The Detroit Lions’ secondary is already walking a tightrope, and the latest injury news only makes the picture shakier. With Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch set to miss a large chunk of the 2026 season, and the Terrion Arnold situation adding another layer of uncertainty, Detroit suddenly needs help on the back end in a big way.
That’s why Christian Gonzalez is such a tempting name to watch.
The New England Patriots cornerback still hasn’t landed a new contract, and the frustration is starting to build. With the regular season closing in, CBS Sports has identified the Lions as one of the top possible landing spots if Gonzalez is moved. For a team trying to keep its defense from getting exposed early, that kind of opportunity is hard to ignore.
Detroit’s current cornerback picture is far from settled. The 53-man roster lists D.J.
Reed and Keith Abney II as the starting corners, with Roger McCreary penciled in as the starting nickelback. Ennis Rakestraw Jr. could also end up in that role.
Abney, a fifth-round rookie from Arizona State, was not expected to be thrust into a starting job this season, which says plenty about where things stand.
The Lions do have one of the easiest schedules in the league, but that won’t matter much if the secondary gets picked apart before Joseph and Branch are back. And in Joseph’s case, that return may never happen. A move for a proven top-end corner could change the entire feel of this defense.
Gonzalez has already shown exactly why he belongs in that conversation. He made his first Pro Bowl in 2025 after posting 69 tackles, 10 pass deflections and one tackle for loss in 14 games.
He didn’t record an interception, but that only tells part of the story. Quarterbacks simply weren’t eager to test him.
In Super Bowl LX, Gonzalez matched his pass breakups with the number of completions he allowed, finishing with three passes defended while shadowing offensive player of the year Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
For Detroit, the appeal is obvious. The Lions already have some of the best young talent in the league on both sides of the ball, and Gonzalez would give the defense a major lift.
Last season, only six NFC teams allowed more passing yards than Detroit, and the Lions were still in the playoff hunt. If they want to get back to the NFC championship, the secondary needs to be both healthier and better.
The price would not be small. A deal would likely require at least one first-round pick.
But if Gonzalez becomes available, this is the kind of swing where the usual caution goes out the window. For the Lions, it would be a clear case of “(expletive) them picks” if it means landing one of the best young corners in football.
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Arizona, though, is not currently planning to move him, which is the part that keeps this from being a simple fit-and-forget scenario. Dan Graziano has noted that the picture could change if the Cardinals drift out of contention, and if that happens the Patriots would be one of the teams worth watching before the trade deadline as they weigh whether to finally address a problem that has been visible since September. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Vrabel Is At The Center Of A Serious Patriots Media Controversy
The Athletics internal review into Dianna Russinis relationship with Mike Vrabel has put an uncomfortable spotlight on how closely NFL reporting and team access can overlap. The investigation centered on whether the former reporters connection to the Patriots head coach affected her coverage, and it concluded that the relationship ran afoul of the outlets standards because it was not disclosed, even though investigators did not find clear evidence that her reporting was biased.
Russini resigned while the review was still underway, leaving the episode to linger as much about newsroom process as about one reporter or one coach. The Athletic also said it would recommend editorial policy changes meant to guard against similar conflicts in the future, a reminder that for a franchise like the Patriots, the questions surrounding Vrabels circle can travel well beyond the field. [Read more 🡒]