Patriots star cornerback Christian Gonzalez is not practicing Monday, and coach Mike Vrabel did not provide a timetable for his return, according to CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones.
“I think [what’s] good for us and for Christian and the team is try not to be frustrated,” Vrabel said. “Obviously those things happen, and it’s how we respond to them. It’s how hard we work to get back, the communication, all the things that he’s doing.”
Vrabel also clarified that no one is frustrated with Gonzalez, but given his experience as a player and coach, he understands how frustrated Gonzalez must be as his availability remains unclear for the season opener.
Gonzalez, the 17th overall pick in 2023, played in just four games as a rookie after tearing his labrum. He started 16 games last season, intercepted two passes and finished as a second-team All Pro as well as fifth in Comeback Player of the Year voting. He allowed just a 54.4 passer rating as the primary defender, which ranked 12th among 148 players who played at least 100 coverage snaps last year, and he was expected to be a cornerstone of the New England defense moving forward under Vrabel.
Gonzalez suffered the hamstring injury July 28 and has not practiced since.
“Well, it just hasn’t gone … Again, he’s working hard,” Vrabel said when asked if Gonzalez has experienced a setback. “We can say one injury’s gonna be three-to-four weeks, one’s gonna be one-to-two. Everybody heals differently, so just making sure that when the players are back, that they can do their job with confidence, that they can protect themselves out on the field and they can’t make it any worse.”
The Patriots brought in free agent Carlton Davis to ideally form a strong cornerback duo alongside Gonzalez. However, should Gonzalez miss time, Alex Austin, Charles Woods or Craig Woodson could see more time outside, with Marcus Jones playing in the slot.
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