Patriots place offensive lineman Cole Unusual on injured reserve

Patriots

The Patriots’ second-year guard went down with a knee damage on Sunday in opposition to the Chiefs.

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

The Patriots introduced on Monday night that they positioned the second-year offensive lineman on injured reserve after he suffered a knee damage throughout New England’s 27-17 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday.

The 2022 first-round choose by New England wanted to be carted off the sphere at Gillette Stadium within the first half of Sunday’s showdown with Kansas Metropolis, with the group instantly ruling him out for the remainder of the afternoon resulting from a knee damage.

Whereas New England didn’t have an replace on the 25-year-old guard’s situation on Monday morning, Unusual’s IR designation means he won’t return to the gridiron for the rest of the 2023 season.

A tricky season for Unusual

It’s been a attempting season for Unusual, who battled a knee damage earlier this 12 months that restricted his preseason reps and restricted him to only 10 video games in 2023.

Regardless of some early struggles after returning to the sphere, he turned a nook over the second half of the 12 months, solidifying an O-line that commonly labored in September and October.

“Yeah, rather a lot,” Invoice Belichick stated Monday morning when requested about Unusual’s strides this season. “The extra he’s been capable of keep on the sphere, the higher he’s gotten. I believe he’s performed higher by means of the more moderen weeks of the season. He missed fairly a little bit of time there early within the 12 months in coaching camp, which slowed him down. However, I believe he’s been taking part in his greatest soccer recently.”

Per Professional Soccer Focus grading system, three of Unusual’s 5 greatest single-game PFF grades have come since Week 10 this season — in three losses in opposition to the Colts (No. 12), Giants (Nov. 26), and Chargers (Dec. 3). 

With Unusual sidelined, New England will possible flip to rookie Atonio Mafi for the remainder of the season at left guard.