Sportsnaut
The Patriots are gearing up for their season-opening matchup against the Raiders on Sunday. With all of the positive momentum the team has enjoyed this offseason, expectations are high, and beginning with a win over the Raiders is key.
One of the major storylines of the offseason has been the health of star cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Gonzalez went down with a hamstring injury in practice earlier this summer and has yet to return to the field. The team said the injury isn’t serious, and they’re just being cautious, but it’s starting to get concerning.
On Wednesday, Mike Vrabel spoke with the media about the upcoming matchup. The coach was predictably asked about Gonzalez, and his update wasn’t that encouraging. Vrabel said that Gonzalez will not practice on Wednesday and do “some work on the side” instead.
“He’s (Gonzalez) doing everything he can to get back onto the field,” said Vrabel. “That’s the only update I have right now.”
The coach was also asked if it’s safe to assume that Gonzalez will miss the opener since he’s not practicing today.
“No, I wouldn’t say that,” Vrabel said.
The first injury report is scheduled be released on Wednesday afternoon, so it will be interesting to see what Gonzalez is listed as. Vrabel certainly seemed reluctant to rule Gonzalez out, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the star with a questionable designation.
The Patriots definitely need Gonzalez to be healthy. If he is, then the team could have one of the top cornerback duos in the league with Gonzalez and Carlton Davis II. If Gonzalez can’t play in the opener, expect Marcus Jones to get the start, as Jones is listed as the primary backup to Gonzalez in the team’s depth chart.
Even if Gonzalez does play in Week 1, he likely won’t be at full speed after missing over a month of practice and the entire preseason. The corner will likely have to get ramped back up to perform at the level he performed at in 2024.
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