Tyrone Wheatley Jr. Will Return to Foxboro

Tyrone Wheatley Jr. did not get much of an opportunity to contribute to the New England Patriots in 2023. However, Wheatley Jr. will get another opportunity to showcase what he can do in 2024. New England is signing the exclusive rights free agent offensive lineman.

MassLive’s Mark Daniels was the first to report.

It was the second such transaction on Thursday, with Alex Austin also being brought back to Foxboro. ERFA QB Nathan Rourke was brought back last week.

The Patriots traded for Tyrone Wheatley Jr. just before final cutdowns to the 53-man roster before the 2023 season. They traded running back Pierre Strong to the Cleveland Browns in the deal. At the time Bill Belichick said that Wheatley could play both tackle and guard. He stated Wheatley was a hard worker as well.

Wheatley dressed for the first two games of the season but only played a total of five snaps, all on special teams. He was then inactive for each of the next three games. Before Week 6, New England placed Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. on injured reserve with a knee injury. He did not play again in 2023.

Tyrone Wheatley Jr. previously worked with several members of the New England Patriots coaching staff. This includes offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and offensive line coach Scott Peters.