Steelers Now
The New England Patriots could get a key reinforcement against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. Head coach Mike Vrabel revealed on Monday that All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez could be active.
“There’s a chance,” Vrabel said on WEEI on Monday when asked about Gonzalez’s status for the Steelers game.
Gonzalez has not practiced since the end of July, having been sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Gonzalez is coming off a banner 2024 season in which he was named second-team All-Pro.
He finished the season with 59 combined tackles (50 solo), 11 pass deflections, two interceptions, one fumble recovery, and a touchdown in 16 games and 16 starts. He received an overall grade of 76.0 from Pro Football Focus, which ranked 21st amongst 222 qualifying cornerbacks in 2024.
Gonzalez was a player that was on the Steelers’ radar in the 2023 NFL Draft, but Pittsburgh decided to trade up for Broderick Jones at 14th overall. Gonzalez went to the Pats at 17th overall. The Steelers addressed the cornerback position in the second round with Joey Porter Jr.
According to DraftKings Network, the Steelers have opened up as 1.5-point favorites over the New England Patriots in Week 3. Pittsburgh has -115 odds on the money line. New England is -105, and the over/under point total for the game is 44.5 points.
The defense has got off to an embarrassing start, but the offense hasn’t been great, either. The offensive line has been an issue and the receiver play has not been sharp. Running back Jaylen Warren led the Steelers in receiving on Sunday with four receptions for 86 yards (21.1 average).
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Patriots Could Get Back Key Player vs. Steelers
