The Patriots will be missing one of their top offensive linemen to start the 2024 season.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Cole Strange “is expected to miss the start of the 2024 season and may be out until the middle of the season”. The interior offensive lineman is dealing with a “significant” knee injury that he suffered in mid-December.
#Patriots starting guard Cole Strange, who is still dealing with a significant knee injury suffered late last season, is expected to miss the start of the 2024 season and may be out until the middle of the season, sources say.
Strange has started every game he's played in NE.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 21, 2024
Strange started every game as a rookie after being drafted by New England in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but dealt with a flurry of injuries in 2023. He suffered a knee injury during training camp and nursed it through Week Six. He then, as mentioned above, endured a season-ending knee injury against the Chiefs in Week 14. He was placed on injured reserve the following day.
“Yeah, that is an interesting one,” Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said on Monday of Strange’s status heading into the season. “He is another guy, you would normally say day-by-day. He’s more of a, let’s say, week-by-week or you can go month-by-month if you want to. But he is working hard, you know, he is doing his rehab. He is here every day. He is in the meeting room, so I am happy where he is.”
New England has seemingly been aware of their once-starting guard’s status heading into the 2024 campaign. Not only did EVP of player personnel Eliot Wolf omit Strange’s name when speaking of their starting offensive line earlier this offseason, but after drafting three interior offensive linemen in 2023, signed former Buccaneer guard Nick Leverett in March and selected Texas A&M guard Layden Robinson in April.
Strange will likely be placed on the physically unable to perform list (PUP) ahead of training camp, and given their offseason acquisitions, have equipped themselves to handle it.
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