It’s clear New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez was instructed to stick to the script regarding his nagging hamstring.
The former first-round pick has missed the first two games of the season with a hamstring injury he suffered at the beginning of training camp. He hasn’t done much of anything on the field since, but head coach Mike Vrabel opened the door for a potential return in Week 3 against Pittsburgh Steelers.
Gonzalez, who has largely been out of the spotlight while hurt, gave a (very) brief update when he appeared on “Good Morning Football” on Sept. 16.
“We just going day by day and taking it a step at a time,” Gonzalez said. “Just being in the building, sitting in meetings and doing what I can. It’s been fun — but it’s been stressful, but it’s all for a reason. Taking it one day at a time.”
Christian Gonzalez Finally Nearing Return?
Impressive use of cliches aside, Patriots fans could take some solace out of the fact that New England even made him available to speak. In the past, Patriots players being made available to the media is typically a good sign about any sort of injury uncertainty.
This, however, is slightly different, as it was an appearance on NFL Network, one that was largely coordinated to promote his involvement in the NFL’s Latino Heritage Month celebration. But if Gonzalez also speaks to reporters during the midweek media session, that will be another telling sign he could be nearing a return.
Vrabel also provided a slightly muted update when he met with reporters earlier in the week.
“It’s a chance,” he admitted. “I mean, there’s a chance that a lot of things could happen, and it’s Monday, we’ll figure out how he progresses along the week, we’ll see what we can do and have do what he can do.”
Perhaps Gonzalez has been getting up to speed behind the scenes, but one thing to also consider is how he hasn’t really been a major factor in practice. With a soft-tissue injury like a hamstring, the team presumably wouldn’t want to risk reinjury, so getting him back on the practice field seems like the logical next step.
Gonzalez Will Benefit From Revamped Patriots Defense
Certainly, the Patriots would love to have Gonzalez back on the field as soon as possible. And it’s not as if they don’t need him back, but the results through two weeks have been promising, at least based on underlying numbers. That’s been especially true up front, with Pro Football Focus recently raving about New England’s revamped pass rush. Through two weeks, the additions of Harold Landry and Milton Williams have paid off, as the Patriots have generated the NFL’s ninth-best pass-rush win rate and the No. 1 run-stop win rate, per ESPN.
“The sample size is still admittedly limited, but the Patriots’ defensive line is playing like one of the most improved units — and better pass-rush contingents — in the NFL,” Bradley Locker wrote for PFF.
Few things in football are as complementary as the pass rush and a secondary, so once Gonzalez gets back, which he presumably will at some point, the defense will look even better.
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