The New England Patriots will not pick up the fifth-year option on offensive lineman Cole Strange, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The option would have paid Strange around $16.7 million for a 2026 season added onto his rookie deal. Given all of the moves the Patriots have made at guard and center, they appear to be taking a wait-and-see approach to Strange heading into his fourth season.
The 2022 first-round draft pick tore his patellar tendon back in 2023, and it kept him sidelined for most of the 2024 season. There are still question marks lingering regarding his fit along the offensive front.