Patriots
“We’d love to have Gonzo back. Trust me, we would. But I think the other guys have stepped up and tried to take advantage of the opportunity.”
With less than a week to go until the Patriots open their 2025 season, concerns continue to linger about the availability of their top defensive player, All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzales.
New England’s odds of orchestrating a bounce-back season this fall relies heavily on a the Patriots’ defense propping up an offensive unit that remains a work in progress during this ongoing rebuild.
Gonzalez figures to be a key cog in that defense corps, but the 23-year-old defensive back continues to be on the mend due to a nagging hamstring injury.
Gonzalez suffered said hamstring injury during the early days of New England’s training camp, leaving the practice field during a padded practice on July 28.
Since then, he has not taken part in a competitive practice with his teammates, with his absence continuing during Monday’s on-field work at Gillette Stadium.
Speaking ahead of practice, Mike Vrabel acknowledged that Gonzalez’s recovery remains a fluid process.
“I wouldn’t anticipate him out here today. Hopefully, that improves, but (he’s) working hard and trying to improve. He wants to be out there,” Vrabel said of Gonzalez. “I think this is good for us and for Christian and the team to try and not be frustrated.
“Obviously, those things happen — and it’s how we respond to them. It’s how hard we work to get back, communication, all the things that he’s doing. Just continue to work hard to get back and try to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to help him.”
Gonzalez has been sidelined for six weeks with his hamstring ailment. Shortly after Gonzalez left camp with his injury, NFL insider Jordan Schultz noted that his hamstring strain was not going to “impact his Week 1 availability.”
But, with Week 1 rapidly approaching, there still doesn’t appear to be any clarity on when New England’s top defensive player will return to game action.
Vrabel did not offer up any clarification on Monday when asked if Gonzalez suffered a setback during his rehab process.
“No, that’s in my own personal experience of when you’re not in there,” Vrabel said. “Those are the things of my career or being a coach and dealing with players, they want to play, they want to be out there. Those are the things that we try to talk to all the players about.
“The time that you’re not on the field is how you stay engaged, stay in the meetings, and the schedule. They all want to play.”
Any extended absence for Gonzalez would stand as a sizable setback for New England. The All-Pro corner recorded 11 pass breakups and two interceptions last season — with the 2023 first-round pick cementing his status as one of the top young coverage corners in the league.
If Gonzalez isn’t available for Week 1, New England will likely have to turn to Alex Austin or DJ James as one of the team’s starting corners alongside Carlton Davis.
The Patriots secondary is set to have its hands full for its season opener at Gillette Stadium, as they will go up against a Raiders offense that features a few dangerous pass-catchers in Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers.
“I think D.J. was one of our more improved players over the course of rookie minicamp,” Vrabel said of New England’s corner depth. “He participated in that as a veteran. That ability to participate in that until now. [Austin] has done a nice job of going out there and playing corner, playing the nickel. Marcus provides a lot of leadership in there. Been good to have [Davis] string some days together. It provides opportunity for other guys.
“We’d love to have Gonzo back. Trust me, we would. But I think the other guys have stepped up and tried to take advantage of the opportunity.”
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