The New England Patriots are in the complete swing of things as Monday morning marked the first full-padded practice of training camp. Unfortunately, the competition took out the team's best defensive player, star cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
The 2024 All-Pro cornerback left practice early after suffering an injury to his leg, according to NFL insider Mike Reiss. More updates will likely be revealed in the coming days, if not sooner.
CB Christian Gonzalez has departed practice and has headed to the athletic training shed under his own power after covering WR Stefon Diggs on a crossing route in an early snap of 11-on-11 drills.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) July 28, 2025
Appeared to be something related to his leg.
After the Patriots added CB Carlton Davis to the secondary in the offseason, New England looked primed to be a stout defense. Now, with Davis being absent from training camp to this point and a limping Gonzalez, the Patriots had a chance to see how much depth they have going into the season.
In the wake of Gonzalez's exit from the practice field, second-year cornerback Marcellas Dial was given a chance to jump into a bigger role. While the day honed in on redzone play and the run game, Dial made good on his opportunity.
Patriots CB Marcellas Dial Steps Up After Christian Gonzalez Injury
Per Boston Sports Journal's Greg A. Bedard, Dial allowed a touchdown to fellow 2024 draft pick Ja'Lynn Polk and rookie Kyle Williams, but made a big impact against the run. That's exactly what New England fans should want to hear after watching Gonzalez go down.
Offense finished strong as Maye and Dobbs threw TDs on final RZ drives.
— Greg A. Bedard (@GregABedard) July 28, 2025
Marcellas Dial was next up at CB and made the most of his opportunity, especially against the run.
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Although he was not a perfect replacement for Gonzalez, it's a big ask for a player who only saw the field for 60 defensive snaps in three games last year to fully fill the shoes of a consensus top-five cornerback in the NFL. Albeit, he did enough to catch the eyes of fans and reporters in attendance.
To this point, there is no official injury update on Gonzalez, but walking off the field on his own two feet is a hopeful sign that the injury will not keep him out long-term.
Even if the star corner is not able to practice for the rest of training camp, the Patriots seem to have a reliable option in Dial. He is no guarantee to make the roster, but he will only continue to grow with the extra reps he can receive in the face of Gonzalez's injury.
New England's training camp runs through Aug. 10, with its first preseason game coming two days before that against the Washington Commanders. Patriots fans will want to keep an eye on Dial over the next few weeks as he looks to cement himself as a pillar in the Patriots' secondary.