When training camp begins, the worst part is seeing players go down with injuries. While teams are sometimes extra cautious with injuries, a player's season can be over before it even begins. For fans of the New England Patriots, things looked rough yesterday as star cornerback Christian Gonzalez limped off the field following a drill. Luckily for the Pats, despite the injury to Gonzalez, he is still set to be available in week 1 of the season when they host the Las Vegas Raiders.
During practice on Monday, July 28th, Gonzalez left practice following a 1-on-1 drill against Stefon Diggs. With Carlton Davis already injured, this would further weaken the Patriots' cornerback room, which is already down its top two players. While fans were worried about what the outcome of the injury would be, they received good news the next day.
Earlier today, it was announced that Gonzalez suffered a hamstring injury. While Gonzalez is set to miss some time, he is still expected to be healthy and available for week 1. Gonzalez was absent from practice today.
Schultz: Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez (hamstring) expected to be available for Week 1.
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) July 29, 2025
While it is great to hear that Gonzalez is still likely to play in Week 1, hamstring injuries are tricky to deal with. Even if the Pats and Gonzalez treat it correctly, he could easily re-aggravate it later and make the injury worse.
If Gonzalez were set to miss extended time, that would be awful for the Patriots' defense. Ever since being drafted by the Pats 17th overall in the 2023 NFL draft, he's been the team's best cornerback. In his rookie season, Gonzalez would only play in four games before being sidelined with a shoulder injury.
It was his 2nd season when Gonzalez broke out, playing in 16 games, recording two interceptions and one fumble return for a touchdown. Gonzalez finished with a 76.0 Pro Football Focus (PFF) overall grade, good for the 21st-best corner in the league. His PFF coverage grade was even better at 78.0, putting him at 17th out of all other cornerbacks.
The Pats continue getting ready for the season with the team's first of three preseason games next Friday, August 8th, at 7:30 ET, where they host the Washington Commanders.