Patriots won’t pick up Cole Strange’s fifth-year option: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots will not pick up the fifth-year option in offensive lineman Cole Strange’s contract, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Wednesday.
The official deadline to decide whether to pick up the option is Thursday.
Strange’s fifth-year option would have cost the Patriots around $16.7 million, per Fowler. He will now enter the 2025 season in the final year of his rookie contract.
This move is not a surprise. Strange has not been able to stay on the field since the Patriots selected him No. 29 overall in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Strange played in just three games last season due to a knee injury, and he has appeared in just 30 games for the Patriots over the last three seasons. He has mostly played left guard during his Patriots career, although he could also be in the mix at center for Mike Vrabel’s team next season.
New England has added several offensive linemen to its roster in the offseason, most notably right tackle Morgan Moses in free agency and left tackle Will Campbell with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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