Christian Gonzalez apparently missed Wednesday’s New England Patriots practice and had his media session abruptly canceled, deepening concern four days before the Patriots face the Bills in Buffalo.
New England’s top cornerback left Sunday’s loss in Jacksonville with his left arm dangling before returning, and his surgically repaired right shoulder has haunted him since 2023.
Gonzalez wasn’t seen at Wednesday’s practice, according to ESPN‘s Mike Reiss.
The Pro Bowl cornerback’s scheduled media session got scrapped too. Gonzalez spoke with Vrabel in the locker room before the session was pulled, according to MassLive‘s Mark Daniels, who called the timing of a possible Gonzalez injury far from ideal with Josh Allen looming on Sunday.
Right tackle Morgan Moses and defensive tackle Christian Barmore also sat out the media viewing portion of practice.
Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez and His Shoulder
Sunday’s trouble started on a third-down stop against Jaguars running back LeQuint Allen. Gonzalez’s left arm appeared to be hanging as he came off the field, according to NESN‘s live report on the 35-6 blowout loss. He returned in the first quarter and finished the game.
Asked afterward if he was shaken up, Gonzalez said, “I’m good,” according to Reiss.
Gonzalez played 30 of 31 possible games across two college stops, according to Pats Pulpit. In Week 4 of his 2023 rookie season, Gonzalez dislocated his shoulder and tore the labrum tackling Cowboys running back Tony Pollard.
Surgery and injured reserve followed. He finished with 17 tackles, three pass breakups, one interception and one sack in four starts before the injury ended his season.
Gonzalez later reflected on the injury’s aftermath, saying it “hurt a lot mentally,” according to Patriots Wire.
He bounced back with a 2024 second-team All-Pro season and a 2025 Pro Bowl berth, helping steer New England to a Super Bowl run. New England rewarded him Sept. 8 with a four-year extension that became the richest cornerback contract in NFL history.
“THANK YOU LORD! PATS NATION LETS GO,” Gonzalez wrote on social media.
New England Defense Without Gonzalez vs. Bills
The Patriots have plenty of time to decide on Gonzalez’s playing status for Sunday. Teams routinely rest veterans on the week’s first practice, and Wednesday’s absence alone is not an injury designation. Thursday’s participation report and Friday’s official game status will tell the real story.
But if New England’s highest-paid player and top cornerback sits, the Patriots lose their best answer for Josh Allen’s downfield throws and off-script scrambles for a Bills team that has yet to lose.
Carlton Davis III, who already missed Week 2 with a neck injury, would absorb more snaps alongside Marcus Jones.
Safety Craig Woodson missed the Jacksonville game with a shoulder issue before practicing Wednesday, and Dell Pettus remains on injured reserve, leaving New England’s secondary already thin, according to the Democrat and Chronicle. That leaves Buffalo free to attack single coverage on Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir, or lean on Allen’s legs against a defense that just allowed 35 points.
Gonzalez, listed at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, was Bill Belichick’s final first-round pick as New England’s personnel chief, taken 17th overall out of Oregon in 2023. He remains under contract through the 2031 season. The Patriots, at 1-2, need him on the field against a 3-0 Buffalo team that has already shown it can tear apart a shorthanded secondary.
What Happened With Christian Gonzalez at Patriots Practice? Should Fans Worry?