Sportsnaut
New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said he’s planning as if cornerback Christian Gonzalez will play in Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, but if Gonzalez doesn’t take the field the Patriots will regret not placing Gonzalez on injured reserve before the regular season began.
Gonzalez sustained a hamstring injury July 28 and has not played in a game this season. He practiced for the first time since the injury last week, but was held out of Sunday’s 21-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Alber Breer, the Patriots (1-2) didn’t place Gonzalez on injured reserve because they expected he would be ready to play in New England’s Week 1 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. A stint on IR would have kept Gonzalez out of action for New England’s first four games – the same four games he will have missed if he doesn’t suit up Sunday.
If Gonzalez doesn’t play against Carolina (1-2) he will have cost the Patriots a roster spot for that four-game span.
“If he misses this game (Carolina), now we’re at four weeks, which means he’s not just behind schedule for where they thought he would be in July, he’s behind schedule for where they thought he would be at the beginning of September,” Breer said during an appearance on NBC Sports Boston.
Gonzalez, a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, is eligible for a contract extension at the end of this season, which has caused some to speculate that he may be prioritizing his health because there’s the potential for a big payday in the near future.
“I think it would be silly not to look at that as at least something that would be in the back of everybody’s mind,” Breer said.
Gonzalez, 23, is viewed as the team’s top cornerback. Without him, the Patriots have surrendered the fourth most passing yards in the NFL through three weeks.
“Excited about his efforts and willingness to get back and work hard and practice last week,” Vrabel told the media Wednesday. “And again, I made a decision at the end of the week that [he] just needed a little bit more time.”
Asked if he was frustrated at not being able to make his return in Week 3 after practicing prior to the game, Gonzalez disputed any notion that he has been content to remain on the sideline.
“I never don’t want to play,” he said. “That narrative that’s out there, I don’t know where people get it from. All I want to do is play football.”
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