FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Less than one month ago, New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez was forced to leave the team’s fifth training camp practice after suffering a hamstring injury.
Gonzalez was attempting to cover receiver Stefon Diggs on a crossing route when he began favoring his left leg. He walked carefully, under his own power, to the medical shed adjacent to the practice fields where he was attended to by members of the Patriots’ training staff, and did not return to practice after his departure.
Since that time, Gonzalez has been absent from on-field action, including their three-game preseason slate.
With the start of the 2025 NFL regular season fast approaching, Pats Nation continues to wonder whether or not their star defensive back will be ready to take the field on Sept. 7 when New England hosts the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium for their season opener.
As expected, head coach Mike Vrabel was largely non-committal when asked about Gonzalez’s status.
“He’s working hard to get healthy, That’ll be my stance on injuries — that I’m confident that the player is working hard and that they’re doing what they’re asked to do,” Vrabel told reporters on Monday. “Once they recover from something that they’re working through, especially if it’s been in a training camp like this specific situation, there is some conditioning that’s involved. I think that’s probably different for each guy.”
After being selected No. 17 overall by New England in 2023, the 6’1” 205-pound cornerback was off to a stellar start to his pro career — earning defensive rookie of the month honors for September. Unfortunately, his rookie campaign was cut short after jamming his shoulder in a tackle attempt. He ultimately suffered a torn shoulder labrum, for which he underwent offseason surgery to repair. Gonzalez’s injury history likely played a role in his choosing to incorporate Pilates into his conditioning program this season.
Despite his injury, Gonzalez returned to the field in 2024 determined to emerge as one of the league’s top defensive backs. He finished the season with 59 combined tackles (50 solo), 11 pass breakups, 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 at number 21 of 222 qualifying cornerbacks. For his efforts, Gonzalez earned second-team All-Pro honors in essentially his first full season on the NFL.
Despite his absence from the field, Gonzalez has been doing his due diligence by working out with other Patriots injured players. He has also been a fixture on the sidelines, observing and conferring with his coaches and teammates. Still. Vrabel was quick to remind everyone that there is little-to-no substitute for on-field, practical training. On that basis, Gonzalez’s status for Week 1 may yet to be determined.
“In my own personal experience, you can only ride the bike so long or do the stair climb or something,” Vrabel said. ”You actually have to come out here, put pads on, run and get into football conditioning. So, whatever that takes, that takes, and I’ve said that to every player that’s not out there with us right now.”
