We appear to have a bit of a situation between Christian Gonzalez and the New England Patriots.
The Patriots cornerback missed most of training camp, the entire preseason and the first three games of the regular season after suffering a hamstring injury on July 28. He returned to practice last Wednesday, though, and while he didn’t suit up last Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters Wednesday he’s optimistic that Gonzalez can make his 2025 debut this Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.
“Yeah, I think that’s the plan,” Vrabel said when asked about the possibility of Gonzalez ramping up to be ready to go for the weekend. “Excited about his efforts and willingness to get back and work hard and practice last week.”
But here’s where things get interesting: Vrabel told reporters it was his decision for Gonzalez not to play vs. the Steelers despite returning to practice earlier in the week.
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“I made a decision at the end of the week that we needed a little bit more time (with Gonzalez),” Vrabel said Wednesday. “That’s what happens when you start this return to play: You practice and you work hard, and then you see how you respond, and then you make a decision if that player is ready for a football game. And we felt like he probably needed a little bit more time, and hopefully he’ll be ready to go (this weekend).”
Moments later, Gonzalez spoke to reporters in the Patriots’ locker room and insisted he wanted to play vs. Pittsburgh before Vrabel and the coaching staff decided to hold him out.
“Oh yeah. Of course. I never don’t want to play,” Gonzalez said. “That narrative that’s out there, I don’t know where it’s coming from. All I want to do is play football. So, we talked about it, we came to a decision and that’s what it is.”
The Patriots have been relatively tight-lipped about Gonzalez’s injury, so don’t know much about the severity of his ailment or the nature of his recovery beyond Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reporting Tuesday that the star cornerback hasn’t had any setbacks in his rehab.
In the absence of more information, it doesn’t look great for Gonzalez that he’s missed nearly two months due to a soft-tissue injury — especially since initial reports suggested he should be ready for Week 1. So, his desire to set the record straight that he wants to be on the field is understandable.
Still it’s notable that Gonzalez is publicly voicing what appears to be his displeasure about not playing last Sunday. Breer also reported Tuesday that there’s been “frustration” building between the Patriots and Gonzalez as his absence continues, and Gonzalez’s comments Wednesday may have offered a glimpse into some of that behind-the-scenes tension.
Of course, that tension could disperse if Gonzalez takes the field Sunday against the Panthers and picks up where he left off last season as an All-Pro cornerback. But at the very least, there seems to be some back-and-forth between Gonzalez and the organization about when he’ll make his season debut.