First-Round Fade? Patriots Say No Thanks to Cole Strange’s Fifth Year

Cole Strange is officially on the clock. The New England Patriots have declined the fifth-year option on Strange’s rookie contract, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

That decision locks the 2022 first-round pick into a contract year, with a base salary of $2.4 million for the 2025 season. Had New England picked up the option, Strange would’ve been owed a fully guaranteed $16.7 million in 2026. They passed.

Strange, now 26, came to Foxborough as a surprise first-rounder out of Chattanooga, and he’s already had a winding road. He started every game his rookie year, missed most of 2023 with a torn patellar tendon, and returned late in 2024 to start the final three games—two of them at center. It was a noticeable shift that may point to where the new coaching staff sees his value.

“Cole’s worked hard at center the last couple weeks of the season,” new head coach Mike Vrabel said back in March. “It was pretty impressive considering he hadn’t spent much time there.”

Strange Faces Fight for Role in Crowded Patriots OL Room

Strange isn’t guaranteed anything moving forward—not even a roster spot. He’s entering 2025 as part of a full-on offensive line renovation, with multiple new faces vying for interior spots. At guard, Strange’s path to a starting role will have to go through established players like Layden Robinson and Sidy Sow.

If the Patriots see him more as a center now, the competition might be even tougher. Garrett Bradbury came in as a veteran free-agent signing, and third-round rookie Jared Wilson out of Ohio State adds more intrigue to the mix.

He’s also working under his third coaching staff in as many seasons, with Vrabel and new offensive line coach Scott Peters retooling the trenches from scratch. Strange has logged nearly 1,700 snaps since entering the league, but he’ll need to show he’s healthy and versatile enough to handle wherever the new staff sees fit—left guard, center, or maybe even a swing reserve role.

As Alex Barth of 98.5 The Sports Hub notes, “He’ll enter a contract year likely needing to win a job in the starting lineup in training camp.”

The Patriots haven’t picked up a fifth-year option on a first-rounder since Isaiah Wynn. Strange joins a long list of New England players—Chandler Jones, Dont’a Hightower, Nate Solder—whose futures were decided early. Unlike those names, Strange still has to prove he belongs in the team’s long-term plans.