The New England Patriots look set to go into Sunday’s matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders short-handed again, and the biggest concern is once more in the secondary.
Christian Gonzalez was not on the field for the team’s third and final practice of the week, leaving the door wide open for him to miss a second straight game. The cornerback had already been sidelined for the first two practices because of a shoulder injury, the same issue that kept him out of New England’s 29-26 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 4.
Unless something changes between now and kickoff, Gonzalez appears unlikely to play against Kirk Cousins and the Raiders offense.
That would be a major hit for a Patriots defense already dealing with more injury trouble than it can afford. Gonzalez, 24, signed a record-breaking contract extension before the season opener and has been one of the league’s best when he’s healthy. But durability has been an issue since he entered the NFL in 2023, and this week could become the 19th game of his career that he misses.
The situation gets even trickier if Carlton Davis cannot go. Davis is working through a neck injury and also missed all three practices this week. Channing Canada, Charles Woods and Karon Prunty were all on the injury report as well, with Canada dealing with a hamstring issue, Woods with a shoulder injury and Prunty with a hamstring injury.
That leaves the Patriots awfully thin at corner. Marcus Jones and practice squad players Kindle Vildor and Al'Zillion Hamilton were the only defensive backs in that group to practice all three days, and they could be asked to take on much larger roles if the top end of the depth chart stays sidelined. Vildor is expected to be elevated to the game day roster for the second straight week.
Even with the injuries, the Raiders present a difficult matchup. The 3-1 team has gotten solid play from its veteran quarterback, and first-year head coach Klint Kubiak has brought a clear spark to the operation.
"They have a lot of chemistry," defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr said Thursday. "Obviously, Klint and Kirk being in Minnesota together, they definitely know each other well.
You can tell that from Week 1 there wasn’t really any slow growth. They hit it.
They hit the field running. They’re doing a great job with their big skill and they’re dialing up some good plays to their skill."
The Patriots’ injury list has been piling up for weeks, and Gonzalez’s likely absence is just the latest problem in a stretch that has tested the roster. New England has already placed more players on IR this season - 17 - than it did all of last year.
"Nothing is more important than the health of the football team," Vrabel sai this week. "We clearly see that and understand that. So, there's a fine line that we wage between practicing, having speed at practice, having pads at practice, but also making sure that we are doing everything that we can to avoid injuries in practice.
"Then obviously when you go to the game, there are just some things that you can't avoid."
Mack Hollins (calf), Reggie Gilliam (knee/ankle) and Prunty were also absent from Friday’s practice. Mike Vrabel is scheduled to address the media later in the day, when more clarity should come on who will be out and who will be questionable for Sunday.
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