Patriots HC Opens Door for Star CB to Return

One day after the New England Patriots' first win of the young season, head coach Mike Vrabel made two separate stops on his media availability tour to offer a positive outlook on one of the best players the team has.

"There's a chance," Vrabel said on WEEI Monday morning in response to a question about star cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who's missed the first two games of the season with a hamstring injury suffered back in July.

When asked a follow-up question later in the morning, Vrabel clarified what he meant by chance.

“It’s a chance,” Vrabel reiterated. “There’s a chance that a lot of things could happen. It’s Monday, and we’ll figure out how he progresses along the week. We’ll see what he can do and have him do what he can do.”

Gonzalez -- who's coming off an All-Pro season -- pulled up with an injured hamstring in practice over the summer. He hasn't practiced since July 28 and missed the team's first two games of the season. While he hadn't been placed on Injured Reserve (sidelining him for at least four weeks), his injury status has been a constant during Vrabel's press conferences.

Vrabel wouldn't go as far as to say that Gonzalez suffered a setback, but it's clear the timeline for his recovery has been pushed back.

"I don't think we'll see him today,” Vrabel said last Wednesday. “Continuing to improve, which is positive, and working hard, but I don't think we'll see him today on the practice field. So, again, just working hard and keep improving, stay engaged. Still preparing as a starter and asking questions as a starter in the meetings, and all those things. So, that's where we're at today."

Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

In Gonzalez's stead, Alex Austin has seen an uptick in playing time along the boundary. In Sunday's win over the Miami Dolphins, Austin struggled to keep up with the speed of both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Marcus Jones (slot) and Carlton Davis have remained in the starting lineup, but Davis pulled up gimpy during Sunday's game -- something this Patriots team cannot afford with Gonzalez out.

"We’ll have to do better, and we won’t be the only team that they get explosive plays against, and we’ll just have to continue to be better," Vrabel said postgame. "I know that. I understand that. But there were times where we did, where we took away those throwing lanes, and there were times that we certainly didn’t. I told you that we had to be willing to give up some of those plays outside the numbers. They hit a couple off us. They hit a couple of those sevens and those corners. I told the team that that was what going in, we were going to make them hit him, and they probably hit too many, but again, we’ll be okay."

While New England won't practice on Monday, Tuesday's session will be a good indicator whether or not Gonzalez will be out there against the Pittsburgh Steelers this week.

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