FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The first official injury and practice participation report for Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season provided both questions and answers for the New England Patriots.
Although the Pats enjoyed a respectable level of attendance at practice, they listed nine players as limited participants, while one did not participate in preparation to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 21 at Gillette Stadium
Here is the afternoon’s full report, along with its implications for this Week 3 matchup:
DID NOT PARTICIPATE
Keion White, DE (Illness)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION
DT Christian Barmore, Not Injury Related / Other
LB K’Lavon Chaisson, Hamstring
CB Carlton Davis III, Achilles
CB Christian Gonzalez, Hamstring
LB Harold Landry III, Foot
LB Marte Mapu, Neck
T Morgan Moses, Foot
FB Jack Westover, Hamstring
G Jared Wilson, Thigh
What It Means for the Patriots:
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed, just prior to practice, that cornerback Christian Gonzalez is not only set to return to the practice fields, but also that his status for New England’s Week 3 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium is in play.
Gonzalez originally injured his hamstring during the Pats’ fifth training camp practice on July 28. He 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. He did not see the playing field until the Pats’ first practice of Week 3 — participating in a limited capacity.
New England’s lone non-participant was defensive end Keion White, who missed his fourth straight practice due to illness. He was also inactive for the Pats’ Week 2 win over the Dolphins. Veteran Anfernee Jennings helped mitigate White’s absence off the edges of the defense after being a healthy inactive for the season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Despite playing all but one of New England’s defensive snaps, boundary cornerback Carlton Davis, III was listed as a limited participant with a hamstring injury. Davis appeared to have pulled ups bit tightly in the closing moments of their Week 2 win over Miami. With Pittsburgh likley eager to test the Pats’ secondary in man coverage, Davis’ status will be one to monitor in the coming days.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
DID NOT PARTICIPATE
CB Darius Slay, Not Injury Related / Resting
CB Joey Porter Jr., Hamstring
S DeShon Elliott, Knee
LB Alex Highsmith, Ankle
LB T.J. Watt, Not Injury Related / Resting
LIMITED PARTICIPATION
OL Max Scharping, Knee
DT Derrick Harmon, Knee
FULL PARTICIPATION
LB Patrick Queen, Oblique
What It Means for the Steelers:
Much like the Patriots, the Steelers are entering Week 3 with theor share of injuries.
Coach Mike Tomlin, per Steelers.com, has already ruled out linebacker Alex Highsmith, while defensive lineman Isaiahh Loudermilk has been placed on the Reserve/Injured List.
In addition, safety DeShon Elliott and cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who both missed the Seahawks game, and rookie Derrick Harmon, who has yet to make his NFL debut, are all questionable. Harmon was a limited particpant in Pittsburgh’s first practice this week.
