Pats Pulpit
The 2025 debut will have to wait for Christian Gonzalez.
The New England Patriots downgraded the starting cornerback to out on the eve of Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Gonzalez, 23, carried a questionable game status on the final injury report of the week. After being sidelined by a hamstring injury since the first padded practice of training camp in July, he had returned as a partial participant for three consecutive sessions.
“We listed him as limited, which means that he did some work, and we’ll still kind of evaluate where he’s at towards closer to the game,” Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said during his Friday press conference. “So again, it was good to see him out there. It’s very good to have him out there, and the more guys we can get out there, the better.”
Gonzalez has started all 20 of his appearances since arriving in Foxborough in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. The former No. 17 overall pick by way of Colorado and Oregon led the defense in snaps played last season. He did so while totaling 59 tackles, 11 passes defensed, two interceptions and a fumble recovery for his first career touchdown. Second-team All-Pro honors followed.
His absence from the secondary will now extend to three games.
Tight end Jack Westover and defensive end Keion White remain questionable for New England’s matchup with Pittsburgh. Sunday’s kickoff at Gillette Stadium is set for 1 p.m. ET.
