The NFL deadline to pick up the fifth-year option for 2022 first-round picks is approaching.
For the Patriots, their decision was an obvious one.
According to ESPN, the Patriots are not picking up the fifth-year option for Cole Strange. Drafted 29th overall in 2022, this option would’ve paid Strange $16.8 million in 2026. This means the offensive lineman will enter this season in the final year of his rookie contract.
The NFL deadline to pick up this option is on Thursday.
Strange was a controversial pick by Bill Belichick. A standout guard at Chattanooga, he was an expected second or third-round pick.