Patriots OT Riley Reiff Still Motivated by 'Ring'
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FOXBORO — While New England Patriots offensive lineman Riley Reiff may have already played the majority of his games on a professional football field, the 34-year-old remains motivated by, perhaps, the most-common bond which ties all athletes.
"A ring," Reiff pointedly replied when asked what keeps him going by reporters at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday.
About to enter his 12th season in the NFL, Reiff will be suiting-up in 2023 for a franchise which has seen its share of success. However, most national outlets currently project New England's chances of winning their seventh Lombardi Trophy as dismal, at best.
Still, Reiff and the Patriots agreed to a $5 million contract with $4.15 million guaranteed shortly after the start of the league year in March. Though he will face some notable competition at the position, a financial investment of that size clearly raises the expectation of not only of his earning a roster spot, but also a starting spot at tackle.
Reiff is widely expected to help provide significant improvement to a unit that struggled mightily in 2022. Under the direction of former coach Matt Patricia, the unit was routinely plagued by injury and inconsistent play. As a result, the offense regressed to a subpar level in both pass protection and run blocking.
At 6-6, 313 pounds, Reiff possess the necessary size to provide adequate protection in both the passing and the run games. Yet, his versatility may have been the deciding factor in New England's interest in his services. He began his pro career as a first-round selection by the Detroit Lions in 2012, where he played both right and left tackle for five seasons. For the past two years, the Iowa product has aligned at right tackle -- 10 games for the Chicago Bears in 2022, which came on the heels of his 12-game stint during a run to the AFC Championship with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021. Previously, Reiff played left tackle for the Minnesota Vikings from 2017-20.
"At first it was hard. I'm a little bit used to it now. That's just something where you have to bank the reps ... put in the time to get it right."
Having started 149 of his 163 games, Reiff will get the chance to do so again among a depth chart which includes incumbent Trent Brown, veterans Calvin Anderson, Conor McDermott, Yodny Cajuste and potentially rookie Sidy Sow.
He may also be competing with his former college roommate with the Hawkeyes, James Ferentz -- whose father, Kirk Ferentz, also coached Reiff at Iowa.
With OTAs set to begin on May 22, the positional competitions may begin to take shape as the team begins to wrap up their offseason training program.
As the old saying goes, things are about to heat up.
In the meantime, Reiff is taking his time while becoming acclimated to his new surroundings.
“Right now, I’m just worried about learning the playbook and stuff,” he said with a grin. “I just want to keep playing. Simple as that.”
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