Sportsnaut
Christian Gonzalez is undoubtedly one of the most important players on the Patriots in 2025. The former first-round pick broke out in 2024, and is looking to cement himself as one of the league’s top corners in 2025.
Unfortunately, Gonzalez has been dealing with a nagging hamstring injury for weeks now. The corner hasn’t been practicing, and he didn’t participate in the preseason. When the injury first occurred, it was not expected to be serious, and it was reported that the team was simply being cautious with the star.
However, NFL insider Jeff Howe recently penned a piece for The Athletic with intel on all 32 teams, and Howe didn’t have an encouraging update about Gonzalez.
“As for star cornerback Christian Gonzalez, his hamstring injury has been a tricky one, and it’s been tough to pin down a timetable on his return,” explained Howe.
This isn’t the most encouraging news with Week 1 being just a week away. The Patriots will need their best corner to be available, even if the depth has been improved over the offseason.
The Patriots added fellow corner Carlton Davis in free agency to pair with Gonzalez and form one of the best corner duos in the league. However, Davis and Gonzalez both dealt with injuries this summer and weren’t on the field together much.
If Gonzalez ends up having to miss Week 1, the Patriots will likely deploy Davis and Alex Austin as the starters on the outside while Marcus Jones slots in at the slot.
In 2024, Gonzalez played in 16 games and collected 59 tackles, 11 pass deflections, and two interceptions. The corner earned a solid 76.0 grade from Pro Football Focus for his performance.
Assuming Gonzalez gets back to full health, the Patriots should have one of the best secondaries in the NFL this season.
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