New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (concussion) and safety Jabrill Peppers (hamstring) have both been ruled out for the Patriots defense for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Buffalo Bills. Additionally, safety Kyle Dugger (ankle, quadriceps), linebacker Anfernee Jennings (knee), linebacker Titus Leo (ankle) and linebacker Sione Takitaki (knee) are questionable to play. The Patriots will secure the top overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft if they lose to the Bills on Sunday, so they won't be rushing any key players back onto the field this one. Even though the Bills don't plan to keep their key starters on offense in this contest for long, fantasy managers with something still on the line in Week 18 shouldn't have the Patriots defense/special teams unit as a consideration.
According to the team, New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (concussion) has been ruled out for the remainder of Saturday's game versus the visiting Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17 due to a concussion. Gonzalez suffered the head injury during the second quarter. Before exiting, the 22-year-old tallied one solo tackle. Defensive back Jonathan Jones should be expected to see an uptick in playing time during the remainder of the game. Through 15 games this season, Gonzalez tallied 58 tackles with 11 deflections and two interceptions. Gonzalez being out is good news for Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert for the rest of the game.
Christian Gonzalez Deemed Questionable For Week 12
New England Patriots defensive back Christian Gonzalez (hip) is officially questionable for Sunday's road tilt against the Miami Dolphins. The 22-year-old was a late addition to the Patriots' injury report with a hip ailment, putting his status for Sunday's divisional clash in doubt. The second-year corner has yet to miss a contest this season and currently leads the team in passes defensed. Safeties Marte Mapu (neck) and Kyle Dugger (ankle) are also questionable for the contest after they were both limited practice participants this week with their respective injuries. In total, New England has seven defensive players designated as questionable, so they could be in danger of being severely depleted against a Dolphins team that appears to be finding its legs offensively. If Gonzalez can't play, fellow DB Alex Austin projects to pick up the slack in New England's defensive backfield.
New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (shoulder) said that he's mostly recovered from the shoulder injury that he suffered in his rookie season in 2023. "That's in the past. I'm ready for right now," Gonzalez said. However, he's unsure what his participation will be like for organized team activities this offseason. The 21-year-old was the 17th overall pick in 2023 out of Oregon but only played in four games last year before his first year in the NFL was cut short due a torn labrum in his right shoulder that required surgery. He's likely to be limited in offseason workouts and possibly even for the start of training camp, but barring a setback, it sounds like he'll be ready for the start of the 2024 campaign. It's great news for New England's secondary.
Christian Gonzalez Likely To Miss Rest Of The Year
New England Patriots rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez (shoulder), who would have been a candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year, is likely to miss the rest of the season with a torn right labrum from a dislocated shoulder he suffered in the Week 4 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, according to sources. Gonzalez will undergo surgery soon. It's the reason the Patriots acquired defensive back J.C. Jackson from the Los Angeles Chargers on Wednesday. The 21-year-old Gonzalez already had 17 tackles, a sack and an interception through the first four games of his career, and his loss is a brutal blow to New England's secondary the rest of the way. Jackson had 25 picks in his four years with the Pats, but he struggled last year in LA and has also been in legal trouble this year.
New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (shoulder) will not return to Sunday's meeting with the Cowboys. The rookie suffered a shoulder injury and was initially deemed questionable. However, the real question now is if he'll be ready for the Week 5 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. The Pats' secondary was already banged up entering Week 4, so adding Gonzalez to the list could significantly increase the fantasy production of Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, and Michael Thomas, among others.
New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (shoulder) is questionable to return to Sunday's matchup with the Cowboys. Gonzalez helped keep the Dallas offense in check while he was on the field. However, he suffered a shoulder injury, and things went downhill afterward. The No. 17 overall pick had 16 tackles, one sack, and one interception entering Week 4, so it'd be a tough blow for the Pats defense to be without him for an extended period moving forward.
New England Patriots rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez, the No. 17 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, was lining up as a first-unit left cornerback during offseason practices and caught the eye of his teammates. "He's very athletic. It's pretty effortless the way he does everything -- the way he moves in and out of breaks. He runs easy. It looks very light and fluid," safety Kyle Dugger said. The 6-foot-2, 201-pounder has questions about his physicality, which is one reason he may have slid in the first round, so the Patriots will wait for a more complete evaluation of Gonzalez once players are in full pads in training camp this summer. Despite the 20-year-old's size, Gonzalez has tons of tools and should challenge for a starting job opposite Jonathan Jones in camp.
The New England Patriots selected University of Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft on Thursday night. The Patriots continued their trend of trading back in the first round this year, moving from No. 14 overall to No. 17 to bolster their secondary with Gonzalez, who was considered one of the top defensive backs in this year's class. The 20-year-old stands at 6-foot-1 and has great speed on the outside. He should be in play to start right away for the Patriots on the opposite side of the field from Jonathan Jones. The Gonzalez pick will eventually allow the Pats to get back to playing man-to-man defense on the outside.
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