Caleb Lomu is heading into Week 1 with the kind of anticipation that comes with a first NFL game. The New England Patriots rookie offensive tackle said on Saturday he is “super excited” for the opener against the Seattle Seahawks.
For Lomu, 21, the moment is coming fast after the Patriots took him with the 28th overall pick in this year's draft. He has already played in three preseason games, and that work has given him a real chance to be part of the game plan when the 2026 season begins in FOXBORO.
“Just like every game, the nerves are high, but it's like an excited nerve just to get back on the field and go against someone else,” Lomu said. He added that he does not know how he will feel when he runs out of the tunnel for the first time.
The Patriots used him across both tackle spots during the preseason, a sign of how they have tried to find the best fit while he gets up to speed. That versatility has helped him stay in the conversation, but it has not locked him into one job.
He is not penciled in to either starting tackle position right now, and that leaves his Week 1 role unresolved even as the opener approaches. Lomu said nothing changes in his preparation and that he keeps the same mentality every week, even if he is not starting, because he still expects to play.
The Seattle matchup carries its own weight because Lomu was not on last year's team that lost to the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. So his first meaningful NFL game arrives not as a reminder of that result, but as the start of whatever role the Patriots decide to give him next. What remains unknown is not whether he is ready to go; it is how much he will be asked to do when the ball is kicked off in Week 1.
