Patriots Week 5 Inactives vs. Raiders: Secondary Taking Hit after Hit

FOXBORO — The New England Patriots are sitting at 2-2, but it's taken some crazy turns to get them to that point. Bad losses, thrilling wins and a myriad of injuries have them back at home for a date with the Las Vegas Raiders.

But they won't be taking the field at full strength.

Here are all the players on the Patriots and Raiders that won't be suiting up for the Week 5 game:

Patriots Inactives	Raiders Inactives
QB Behren Morton (emergency third QB)	QB Aidan O'Connell (emergency third QB)
OT Dametrious Crownover	RB Roman Hemby
CB Christian Gonzalez (shoulder)	WR Jalen Nailor (concussion)
CB Carlton Davis (neck)	C Trey Zuhn III (knee)
CB Karon Prunty (hamstring)	DT J.J. Pegues
CB Channing Canada (hamstring)	S Tristin McCollum
N/A	S Dalton Johnson

September 20, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) looks on before a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The biggest story is Gonzalez and Davis sidelined once again. Gonzalez, who looked like he got banged up on a tackle in Week 3, told reporters after the game that he felt "good." But it's clear that he's dealing with something more serious than initially thought.

One big return will be Christian Barmore, who missed last week with a shoulder injury. He was questionable to play (along with Rhamondre Stevenson), but they will be out there.

Morton will only be allowed to play if both Drake Maye and Tommy DeVito get hurt. Practice squad elevation safety Elliott Davison will make his NFL debuts today. Linebacker K.J. Britt (practice squad) and safety Brenden Schooler (non-football injury list) will also make their season debuts.

Cornerbacks Dropping Like Flies

Gonzalez missed last week, but it didn't seem like this injury — at least to me — would stretch into multiple weeks. Nope, the 24-year-old has missed six-straight practices and won't be dressing.

Aug 22, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Kindle Vildor (28) celebrates a stop in the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Edward Finan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But it's not just Gonzalez who can't go. Davis, the Patriots' most physical cornerback at the line of scrimmage, is dealing with a neck injury that held him out of the team's Week 2 win against Pittsburgh. And then Karon Prunty and Channing Canada, both rookies, will miss the game with hamstring ailments.

To help fill the void at cornerback, the Patriots signed Kindle Vildor off of the practice squad to the 53-man roster. But that only brings the total active corners to three for the game.

The Patriots are rolling into the game with Vildor, Marcus Jones and Charles Woods (who entered the day questionable with a shoulder injury). I don't see the Raiders using their wide receivers a lot this game, so it might not be that big of a worry for New England. But this is easily the weakest part of the roster right now.

Who Steps Up At WR?

New England Patriots wide receiver Kyle Williams (18) is shoved out of bounds by Jacksonville Jaguars safety Eric Murray (29) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Patriots 35-6. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Patriots are going to be without A.J. Brown for at least one more game, and then they had to put Mack Hollins on injured reserve with a calf injury. That leaves them with just four active wide receivers for the game (Kyle Dixon, Chandler Brayboy or Cameron Dorner weren't elevated off of the practice squad).

So it will be Romeo Doubs, Efton Chism III, DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams this week. Chism, who was the hero in Buffalo for his game-winning touchdown snag, could see an uptick in snaps compared to the start of the year. He was the one to helped step up for Hollins after the vet went down.

“It wouldn’t be right for me to sit up here and not talk about his work ethic and his character," offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said this week. "Since the moment we got him, he has been at the highest level. It’s hard to say that an undrafted college free agent would be a pros pro, but I will tell you that’s what he is. He came in with that kind of demeanor, that kind of attitude. He understands that I’m going to be ready when my time is up, and he was and has been since he’s been here."

If Drake Maye and the Patriots want to stack wins for the first time this season, they'll need one of these wideouts to really break out. Doubs and Chism both found the end zone last week, but Douglas and Williams are due for a stellar outing.

The Patriots and Raiders will kick off from Gillette Stadium at 1 p.m. EST. It's going to be a fun one in Foxboro, as the Patriots plan to honor the 25th anniversary of their Super Bowl XXXVI-winning team before the game. At halftime, they'll also give recent Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Adam Vinatieri his induction ring — the first Patriots player to receive it since Richard Seymour in 2022. This week will also be the first of two times this season that the Patriots break out their Pat Patriot red throwback jerseys.

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