"The Patriots are just a few days away from welcoming the Raiders to Gillette Stadium for their season opener of the 2025 NFL season, and they're already dealing with some major injury news that is far from what they need ahead of a very telling year. For the most part, they haven't had the unfortunate luck of several starters suffering injuries at some point during training camp or the preseason, unlike other teams around the league."
"That is not expected to be the issue with cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who hasn't practiced for the Patriots since July 28 and has been the talk of the town in the days leading up to their Week 1 matchup. He is yet to practice this week, and as of Wednesday, he is not set to return. Mike Vrabel provided the update to reporters ahead of practice, but wouldn't completely rule Gonzalez out for the game."
"While it could be considered a win that Vrabel said everything but Gonzalez has been ruled out of their first game of the year, it's not great that the cornerback will still not be at practice on Wednesday when he hasn't been present for over a month. That seems to be a huge indicator of what his status will inevitably be come Sunday, meaning the rest of the secondary will have a big task ahead of them to make up for in his absence."
Gillette Stadium will host the Patriots' 2025 season opener against the Raiders as the team navigates notable injuries from summer. Several players already suffered season-ending injuries, though most starters avoided training-camp or preseason setbacks. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez has not practiced since July 28 and remained absent this week as of Wednesday; Mike Vrabel confirmed Gonzalez did not practice but did not rule him out for Sunday. Gonzalez's likely absence increases responsibility for the secondary, elevating pressure on new free-agent addition Carlton Davis and depth players like Alex Austin and DJ James to cover snaps and responsibilities.
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