Christian Gonzalez missed a third straight practice Friday, leaving the New England Patriots cornerback’s availability for Sunday’s crucial game at Buffalo unresolved, ESPN‘s Mike Reiss reported late Friday morning.
New England heads to Highmark Stadium to face the Bills and Josh Allen, the league’s 2024 MVP. Buffalo boasts the league’s highest-scoring offense.
Gonzalez, 24, nearly quit football as a sophomore in Texas, stuck on a 1-9 junior varsity team, according to The Oregonian. His parents pushed him to stay. He moved to The Colony High School, started as a true freshman at Colorado, then transferred to Oregon and earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2022.
The Patriots drafted him 17th overall in 2023, the final first-round pick made by legendary head coach Bill Belichick. On Sept. 8, he signed a four-year, $135 million extension averaging $33.75 million per year, topping Devon Witherspoon’s $132 million deal as the richest for a cornerback in NFL history. It includes a position-record $33 million signing bonus, according to NFL.com.
New England Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez’s Injury History
The current injury traces to the Sept. 27 loss at Jacksonville. After a first-quarter tackle on running back LeQuint Allen Jr., Gonzalez left with his left arm hanging, then returned and finished the 35-6 defeat, according to The Boston Globe. He sat out Wednesday, ESPN‘s Adam Schefter reported, then missed Thursday and Friday.
Shoulders have cost him before. A dislocated right shoulder and torn labrum in Week 4 at Dallas ended his 2023 rookie season, and he went on injured reserve Oct. 7. A hamstring injury suffered July 28, 2025, kept him out of the first three games, 51 days between practices. He also left a Dec. 28, 2024, game against the Chargers and missed the finale at Buffalo.
Gonzalez has appeared in just 37 regular-season Patriots games of a possible 54, and 41 of 58 counting the 2025 playoffs, according to the team’s website.
Patriots Without Gonzalez Against Josh Allen’s Bills
Buffalo is 3-0 and favored by roughly seven points. Through three games, Gonzalez has a 44.0 passer rating allowed when targeted, according to SI.com. The Athletic‘s preview projected a 31-21 Buffalo win.
Carlton Davis III would likely take over, according to Boston.com, with Marcus Jones and Charles Woods absorbing more snaps.
“Prepare like starters, and then they get their opportunity to go, make the most of it,” cornerbacks coach Justin Hamilton said, as quoted by NESN.
Woods and Karon Prunty have combined for 76 defensive snaps all season. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore, also nursing a shoulder injury, missed Thursday’s practice too. Quarterback Drake Maye, who also hurt his shoulder against Jacksonville, was a full participant Wednesday and Thursday, according to Boston 25 News.
Does a player who misses every practice play? Practice trend matters more than the tag. Full participation all week is near-certain to play. DNP early, then limited or full by Friday, is the usual veteran-rest pattern and usually plays. DNP all three days is treated by betting and fantasy guides as almost certainly out, even with a questionable tag. Players tagged questionable have historically suited up roughly 50 to 70 percent of the time, and doubtful players about 20 to 25 percent, according to the Fantasy Waiver Wizard injury guide.
A player who cannot practice Friday usually does not play Sunday, according to CBS Sports. Exceptions exist. Inactive lists arrive 90 minutes before the 1 p.m. ET kickoff.
Christian Gonzalez Injury Update: Will Patriots Star CB Play Against Bills?