New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots are ready for action, as they will kick off their 2025 campaign on Sunday afternoon against the Las Vegas Raiders. However, they will be missing a couple of key pieces of their operation when they take the field.
On Friday, star cornerback Christian Gonzalez was ruled out for the Pats with a hamstring injury after he did not practice at all throughout the week. Considering how Gonzalez is widely regarded as New England’s best player, this is a huge blow to the team.
One of his top potential replacements on the field is Charles Woods, who was recently claimed off waivers after he was released by the Los Angeles Rams. The problem is that Woods is dealing with a concussion and a groin injury, which limited him at practice throughout the week.
While Gonzalez was ruled out, Woods was initially listed as questionable for the season-opener. That changed on Saturday night, though, as the team ended up ruling out Woods for this game in addition to Gonzalez.
“Charles Woods has been downgraded to out,” the Patriots announced in a post on X.
With Gonzalez and Woods out, that’s going to force Carlton Davis III and Marcus Jones to shoulder a bigger load against the Raiders. Alex Austin is now the top option left to fill in for Gonzalez, with DJ James and Corey Ballentine also potentially set to factor into the mix.
As for some good injury news, first-round rookie Will Campbell is reportedly on track to play after being listed as questionable for the game with an ankle injury. Kickoff for the Patriots’ Week 1 action against the Raiders is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
