FOXBOROUGH – When Cole Strange first arrived in New England, Patriots coaches bluntly put things into perspective.

In Foxborough, it was always important to focus on the present and not worry about the future. That’s part of the reason Strange has focused on hitting every milestone before playing in a game following a serious knee injury.

“When I first got here, I was told if you think you see a light at the end of the tunnel, it’s actually a train coming to get you,” Strange said.

The offensive lineman hit another landmark this week when he was activated to the Patriots 53-man roster and then participated in his first padded practice on Wednesday.

“This is no different than any other milestone of rehab that I’ve had to do,” Strange explained. “I’m looking forward to it. There’s a lot I need to do before I see that light.”

For Strange, ‘the light,’ is playing in his first football game since suffering a torn patellar tendon last year on Dec. 17. Nearly a year later, the Patriots 2022 first-round pick has a chance to play again this weekend in Arizona.

Since returning to practice, Strange has mainly worked at the center position. The former starting left guard has a chance to factor into this new spot along with Ben Brown, who took over for David Andrews.

For Strange, coming back to football has had its challenges. The patellar tendon injury was so severe, he had to relearn how to walk. Now, he’s learning a new position.

Strange said he’s enjoyed practicing at center and has started to work with quarterback Drake Maye. The next hurdle, however, is the biggest – playing in an actual game.

“There’s something to be said for having been playing and saying, ‘Yeah, I can play,’” Strange said. “I feel good. It’s just getting back in there and getting the cobwebs off.”

For the Patriots, trying Strange at the center position comes down to the future. The team sees Michael Onwenu as their right guard and is currently experimenting with rookie Layden Robinson at left guard. Despite starting 27 straight games at left guard, Strange could be a long-term answer at center.

With Andrews recovering from a torn rotator cuff, the Patriots need to figure out who their long-term center will be. Considering they have their answer at quarterback (Maye), finding the right center is important.

The only way to find out if Strange is the right center for Maye and the Patriots, is to have him play.

“I feel like that is just a matter of getting reps. And getting some experience with it,” Strange said. “The quarterback likes a snap a certain way. At the end of the day, they’re ball players and they’re going to adapt if the snap is a little high or a little low. Under center, there’s a little chemistry that they like it a certain way. You just have to do it.”