One of the strengths of the Patriots in 2025, the hope is, will be the play of the back line of the defense, especially at cornerback. New England spent big to bring in new guy Carlton Davis, hoping to pair him in an imposing 1-2 combination with star Christian Gonzalez, giving the Patriots a pair of shutdown corners.
But the problem this summer for Gonzalez, and to a lesser extent, Davis, has been health. Davis raised some eyebrows by missing the first two weeks of training camp with an undisclosed injury, and the mystery around what was ailing him probably caused more drama than was necessary. He has been back, though.
Gonzalez is another story. According to former Patriots beat man Jeff Howe, now with The Athletic, Gonzalez’s hamstring injury is cause for concern as Week 1 is looming.
“As for star cornerback Christian Gonzalez,” Howe wrote this week, “his hamstring injury has been a tricky one, and it’s been tough to pin down a timetable on his return.”
Christian Gonzalez Suffered a Hamstring Injury in July
Back on July 28, when Gonzalez suffered the left hamstring injury at the opening of training camp, few projected that it could keep him out an entire month. NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote at the time, “Sources: #Patriots All-Pro CB Christian Gonzalez suffered a hamstring injury during Monday’s practice that will sideline him for a bit, but I’m told it will not impact his Week 1 availability.”
Here we are, though, a week away from the opener against the Raiders, and there’s been precious little by way of updates on Gonzalez, who did travel to Minnesota for joint practices in mid-August, but who did not participate.
It is possible that, because of the fickle nature of hamstrings, the team is simply being cautious on Gonzalez. But the silence is deafening.
Patriots Have Solid CB Backups
If Gonzalez can’t go, the Patriots could have some combination of Alex Austin, DJ James or Charles Woods step in. James had a strong camp and showed a nose for the ball, frequently picking off passes in practice and logging an interception in the preseason games. Still, it is a big drop-off from Gonzalez if he is not on the field.
Whatever disappointment there may be in Gonzalez’s potential absence, though, can be made up with Davis’s enthusiasm.
“It’s about to be lit, bro,” Davis said last week. “I’m excited for the city, for this team. We’ve been working hard. I’m just ready to go to war with these guys. I’m just excited about what we all can do on that field together.”
Patriots’ Davis Is Ready
Davis came to New England on a three-year, $54 million contract. He began his career in Tampa and was a teammate of Tom Brady on the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl team. He had been with the Lions last year, and was the No. 21-ranked cornerback (of 116) in the league last season. Gonzalez was ranked No. 14.
“All the playmakers we’ve got, everything we’ve been doing, for me, has been something that I’m looking forward to come Game 1,” Davis said. “I don’t want to get into specifics, but I am really excited to play alongside guys like Gonzo … everybody. We’ve just got a lot of guys, a lot of dogs out there.”
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