FOXBOROUGH — Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, defensive end Keion White, and fullback Jack Westover are questionable for the Patriots heading into Sunday’s game against the Steelers, according to coach Mike Vrabel.
“We listed him as limited [on the practice reports], which means he did some work. We’ll still evaluate where he’s at closer to the game,” Vrabel said of Gonzalez after Friday’s practice. “It was good to see him out there and good to have him out there. The more guys we have out there, the better.”
The complete injury report will be released later Friday afternoon.
Gonzalez, who sustained a hamstring injury on July 28 (the first day the Patriots were in pads during training camp), hasn’t played in the first two games. He returned to practice earlier this week.
Advertisement
“It’s been hard,” Gonzalez said. “It’s been tough. But it’s part of football. Everything in football is tough. It’s going to test you physically. It’s going to test you mentally. It’s just a part of it.”
Get Breaking Sports Alerts Eric Test
Be the first to know the latest sports news as it happens, and get the Globe’s most interesting reporting right to your inbox.
Enter Email
Gonzalez would provide a boost for the pass defense, which has yielded the most yards (677) and explosive plays (13) in the league. Opponents also have converted a league-high number of passing first downs against the Patriots.
If Gonzalez doesn’t play, New England would likely turn to a combination of Alex Austin and Marcus Jones. Austin saw the bulk of the work on the boundary in the opener against the Raiders, while the Patriots went with Jones — traditionally a slot corner — on the outside against the Dolphins.
If he does play, Gonzalez always certainly would be matched up with Pittsburgh’s DK Metcalf. The two have a history of going head to head. According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Gonzalez matched up against Metcalf 82 percent of the time in last year’s Week 2 matchup between the Patriots and Seahawks. In that one, Metcalf caught three passes on seven targets for 24 yards against Gonzalez.
Advertisement
White’s presence would provide an additional layer of depth for New England’s pass rush. The 6-foot-5-inch, 285-pound defensive end, who has been out since last week because of an illness, politely declined a request to be interviewed after practice.
Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at christopherprice.bsky.social.