Patriots

The Patriots’ second-year guard went down with a knee injury on Sunday against the Chiefs.

Cole Stange’s 2023 season has come to an end.

The Patriots announced on Monday evening that they placed the second-year offensive lineman on injured reserve after he suffered a knee injury during New England’s 27-17 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday.

The 2022 first-round pick by New England needed to be carted off the field at Gillette Stadium in the first half of Sunday’s showdown with Kansas City, with the team immediately ruling him out for the rest of the afternoon due to a knee injury.

While New England didn’t have an update on the 25-year-old guard’s condition on Monday morning, Strange’s IR designation means he will not return to the gridiron for the remainder of the 2023 season.

A tough season for Strange

It’s been a trying season for Strange, who battled a knee injury earlier this year that limited his preseason reps and limited him to just 10 games in 2023.

Despite some early struggles after returning to the field, he turned a corner over the second half of the year, solidifying an O-line that regularly labored in September and October.

“Yeah, a lot,” Bill Belichick said Monday morning when asked about Strange’s strides this season. “The more he’s been able to stay on the field, the better he’s gotten. I think he’s played better through the more recent weeks of the season. He missed quite a bit of time there early in the year in training camp, which slowed him down. But, I think he’s been playing his best football lately.”

Per Pro Football Focus grading system, three of Strange’s five best single-game PFF grades have come since Week 10 this season — in three losses against the Colts (No. 12), Giants (Nov. 26), and Chargers (Dec. 3). 

With Strange sidelined, New England will likely turn to rookie Atonio Mafi for the rest of the season at left guard.