The New England Patriots knew the missing against the Buffalo Bills would be unforgiving.
Now a cornerback with zero career starts is positioned to take on one of the defense’s biggest jobs.
In a Friday report from ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the Patriots learned they will be without Christian Gonzalez and Christian Barmore because of shoulder injuries. Gonzalez didn’t practice all week, leaving New England without the corner who has started every game (when available) since coming into the league in 2023.
“Gonzo is a playmaker, for sure, so we know we’re going to miss him out there,” CB Carlton Davis III said.
“But we preach all the time ‘next guy up’ and Charles Woods has been playing
Carlton Davis III, who signed a three-year, $54 million deal with the Patriots in 2025, didn’t dodge what Gonzalez’s absence means. He also made it known where some of the team’s confidence is going.
“Gonzo is a playmaker, for sure, so we know we’re going to miss him out there,” Davis said, via Reiss. Davis then pointed directly toward Charles Woods, saying the Patriots preach “next guy up” and that Woods has played well whenever called upon.
“We’re going to trust him and go into this game trying to win it, for sure,” Davis said.
When Davis was sidelined by a neck injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2, Woods went from depth piece to a major part of New England’s secondary.
Woods Has Passed One In-Season Test
Woods played 60 of New England’s 70 defensive snaps in the 20-3 win over Pittsburgh, according to snap counts compiled by Sports Illustrated. He finished with 10 tackles and a pass defensed, the busiest defensive outing of his young NFL career.
The rise has happened swiftly. The Patriots claimed Woods off waivers from the Los Angeles Rams in August 2025 following his entrance into the league as an undrafted free agent in 2024. He has appeared in 30 career games without an official start, via Pro Football Reference.
Through three games this season, Woods has logged 73 defensive snaps, including only one in the opener before his 60-snap workload against Pittsburgh. PFF has credited Woods with a 64.7 overall defensive grade and a 59.8 coverage grade while opponents have posted a 73.4 passer rating when targeting him.
The sample is small, but New England has seen Woods handle an abrupt jump in responsibility. That gives Davis’ comments some recent evidence behind them instead of making the “next guy up” line sound like routine locker-room optimism.
Mike Vrabel also suggested the replacement plan will involve more than one player. The Patriots coach said Woods will get snaps while Marcus Jones could work both outside and in the slot, handing New England flexibility rather than asking one reserve to copy Gonzalez’s role exactly.
Patriots Need Secondary Depth to Hold Up Against Allen
There’s no gentle runway for the redistributed group.
The Bills are 3-0, and Josh Allen is the type of quarterback who can find a weak point and keep returning to it. Gonzalez had eight tackles and five passes defensed through New England’s first three games before the shoulder issue knocked him out of Week 4.
His absence also comes with Barmore unavailable in the middle of the defensive line, taking away two pieces integral to various levels of the defense. That combination increases the pressure on Davis, Woods, Jones and the rest of the secondary to hold up when plays extend.
Davis has endured nine seasons in the league and has seen Woods respond when his own injury created an opening. The veteran has seen enough to publicly back Woods before a stiff evaluation in Buffalo.
Woods isn’t Gonzalez, but he seems to be able to handle himself.
As for a New England defense heading into Week 4 short-handed, that’s the bet Davis appears ready to make.
Patriots’ $54 Million CB Backs 0-Start DB Amid Christian Gonzalez Absence vs. Bills