Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots practiced with an active roster of 52 on Wednesday.
Starting cornerback Christian Gonzalez remained the lone absence as work on the Las Vegas Raiders continued. The reigning All-Pro has not practiced since a hamstring injury arose during the first padded session of training camp in July. With the calendar now turned to September, his availability for the season opener is in doubt.
Here’s the initial injury report leading up to Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Gillette Stadium.
No member of the 2024 Patriots defense played more snaps than Gonzalez’s 978. Only one start was missed by the former No. 17 overall pick. “He’s continuing to work and he’ll do some stuff on the side, but I’m not going to rule anybody out,” head coach Mike Vrabel said during his Wednesday press conference. “… We’ll continue to work and treat and make sure that we’re doing everything we can to help him, and he’s doing everything he can to get back out on the field.”
Also in the secondary, Woods practiced in a limited capacity on Wednesday due to a concussion as well as a groin injury. The sophomore cornerback had been claimed off waivers in Foxborough following the NFL’s 53-man roster deadline. He spent his rookie season with the Los Angeles Rams.
Working back from a knee issue, Chism went in full for the Patriots on Wednesday. He had stayed sidelined for August’s finale after catching 12 passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns through two preseason games. The undrafted rookie out of Eastern Washington resides on an active roster featuring six wide receivers.
