranteed. Alijah Vera-Tucker, signed by the Patriots themselves, got three years and $42 million, $14 million per year with $21 million guaranteed. Ed Ingram came in at three years, $37.5 million. Isaac Seumalo, John Simpson, and Zion Johnson are all in the $10 to $16.5 million APY range. The non-elite veteran guard market this offseason topped out at $16.5 million."
"My contract modeling lands Onwenu's fair market value somewhere between $13 and $16 million per year, which puts his 2026 cash above what the market would pay for his next deal. That complicates a potential extension - something the 28-year-old New England stalwart is likely seeking. The cleanest comp is Edwards. Both players are entering age-28 seasons. Both were Day 3 pick"
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