The Patriots are signing veteran offensive linemen Wes Schweitzer, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The eight-year veteran has 62 starts in his career, but just 13 have come in the last four years due to a number of injuries. He will add offensive line depth in New England and could even compete for a starting job at guard or center.
The 31-year-old Schweitzer was originally a sixth-round pick by the Falcons in 2016. He did not appear in a single game as a rookie, but started the entire 2017 season at right guard. He lost that job during the following season’s training camp, but ended up starting 13 games at left guard after a season-ending injury to Andy Levitre.
Schweitzer appeared in 15 games in 2019 and once again ended the season as Atlanta’s starting left guard. With his rookie contract expired, he signed a three-year, $13.5MM deal with the Commanders. He started 13 games in 2020 – 10 at left guard and three at right guard – but his injury woes began in 2021. Schweizer appeared in 11 games with five starts, but went down for the year in Week 12. He struggled with injuries across the next three seasons, appearing in 17 games with eight starts and stints on injured reserve in each year.
In 2024, Schweitzer appeared in four games with 19 total snaps and just one on offense as a sixth offensive linemen. When healthy, he has proven to be a starting-caliber interior lineman, but he will need to avoid injury to earn playing time in New England.